Silke Jasso
On Tuesday, Jeff Reitz, a 50-year-old California resident, gained the Guinness World Record for the highest number of consecutive visits to Disneyland! This was possible after he made a whooping 2,995 trips to the theme park every day since 2012, spanning over eight years, three months, and 13 days.
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“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 the 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,” he stated. “It helped to get us out and put a positive mindset, log exercise with all the steps taken, and always networking since you never knew who you would meet.”
“Over the years I visited Disneyland with others and did solo trips,” he continued. “It got to be where my schedule was pretty constant so it depended more on others wanting to come join the fun.”
“Even to hold a full-time job required me to keep close tabs on the park calendar along with my own to be sure I could make it into Disneyland before it closed when they had special events,” Reitz noted.
After beginning each visit by documenting it on social media, Reitz told Guinness, “I would usually take a walk around the park. I enjoy photography so I was always watching for images to capture that I could post to share.”
“Some days I would go on lots of attractions and other times I might focus my attention on a single section of the park,” he said. “There is only one ‘ride’ in Disneyland, being Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. But the Matterhorn Bobsleds have always been my favorite attraction.”
How did he get noticed? Well, Guinness World Records confirmed that a reporter approached Reitz at the Leap Day 24-hour event in 2012, where he had completed his 60th consecutive trip to Disneyland. This after following his online posts about daily visits to the park.
“Then on 2012 July 1, halfway through the year, the Orange County Register reporter printed a story about making it to Day 183 and then the Associated Press picked up the story and it became real as I was getting contacted by newspapers and radio stations from around the globe asking for interviews,” Reitz stated. “Then I started having guests in the parks stop me for photos and autographs.”
Reitz was given a a gift basket and proclamation certificates of Honorary Citizenship after he visited the park for 366 days straight. “They also offered me dinner for completion of the second year,” he stated. “Last, they presented a gift backpack when I reached Day 2000, in 2017.”
Reitz’s impressive streak of daily visits to Disneyland would have reached 3000 if it were not for the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought it to an end on March 14, 2020. Nevertheless, he eagerly anticipates returning to the theme park this year to celebrate Disney’s 100th anniversary!
“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,” Reitz noted.
