More Facts about Robert Niles

Born: Los Angeles, California

Lives: Pasadena, California

Occupation: Editor of ThemeParkInsider.com; Director of Advertising and Technology for Violinist.com (Read Robert's CV [PDF format].)

Former newspaper staffer at:

  • Los Angeles Times
  • Rocky Mountain News [RIP]
  • Omaha World-Herald
  • The [Bloomington, Indiana] Herald-Times

Education:

  • Master of Arts (Journalism), Indiana University-Bloomington
  • Bachelor of Arts (Double major: Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences, Political Science), Northwestern University.

Awards:

  • Online Journalism Award Winner for Service Journalism (Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and Online News Association), 2001
  • Webby Awards Finalist for Best Guide/Ratings/Reviews site, 2005
  • Webby Awards Official Honoree for Best Guide/Ratings/Reviews site, 2006
  • EPpy Award Finalist for Best Use of Interactivity in a Newspaper Online Service (Editor & Publisher magazine), 1999

Broadcast/Cable networks appeared upon:

  • ABC
  • BBC Radio
  • CBS
  • CNN
  • NBC
  • NPR

Speaker for:

  • American Bar Association
  • American Copy Editors Society
  • American Press Institute
  • Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors
  • James Beard Foundation
  • Knight Digital Media Center
  • National Conference of State Legislatures
  • National Society of Newspaper Columnists
  • Online News Association
  • Public Relations Society of America
  • Society of America Travel Writers
  • WAN-IFRA

Theme parks visited:

  • Boardwalk & Baseball [RIP]
  • Busch Gardens Los Angeles [RIP]
  • Busch Gardens Tampa
  • Busch Gardens Williamsburg
  • Carowinds
  • Cedar Point
  • Disney's California Adventure
  • Disneyland
  • Dollywood
  • Elitch Gardens
  • Holiday World
  • Kings Island
  • Knott's Berry Farm
  • Legoland California
  • Marineland [RIP]
  • Opryland [RIP]
  • SeaWorld Orlando
  • SeaWorld San Diego
  • Six Flags Great America
  • Six Flags Magic Mountain
  • Tokyo Disneyland
  • Tokyo DisneySea
  • Universal Studios Florida
  • Universal Studios Hollywood
  • Universal Studios Singapore
  • Universal's Islands of Adventure
  • Walt Disney World's Disney's Animal Kingdom
  • Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios
  • Walt Disney World's Epcot
  • Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World attractions worked:

  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Country Bear Jamboree
  • Enchanted Tiki Room
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Swiss Family Treehouse
  • Tom Sawyer Island Rafts

Contact: E-mail Robert.