He visited Disneyland every day for 8 years. Now he holds a world record.

Between Jan. 1, 2012 and March 13, 2020, Reitz mentioned he visited Disneyland day by day to decompress. When Disneyland closed the subsequent day due to the coronavirus pandemic, Reitz was pressured to finish his streak. He figured his closing farewell on the Anaheim, Calif., theme park would cap his saga.

As an alternative, Reitz’s journeys can be cemented in historical past. Final week, Guinness World Data licensed that Reitz, 50, had made probably the most consecutive Disneyland visits.

“It wasn’t only a matter of going for a report,” Reitz informed The Washington Submit. “I used to be doing it as a result of I used to be having enjoyable, and I loved being there. I had no unique plans to even do one thing like this.”

Rising up in Huntington Seaside, Calif., Reitz mentioned he visited Disneyland a couple of instances every year and celebrated there after his highschool commencement in June 1991. He beloved driving the Matterhorn Bobsleds curler coaster and taking footage with Goofy, who Reitz mentioned shares his adventurous and pleasant persona.

For his birthday in December 2011, Reitz mentioned his household gifted him an annual Disneyland go. He and his mates traveled to the theme park a couple of week later to rejoice the beginning of 2012. It was a bissextile year, so Reitz mentioned they joked about benefiting from the additional day their annual passes granted them.

Reitz, who was unemployed on the time, appreciated the concept of visiting Disneyland all three hundred and sixty six days that 12 months. Day by day, Reitz mentioned he parked on the Mickey and Pals or Pixar Friends lot and posted on social media to see if his mates had been at Disneyland.

“As soon as I used to be contained in the park,” Reitz mentioned, “something was up within the air.”

Some days, Reitz mentioned he met a buddy, attended a particular occasion, spent a day driving curler coasters or strolled to Disney California Journey Park. He memorized the music from every part of the park, together with his favourite tunes on Primary Avenue from “The Music Man” soundtrack.

Reitz mentioned he typically devoured pizza and pasta at Alien Pizza Planet or snacked on a churro or Mickey-shaped pretzel. Some days, he packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to eat at Tom Sawyer Island.

After going to the park day by day for about seven months, individuals started asking him about setting a report. Reitz mentioned he couldn’t discover one for amusement park visits. Regardless, he beloved his routine.

When he started working at a Lengthy Seaside, Calif., Veterans Affairs Medical Heart in September 2012, Reitz mentioned he drove about 19 miles to the park day by day after work. He mentioned he often stayed between three to 5 hours and left across the time of the nightly fireworks present. On busy days, he nonetheless walked throughout the park for not less than an hour. Reitz mentioned he saved his parking tickets and maintained a spreadsheet of his visits.

Between 2013 and 2020, Reitz stored shopping for an annual go, which he mentioned ranged from $500 to $1,400.

“It was type of like going to the fitness center or going to blissful hour after work,” Reitz mentioned. “I may have enjoyable with mates and reset, recharge myself earlier than going dwelling.”

Reitz mentioned he constructed friendships with fellow guests and dozens of workers. In 2013, Reitz met his girlfriend at Disneyland, the place in addition they went on their first date.

He grew to become recognized to regulars for carrying a bucket hat with a Mickey Mouse button hooked up. Lately, he mentioned some individuals requested for his autograph and posed for photographs with him.

The one issues he prevented within the parks had been the water rides, so his work garments wouldn’t get soaked.

Reitz mentioned he collected greater than 2,500 Disney pins and traded them with individuals on the parks and resorts. He continued to submit on Instagram day by day when he entered the park below the deal with “disney366_,” a nod to the variety of days he visited Disneyland in 2012.

Reitz mentioned he aimed to go to for not less than 3,000 straight days, however when Disney introduced in March 2020 that it could shut due to the pandemic, he felt somber. He stayed on the park till the ultimate moments of March 13, the final day it was open.

“Thanks to everybody who stopped and mentioned hiya, took photographs and shared reminiscences with me,” Reitz mentioned on Instagram. “And thanks to all of the forged members and characters who solely helped so as to add to the magic. It’s a bittersweet finish.”

With out Disneyland, Reitz wanted time to regulate. On March 14, he went to the park and stood outdoors the gates. Because the pandemic dragged on, he mentioned he watched motion pictures and “The Mandalorian” on Disney Plus. Disneyland remained closed for 13 months.

Reitz mentioned he missed the group he’d discovered, however he quickly developed new hobbies — climbing, scuba diving and touring outdoors of Southern California. He mentioned he’s nonetheless in touch with workers and visitors he met at Disneyland.

About two weeks in the past, Reitz mentioned he was shocked when Guinness World Data messaged him on Instagram to ask about his favourite Disneyland reminiscences. On Feb. 21, Guinness World Data solidified Reitz’s efforts in its report e-book and mailed Reitz a certificates. A Guinness World Data spokeswoman mentioned a marketing consultant verified the report final 12 months.

Reitz mentioned he hasn’t returned to Disneyland since 2020, however he needs to pose for photographs together with his certificates at completely different spots throughout the park. Plus, there’s one attraction he nonetheless hasn’t skilled: 21 Royal, an costly non-public ceremonial dinner in a New Orleans-style dwelling.

“That might be neat to have the chance to do,” Reitz mentioned.