(KTLA) – One California man’s love of Disneyland has earned him a spot in the record books.
Jeff Reitz, of Huntington Beach, has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as having visited Disneyland for the most consecutive days in a row — 2,995, to be exact.
The 50-year-old started his streak while unemployed in 2012.
“It started as a joke between friends when Disneyland announced they were giving an ‘Extra Disney Day’ when they announced the Leap Day 24-hour event in 2012,” Reitz told Guinness World Records. “We decided to use Disneyland as a positive as we were out of work and had annual passes that had been gifted, so it was a source of free entertainment.”
Reitz’s frequent trips to Disneyland soon caught the attention of the Orange County Register, which began logging Reitz’s journey on his 183rd visit to the park.
“Then the Associated Press picked up the story and it became real as I was contacted by newspapers and radio stations from around the globe asking for interviews.”
Disneyland took notice too, and began offering Reitz small tokens of their appreciation after certain milestones. After his first full year, for instance, they awarded him “Honorary Citizenship” at Disneyland.
He only stopped visiting when, in March 2020, the park temporarily shuttered amid the coronavirus pandemic, ending his streak.
With the Disney 100 celebration currently in full swing, Reitz plans to visit the park again soon.
“I have not set a return date yet, but now I think it would be really fun to return with my Guinness World Records title certificate to get pictures where I earned it — inside Disneyland,” he told the publication.
