Who Exactly Is Jim Hill?

[jrtoastyman]

I've really enjoyed listening to the some of the insight that Jim Hill has about the history of the parks and plans for the future on his site and various podcasts. What exactly is his background? I'm assuming he's not a current Disney employee, as I would expect that Disney would frown upon someone being that candid in a public way. With that said, he's obviously got some inside information.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

 

[Figment632]

He knows nothing and you are better off staying away.

 

[mike the canuck]

He knows nothing and you are better off staying away.

lol

 

[jrtoastyman]

I will say this, I wish someone would get the guy a thesaurus. Just about everything out of his mouth is sprinkled liberally with the following:

• "Literally"
• "Again"
• "The interesting thing is/The thing you have to understand is"
• [insert exasperated sigh]
• "you know"

The last one is enough to drive you bananas once you notice it, but I still listen because it's generally pretty interesting stuff.

I've seen a fair amount of vitriol directed his way on these boards, but there's generally enough verifiable historical information in there to give him some credence, and the fact that the folks at the Unofficial Guide incorporate him into what they do also suggests that I can't just dismiss him outright as essentially a Disney bus driver with a better PR campaign. Does anyone know where he at least purports to have come across all of this info?

 

[anthony2k7]

he's probably a bus driver...

 

[tjkraz]

Jim Hill is a Disney blogger. He's been in the biz far longer than most--today you can't swing a churro without hitting a half-dozen self-proclaimed insiders.

I can't give you chapter and verse on his credentials. I don't believe he was ever a Cast Member--he certainly is not at the present time. There was a famous story from about 5-7 years ago where Disneyland management had him removed from the park for trying to lead his own guided tour for a group of people. National news picked up on that one.

Hill has written some great stories on the history of Disney attractions and parks over the years. Unique stuff that you haven't heard repeated a dozen times over.

He does have some inside sources and will discuss future plans at times. That's usually where his critics focus their venom.

Personally I give Hill a lot of credit for climbing out on a limb--when he writes a story about future changes to the parks or attractions, all of the credit / blame falls right on his head. These days most "insiders" prefer to hide behind screen names and guarded forum identities. Wish I had a dime for every mention of the Monster's Inc coaster or character meals in Adventureland.

Anonymous forum poster is allowed to just say "well, it was going to happen but plans changed." Meanwhile Hill is raked over the coals for being the victim of similar changes in plans.

I guess that's the risk people run when they deal in rumors. Personally I just happen to find the hypocrisy amusing.

His writing style is often condescending so that doesn't win him any fans. About 3-4 years ago his website was far more interesting when he was regularly posting historical Disney info.

Hill is what he is. Anyone who deals in rumors is going to get burned over time because plans CAN and DO change. Often. Personally I don't find him to be any less accurate than "PaulCM2001" or any other mystery forum poster. And Hill is one of the few willing to put an actual name and face to the things he writes.

 

[skier_pete]

Interesting question. I would be curious as to what his history is outside of "Disney Blogger" and with a quick search I couldn't find anything. He does seem to have somewhat of an inside track on interviews and goes to many press events. He does post some very interesting stuff on the history of the Disney Parks and Disney animation.

However, as far as any news about what's coming in the future, I would say he is no more accurate than anyone else on the internet. I think partly he gets slogged because he tends to say "they are going to be building X" rather than "there are plans to do X". I don't think he makes stuff up, but he posts blue sky things as "fact". Though actually, until the recent XPass stuff, he hasn't been posting much park news. He is the only one who I've seen post real details about XPass...but because they come from him, I think it's far from certain to be true. But some things he gets right...for instance I remember that he was the first to say that the 4th Pirates movie was going to be based on the book "On Stranger Tides"

 

[jrtoastyman]

It's honestly the historical stuff that I find most interesting. The prospective stuff, I don't put a heck of a lot of stock in because hey, even if it's accurate when he says it, plans change, and it might not happen. I'm not even sold on that Avatar thing happening, and that was an official announcement!

 

[doconeill]

I agree, I find his historical things fascinating, like the various planned Bay Lake/Seven Seas resorts, etc.

