Jim Hill got kicked out of Disney Land

[manning]

Here's the story

http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/articles/showarticle.php?ID=1356

 

[what]

That was very interesting. I didn't know things like that went on. Did he have permission from them to do such a thing? If he did, I certainly believe they would have wanted transcripts of what was being said. Seems to me that what he was doing is against the law. I wonder if he has records of the number of tours he has conducted and what he profited. He could possibly be opening up a huge can of worms for himself. I would definately hope he let the IRS in on his tour business. For his sake he should hope that getting kicked out is the only thing happens.

 

[crusader]

I'm sure it comes as no real surprise to him that the company does not appreciate what he was doing. I'd be real careful about that "CD" he's marketing.

Look, they've basically allowed him to do what he wants for years. I think he got a bit careless about it and that's really all it took to shut down this element of his operation. You can't infringe on another guest's experience - especially when you are on company property.

He wasn't just giving a harmless tour - he was looking for dirt.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Sounds very strange.
I can only assume he is charging his customers for touring?
Gotta give him points for being enterprising. It will be interesting to see how much further this goes.

 

[Cricket2]

He is running a business out of the park, which should have landed him on the blunt side of a gavel rather than just a Timberland in the rump.

 

[Plus4206]

Maybe next trip to OKW I'll set up a keg at one of the quiet pools and sell $2.00 pints.

 

[sc9500]

What about all those "chartered" foreign tours you see walking around the world? Are they also getting hassled? or just because no one understands what's being said by the guides that its ok?

 

[Cricket2]

As long as it's cold, I'll take 2!

 

[Plus4206]

Hey, at that price the keg will be floatin before all the ice melts.

 

[All Aboard]

SC9500 makes a good point. In addition to the international "Holding up the stick with a flag on it" tours, what about the people who hire themselves out as personal tourguides?

Not sure that's illegal as WebmasterCricket asserts.

If I wanted to sell the service of carrying people around on my back all day at WDW to keep their feet from getting tired, could I be arrested? How about if I was just a personal Sherpa - carrying shopping bags and cameras and autograph books around all day? Isn't that "running a business out of the theme park"?

 

[Cricket2]

Well I wasn't saying he was breaking any laws, just that Disney could sue him and he should (and probably would) loose.

The difference as I see it between Jim's business and the other groups including your "sherpa" business is that they are assisting guests and somehow Disney doesn't see that as a threat or competition to an existing service. Jim is using the park itself as the main purpose of the business and not just a secondary location for a business that could exist on it's own. The international tour groups may even have prior permission for all we know. For that matter, they may be there with Disney's blessing (doubtful, but it's possible).

I know this has come up before with the photographers. Does anyone remember what the issue was with that and whether or not they are allowed officially?

Does anyone doubt that there is more to the story than Jim is revealing?

 

[Cricket2]

Reportedly Disney's official response:

http://o-meon.com/pages/news&features/n&f_03-21-05.html#anchor

 

[CarnotaurDad]

Thanks for the link. That makes sense about the international guides getting them from Point A to Point B. They aren't telling stories about Disney, they're just guiding them along.

 

[YoHo]

I don't think overall what Hill was doing is illegal. I mean, I can get a group of friends together and give them any tour of Disney I want. What's Disney gonna do about it? I can't talk?


The problem seems to be that Jim was using Disney resources (the tour garden).

If he was smart, he would have started the tour in the parkinglot or entrance plaza, because Disney is right, he doesn't have the right to lead those tours if they don't want him to.

 

[All Aboard]

Disney's spokeperson states that only Disney cast members can give tours of Disneyland. I suppose that policy spills over into Central Florida.

Does that mean this guy is in violation of Disney policy. Or, does it go under the "point a to point b" category because he's not the author of a Disney website?

 

[Cricket2]

Sounds like a point A to point B deal to me.

What does his website have to do with it? Do you really think that Jim Hill or his site is a drop in the bucket to Disney? It's his direct disregard to stealing customers that seems to be the reason for the escorted tour directly to the front entrance. Thinking his website matters to them is a inflated ego at work if you ask me.

 

[Cricket2]

I do also want to state that Jim should get quite a bit of credit for taking one on the chin and getting back up to his feet without throwing a tantrum (yet). I really thought he would have freaked out afterwards.

 

[All Aboard]

stealing customers

I'd bet that nearly all of Jim's customers are ultra-geekazoid-Disney nerds that load up on everything they possibly can that's Disney. They either have gone on the Walk in Walt's Footsteps or have no interest - with or without the presence of Jim Hill's tours. He cannot take them behind the scenes physically. Disney can.

How often do you really think a casual theme park visitor has gone to jimhillmedia and said, "look, here's an alternative to Disney's tours, I think I'll take this one instead."?

Honestly.

His website have an impact? Got him kicked out of the 2004 Disney Annual meeting.

 

[Cricket2]

No, if i'm not mistaken (and I could be, that was a year ago and I don't remember the details all that well) Jim wasn't granted "media" access which furthur drives the nail home to the effect that Disney considers him a non-issue.

Also, allowing one person to run a tour (granted the mis-directed ladies were the lynch pin in this case) could open up the door to, as a poster on Jim's site stated "a slippery slope".

 

[Cricket2]

Found it:

http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/articles/showarticle.php?ID=179

Well, I was pretty close.