More Facts about Robert Niles
Born: Los Angeles, California
Lives: Pasadena, California
Occupation: Editor of ThemeParkInsider.com; Contributing Columnist for the Orange County Register (Read Robert's CV [PDF format].)
Former newspaper staffer at:
- Los Angeles Times
- [Denver] Rocky Mountain News [RIP]
- Omaha [Neb.] 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
Television/radio appearances:
- ABC
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- BBC Radio
- CBS
- CCTV America
- CNN
- NBC
- NPR
Speaker for:
- American Bar Association
- American Copy Editors Society
- American Press Institute
- Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors
- Cedar Fair
- 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
- Six Flags
- Society of America Travel Writers
- WAN/IFRA
Theme parks visited:
- Boardwalk & Baseball [RIP]
- Bollywood Parks Dubai (at Dubai Parks & Resorts) [RIP]
- Busch Gardens Los Angeles [RIP]
- Busch Gardens Tampa
- Busch Gardens Williamsburg
- California's Great America
- Carowinds
- Cedar Point
- Disney California Adventure (at Disneyland)
- Disney's Animal Kingdom (at Walt Disney World)
- Disney's Hollywood Studios (at Walt Disney World)
- Disneyland
- Disneyland Paris
- Dollywood
- Efteling
- Elitch Gardens
- Epcot (at Walt Disney World)
- Ferrari World Abu Dhabi (at Yas Island)
- Hersheypark
- Holiday World
- Islands of Adventure (at Universal Orlando)
- Kings Island
- Knott's Berry Farm
- Legoland California
- Legoland Dubai (at Dubai Parks & Resorts)
- Legoland Florida
- Magic Kingdom (at Walt Disney World)
- Marineland [RIP]
- Motiongate Dubai (at Dubai Parks & Resorts)
- Opryland [RIP]
- SeaWorld Abu Dhabi (at Yas Island)
- SeaWorld Orlando
- SeaWorld San Diego
- Six Flags Great America
- Six Flags Magic Mountain
- Six Flags Over Texas
- Tokyo Disneyland
- Tokyo DisneySea
- Universal Studios Florida (at Universal Orlando)
- Universal Studios Hollywood
- Universal Studios Singapore (at Resorts World Sentosa)
- Volcano Bay (at Universal Orlando)
- Walt Disney Studios Park (at Disneyland Paris)
- Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi (at Yas Island)
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
Acting credits:
- IMDB page
- Background roles in multiple television series and movies
Contact: themeparkinsider@gmail.com