A Disneyland fanatic has officially reserved his spot in the Guinness World Record for 2,995 consecutive days at the theme park.
It took Jeff Reitz, 50, eight years and more than three months to set the record for most consecutive visits to the theme park in California, Guinness World Record officials announced Tuesday.
Reitz, an Air Force veteran, wandered in and out of the happiest place on earth from 2012 to when the pandemic closed the theme parks in 2020, in a joyous challenge to himself.
“It started as a joke between friends when Disneyland announced they would be giving an ‘Extra Disney Day’ when they announced the Leap Day 24-hour event in 2012,” Reitz told the Guinness World Record.
Posting his daily adventures on social media, the veteran began to take his daily Disney journey more seriously after receiving media attention on his 60th visit.
It took Jeff Reitz, 50, eight years and more than three months to break the record for most consecutive theme park visits in California
An Air Force veteran, Reitz wandered in and out of the Happiest Place on Earth from 2012 until the pandemic shut down theme parks in 2020. He is pictured above with Tonya Mickesh in 2012
As Reitz’s visits continued, he became known among cast members and visitors who sought his autograph.
He recalled visiting the park with friends and even alone, making sure to snap a picture of something new for his Instagram followers each time.
“Normally I would take a walk in the park,” Reitz told the news outlet. “I love photography, so I was always looking for images to capture that I could post to share.”
While every day in the park looked different for Reitz, he always tried to wander through a different area.
“Some days I went to a lot of rides and other times I focused my attention on a single part of the park.”
One of Reitz’s favorite rides in the park is Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
Posting his daily adventures on social media, the veteran began to take his daily Disney journey more seriously after receiving media attention on his 60th visit. He is pictured above in 2020
Reitz is pictured above with his girlfriend Karen Bell during his 2,995 visit to Disneyland. He has not returned to the park since then
As Reitz’s visits continued, he became known among cast members and visitors who sought his autograph
He recalled visiting the park with friends and even alone, making sure to snap a picture of something new for his Instagram followers each time. He is pictured above with the character Moana and his girlfriend Karen Bell
While every day in the park looked different for Reitz, he always tried to wander through a different area
Disney officials honored Reitz’s continued dedication to the theme park and presented him with honorary citizenship and a gift basket on his 366th visit
The pandemic broke Reitz’s Disneyland streak when it closed in April 2020, and the theme park’s new regulations for annual pass holders don’t appeal to the Disney superfan.
Before the pandemic, pass holders visited Disneyland on a whim. But now Disney visitors need reservations before heading to the theme park, even for the most expensive pass, which costs $1,599 and allows passholders to make up to six reservations at a time.
“The idea of having to make reservations immediately put a big damper on us,” Reitz said The New York Post.
“I’d go there after work and you know, maybe get a bite to eat, you know, enjoy a few rides or shows… It was nice to be able to just walk in.”
Reitz estimates that he probably spent $100,000 at the theme park during his eight-year visits.
Disney officials honored Reitz’s continued dedication to the theme park and presented him with honorary citizenship and a gift basket upon his 366 visit. After his second full year of visits, he was offered dinner.
“The last time they presented a gift backpack when I reached Day 2000, in 2017,” Reitz told the Guinness World Record.
With Reitz missing his daily Disney goal, he can now travel further than a short distance from the theme park, his girlfriend and Disney partner Karen Bell, 46, told The Post.
“We have time to do those overnight trips, weekend trips, concerts and whatever, anywhere,” Bell told the news outlet. “It doesn’t have to be within a day’s drive of Disney, so that ‘normal life’ is something we can do.”
The veteran also spends his time working at Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center in Long Beach.
