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Huntington Beach fan Jeff Reitz, the Guinness World Record holder for most consecutive visits to a Disney Park, reveals that he likely spent over $100,000 in the process.
However, due to rising prices for an Annual Pass and irritation at the new theme park reservation system, Reitz claims his daily visits are now behind him. The 50-year-old former air force firefighter now works in administration for Long Beach’s Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center but during a period of unemployment, began a personal theme park challenge with some friends in 2012.
Credit: Parade
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During that year, the Disneyland Resort offered an “extra Disney day” to honor the Leap Day, allowing Reitz and his companions to visit Disneyland 366 times. Of course, Jeff took up the goal, and beginning on January 1, 2012, visited Disneyland Park every day using his Signature Plus Annual Pass, which cost around $1,399 per year total.
Eight years later, the super-fan had visited Disneyland for 2,995 days and set a legendary precedent for the most visits to Disneyland in a consecutive period, awarded by the Guinness Book of World Records! Although some may have balked at the price, Reitz said it allowed him to keep his spirits up while looking for a new job, and his daily cost was around $3.50, which he equated to less than what most people spend per day on Starbucks coffee orders.
Credit: Fox
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Even so, according to the New York Post, Jeff admitted that he probably spent upwards of one hundred grand during that time, not just for his admission fees but also transportation, parking, food and beverage, and merchandise while at the Park, especially since he was one of the earliest Disney Parks bloggers, posting content each day documenting his travels and activities for a growing host of followers.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 lockdown foiled Jeff’s plans of making a 3,000-day streak, with March 13, 2020, marking his last day visiting Disneyland before it went into an extended closure. Moreover, during the interim, Disney Parks introduced a new pass system, the Magic Key, retiring his previous admission tier in favor of more costly options with more unavailable blackout dates.
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In addition to now having to spend at most $1,599 for the highest tier, which would actually allow him to enter Disneyland and Disney California Adventure every day, Reitz also complained of the complications faced by Disney’s new Park reservation feature, preventing his previous practice of “just pop(ping) in at will.” In fact, to him, “the idea of having to make a reservation, that right there was a big downer,” causing Reitz to abandon his goals of achieving an even more impressive theme park record now that Disneyland has reopened.
In the meantime, Jeff has used the free time to reconnect with nature, attend concerts, and take more extended vacations with his girlfriend Karen Bell, but supports other fans in trying to break his own record… If they have the money for it!
