Disney366/InstagramI’m sure you love Disney. We all do. But no one loves Disney like this guy loves Disney.
Meet Jeff Reitz. He’s a 44-year-old Air Force veteran from Huntington Beach, California and Jeff likes nothing more than popping down to his local Disney theme park… Every day. For the past 2026 days. For five and a half years. For real.
Just check out his update from day number 2016 in the video below:
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Jeff told UNILAD:
I started going to Disneyland daily back in 2012 as a joke between friends. It was fuelled buy a Disney commercial that ran on New Year’s Eve 2011.
It offered an extra Disney day in reference to the leap day 24-hour event on February 29, 2012.
We said: “How could it be extra if you don’t use the others?” So we decided to go for the 366 days of 2012 and claim the ‘extra Disney day’.
So, on Sunday January 1 2012, off Jeff went to embark on his year-long challenge. But what started as a joke quickly became somewhat of a hobby.
Jeff explained that he was unemployed at the time and ‘could go almost any time to make my visit’, adding: “Now I work full time at the VA Hospital near my home and go to Disneyland after I get off work during the week.”
Some days Jeff takes his girlfriend or meets up with other Disney friends and fanatics at the park ‘to have fun or grab a bite for dinner’.
Other days he goes alone to people watch or enjoy the ambience at the most magical place in the world.
Jeff continued:
I have always enjoyed going to theme parks, especially Disneyland. Also, the fact that I get to go to Disneyland every day means that I do not have to rush around all day to make sure I get my money’s worth like a guest visiting from the UK would need to do having a shorter time span of visiting.
Jeff told us how he whiles away the time at Disneyland, adding:
I can hit attractions or I could even sit on a bench, relax, and do some people watching and I can enjoy the ambience and the background music and other details that a lot of guests don’t even pay attention to.
Also, if I don’t feel like waiting 90 minutes or more to ride Space Mountain, I don’t have to. I can always wait until tomorrow and try again.
As a Disneyland veteran, Jeff has a little advice for any of you planning on making the trip, saying:
Bring your patience. Remember that you, and lots of other people, are there to have a good time, but as the temperatures raise and the crowds get thicker tempers can also flare.
You are there to have a good time and have fun making memories with your friends and family so if you are in a bad mood stop relax and grab a cup of ice water to reset and then go out to have a good time.
If you don’t feel good or you’re not having fun you’re not going to want to come back or even stay.
He also advises a trip on the Matterhorn Bobsled.
It’s been his favourite ride since he was two.
That’s enough for your daily dose of Disney. Tune into Jeff’s social channels for more tomorrow.
And the next day, and the next day and…
You get the idea.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.