Man visits Disneyland for 1,000 consecutive days

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- Amid the crowd of people wearing mouse ears, and little girls in princess costumes eager to get into Disneyland, one man's dedication to The Happiest Place on Earth stands out.

"It's amazing that I hit such a milestone, I had no idea when I first started that I'd ever rack up this kind of number," said Jeff Reitz.

That number: 1000. For 1,000 consecutive days Reitz has walked through the turnstile into Disneyland.

It all began on New Year's Eve 2011. He's got the parking receipt to prove it, and one for every day since.

The Huntington Beach resident says it started when he was unemployed and a friend gifted him a season pass.

"Come here walk around, listen to the music, and you know, and everybody having a good time, and it kind of recharges you," he said.

Reitz is now a full-time employee at the VA Hospital in Long Beach. But that doesn't stop him from coming to the park every day.

Some days, he gets on rides. Others, he just talks to cast members or takes photos. He's certainly the envy of some of Disneyland's younger visitors.

"It's really cool," said Jackson Quist of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Ask the parents, and you'll get a different answer.

"I'm tired for him, my feet hurt for him," said Mary Quist, Jackson's mother.

Reitz says he's not tired. In fact, he says he always finds something different at the park to appreciate.

"Everybody chooses to do what they enjoy and have fun in, and this is something that I really enjoy doing," he said.

Even after reaching the milestone, Reitz says he doesn't plan on stopping or slowing down, at least not yet.

"I think it would be a lot of fun to take it up to the 60th anniversary," said Reitz.

Disney is the parent company of ABC7.