OnTheGround: Walkies, JHM.com Tours the Disneyland Resort

First published March 26, 2003

By C. W. Oberleitner

For those of you who couldn't make last weekend's JimHillMedia-dot-com Walking Tours of Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, our own DizBiz and OnTheGround correspondent -- and junior assistant tour guide -- C. W. Oberleitner brings us up to date. Join us as C.W. chronicles Jim's metamorphosis from winter white New Hampshire features writer to beet red Disney docent.

One of the nicest things about having a job as an Internet correspondent is that you get to work from home. No office to go into, you can work in your bathrobe never shave and the boss is often miles away. In my case he's usually a continent away in New Hampshire. Well not last week.

Our Fearless Leader Jim Hill was in Southern California all last week for among other things the first of what we hope will be many JimHillMedia-dot-com walking tours of Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. There's nothing like having the boss in town to keep you on your toes.

I met up with Jim on the Thursday before the tours were to take place. He wanted to walk the parks and rehearse the tours. Of course no visit to the Disneyland Resort would be complete without discovering a bit of news worth sharing with our readers.

Over the course of the past several weeks readers of some Disneyana fan sites might have gotten the impression that attendance at Disney's California Adventure was once again falling off to its pre-Aladdin musical levels. I'm very pleased to report that just does not appear to be the case.

I've been to DCA on several weekdays recently and I've been very surprised by the volume of people visiting the park on a school day. On Friday March 7, I went with a friend to see the 12:45 showing of Aladdin. After seeing the show we walked the park and were amazed by the size of the crowds. There were considerable lines for everything. Then again last Thursday with Jim I had a similar experience.

We were in DCA from about ten in the morning till nearly three in the afternoon. It was busy, very busy. Don't get me wrong it wasn't Saturday stand in line for hours busy but there was a nearly thirty minute stand by line for Soarin Over California and it took a good twenty minutes to get on California Screamin. Okay so we rode a few rides while we were working.

Jim and I continued to rehearse the tours. By the way if you were about to release an animated film staring tropical fish don't you think the spot featured in the photo above would make a good place for a character meet and greet. Of course it might be kind of hard for a character with fins instead of feet to get around the park.

Finally the day for the first tour arrives. The good news was that it was a beautiful bright sunny day in Anaheim. The bad news was that it was a beautiful bright sunny day in Anaheim. Jim was so concerned about providing the tour guests with a great experience that he had forgotten that after spending the winter indoors in New Hampshire he might need protection from the Southern California sun.

We were joined midway through the first tour by Roger Colton who realized that Jim wouldn't be able to get through an entire day without some sort of protection for his head and neck. By this time Jim required more than just SPF 50 to save his scalp. Roger found a solution.

After a cool refreshing salad at the Plaza Inn it was back to Main Street for the second Disneyland tour. Trooper that he is, Jim rallied to the occasion.

Both of Saturday's Disneyland tours were a big hit with the participants. After the second tour we joined fans of JHM.com at the Plaza Garden for the JHM.com Meet and Greet. During the get together Jim shared highlights and hints from some of his upcoming columns.

It really wouldn't be fair to Jim to give away all the things he shared at the Meet and Greet but I will give you a few hints. Keep an eye on future JHM.com columns for phrases like "point and click" "2004 big bang" and "pling, pling, pling SWOOOSH!"

I can tell you this. During dinner Jim recounted for his dinning companions just why Disney-MGM Studio is one of his favorite theme parks. If you want to know more be sure to drop Jim a line and ask him about slipping his buddies past Disney security and getting up on stage at the grand opening festivities in a bright yellow rain slicker. I understand he performs a pretty mean rendition of Singin In The Rain.

Sunday March 23, started with the JHM.com walking tour of Disney's California Adventure. Because this was the initial run of these tours Jim and I were anxious to know if the tours met everyone's expectations. We asked each tour participant to fill out a brief evaluation and to include any comments they might have on the back of the form. During Saturday's tours several guest suggested that visual aides might enhance the experience. On the Sunday tours Jim was more than glad to oblige.

After everyone heard about all of the parks that The Walt Disney Company might have built, all the parks that might have been the second gate at Disneyland and how parts of so many of those parks that never made it up off the ground became DCA it was time for the walking tour.

Following the DCA tour virtually the entire group asked if they could join Jim for lunch. So Jim, the tour group and I invaded the White Water Snack Bar inside the Grand Californian. We took over four tables and Jim led us all in another round of Disneyland Resort stories.

Okay I can't really tell you about these stories either. I can, however, tell you that Jim turned his guests on to a new way to have some extra fun in the parks. Most Disney regulars are familiar with trying to find hidden Mickeys -- those familiar three circle silhouettes of Mickey's head that sneak into various Disney films and attractions. Jim tipped the DCA tour off to a new treat, hidden Walts.

It was a long two days but worth the effort. Everyone who took a tour really seemed to have a good time. I know I did and I was on all four tours. It now looks like JimHillMedia-dot-com tours of the Disneyland Resort will become a regular service of JHM.com. And, Jim is already working on outlines for tours of Walt Disney World. Keep an eye out for announcements of future tours.

Before I conclude today's OTG, in fairness to Jim who is a great sport for putting up with my low tech photography I want to take a moment to add a couple of really good pictures of Jim hard at work conducting the very first JimHillMedia-dot-com walking tours of the Disneyland Resort sent to us by tour member Brett Garrett.

Brad's photos are the last two in the column to the right.

C'ya real soon!