Where I fault him is that yes, he obviously has access to inside info, but it seems to be at a level closer to blue sky ideas vs. actual shovel-ready plans, but he tends to report them as if they are happening for sure...

 

[MJMcBride]

a dude who makes up stuff

 

[mitros]

Jim Hill is a Disney blogger. He's been in the biz far longer than most--today you can't swing a churro without hitting a half-dozen self-proclaimed insiders.

I can't give you chapter and verse on his credentials. I don't believe he was ever a Cast Member--he certainly is not at the present time. There was a famous story from about 5-7 years ago where Disneyland management had him removed from the park for trying to lead his own guided tour for a group of people. National news picked up on that one.

Hill has written some great stories on the history of Disney attractions and parks over the years. Unique stuff that you haven't heard repeated a dozen times over.

He does have some inside sources and will discuss future plans at times. That's usually where his critics focus their venom.

Personally I give Hill a lot of credit for climbing out on a limb--when he writes a story about future changes to the parks or attractions, all of the credit / blame falls right on his head. These days most "insiders" prefer to hide behind screen names and guarded forum identities. Wish I had a dime for every mention of the Monster's Inc coaster or character meals in Adventureland.

Anonymous forum poster is allowed to just say "well, it was going to happen but plans changed." Meanwhile Hill is raked over the coals for being the victim of similar changes in plans.

I guess that's the risk people run when they deal in rumors. Personally I just happen to find the hypocrisy amusing.

His writing style is often condescending so that doesn't win him any fans. About 3-4 years ago his website was far more interesting when he was regularly posting historical Disney info.

Hill is what he is. Anyone who deals in rumors is going to get burned over time because plans CAN and DO change. Often. Personally I don't find him to be any less accurate than "PaulCM2001" or any other mystery forum poster. And Hill is one of the few willing to put an actual name and face to the things he writes.

Excellent post. A lot of people will knock Jim Hill because they see and hear others do it. I'm glad you went ahead and made the points that you did. Good job, my friend.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

He has his good articles...but he takes simple conjecture and relays them. Sometimes they turn out...but often with disney they are never really thought up for development and are either dead ends, shelved, or simply just the imagination of someone who is overzealous.

He's a blogger...not a journalist. he doesn't have the burden of having to have multiple layers of sources, facts, and confirmation on several levels before he writes it. That is why he isn't a journalist.


But from my own experience...the source of these "insider rumors" are this:
those that work for disney - and buy and large they are just that - "workers" (not "members of the company" as was preached in the past) want to feel special and like they are part of something big.
All people do...but that has been heightened at disney over the years by the branding, nostalgia, and - i believe - the reality that disney has not been exceptional friendly and far from generous to its workers (creative, technical, management, and below) over the last 25-30 years.
They simply havent.

And CM's often come up with elaborate "insider tidbits" either from their head or propogate those rumours that they hear from other that germinated the same way - as a sort of coping mechanism.

"Hush hush...Big things coming"
"I talk to somebody IN THE KNOW...but obviously they cant say it openly"
"The source is from INSIDE IMAGINEERING"
"Management has been told"

we just had one on a thread this morning "the source is a relative who knows, but they will be fired if i say who it is"

That is all garbage...the reality is that disney's decisions are only influenced by a handful of people out of a global workforce of something like 140,000.
There are few queens inside the hive and countless drones trailing in and out of it.

But people want to feel special...so they really believe what they hear.

And those on the outside that watch see one silly thing come out after another.


I believe there was one rampant rumor about heavy construction starting at WDW around 2002 that hung on for awhile on the property...that a large construction firm (Hill, i believe...which had been a management firm for the other park construction) was clearing land between the magic kingdom and animal kingdom (which it turns out may have happened - the "flamingo crossing" project that is never going to amount to a hill of beans)

It had to be the fifth gate....no other explanation.

Except every conceivable reason on earth showed no point to that alledged construction....yet it lingered. I'm fairly sure that it spread to the blogosphere...as i was not out in it then and cant recall for certain.

But the reason was clear if you took the pixie dust needle out of your arm:
Things stunk there....it was quiet, people were making less, no movement, no fun, no additions, slashed benefits....nothing good other than tons of priority seatings available.

The nametags needed something...and this is how it manifests.

So back to jim hill...he is good for many things...but realize that in themeparks - disney in particular - 95% of the stuff you read and hear should be left on the curb for waste management to pick up - as they make no sense.

If you want to sift through it: follow the paper trail.
As in look at the money objectively and see where the potential gains are...there ye shall find the truth 9 times out of 10

 

[doconeill]

Flamingo Crossings, however, is an oddity in this...it was rumored, and it turned out to be true that it was happening...it just never got completed.

However, there were so many rumors about what it was...Pleasure Island 2.0 and an expansion of Animal Kingdom were popular. The latter one started because the construction was going to happen "behind the AK", and some looked at satellite images, which showed large areas cleared right behind AK as said, and trucks, and equipment...except those areas had been cleared for years and served as maintenance areas. The actual construction wasn't adjacent to AK.

Of course, we all need to remember that at least over the last several years Disney has had severe ADD on such things...even when they've actually announced plans and construction has started, they've changed the plans...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Flamingo Crossings, however, is an oddity in this...it was rumored, and it turned out to be true that it was happening...it just never got completed.

However, there were so many rumors about what it was...Pleasure Island 2.0 and an expansion of Animal Kingdom were popular. The latter one started because the construction was going to happen "behind the AK", and some looked at satellite images, which showed large areas cleared right behind AK as said, and trucks, and equipment...except those areas had been cleared for years and served as maintenance areas. The actual construction wasn't adjacent to AK.

Of course, we all need to remember that at least over the last several years Disney has had severe ADD on such things...even when they've actually announced plans and construction has started, they've changed the plans...

very true...and that makes the "leads" jim hill follows even more difficult and increase the egg on his face factor.

in retrospect...the source of the rumor was probably a mixture of ground work for the flamingo walmart thing and construction of western way....

but the rumor was it was "definitely" a new park. what else is there?
but that was stupid...they had horrid levels of paying customers...not enough labor to staff combined with reductions of ours and designs to shed if they could...a floundering animal kingdom that was in an attendance nose dive and wasn't close to being paid off...

but these rumors typically meet "all logic aside" criteria

my tie is that jim hill must get some of his information from the same types that allow these rumors to run or even create them themselves - strategically to provide buzz.

the only disney stories any of us should believe - in reality - are those about the past...

because at least then we can ride the ride after we read it - whether or not it is true

 

[geogat]

I think he is great. Ever week I download my 3 or 4 disney podcasts, his is the first one listen to each week. Are some thing not 100% accurate.. Sure.. But I could flip on the news at 7 and new get 100% accurate news.

 

[mrsklamc]

OK but when he over uses the word 'literally' does he at least use it correctly? Cause most of the time, when I hear someone say 'literally' the thing that follows is figurative.

 

[Jason71]

Hill seemed to have a good record going years ago, but he all but staked his reputation on Disney (not Universal) having signed the rights to Harry Potter--even in the face of stories elsewhere on the 'net indicating that wasn't the case. He never seemed to fully recover from that.

I get a sense he is still used by Disney to float "trial balloons" from time to time. Hence, his early scoop on super fastpasses a month or two ago, which he contradicted in another story just days later. I doubt he was "making stuff up"--more likely, people high up in TWDC wanted to know how certain ideas would fly with the online fans.

 

[tjkraz]

I get a sense he is still used by Disney to float "trial balloons" from time to time. Hence, his early scoop on super fastpasses a month or two ago, which he contradicted in another story just days later. I doubt he was "making stuff up"--more likely, people high up in TWDC wanted to know how certain ideas would fly with the online fans.

Perhaps but it doesn't take a PhD to guess what the response would be to his early reports (deluxe only, extra purchase). Obviously those plans were going to be met with widespread dissatisfaction.

And the online guest segment isn't particularly representative of the whole. If they were using Hill in such a manner, they would only get feedback from a very limited subset of park guests.