NEED TO KNOW
A California man marks a major Disneyland milestone
Jon Alan Hale has ridden Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure Park 15,000 times
The television technician said he rode the attraction seven times on the day it opened in 2012
A Disneyland superfan has just reached a milestone more than a decade in the making.
In a Monday, Dec. 8, interview with theAssociated Press, Jon Alan Hale said he first rode Radiator Springs Racers (inspired by the 2006 Disney Pixar filmCars) at Disney California Adventure Park when the attraction opened in 2012.
The television technician from Brea, Calif., fell in love with the ride after undergoing gastric bypass and knee replacement surgeries in 2010 and 2011.
Hale even started ablogwhere he documented his milestone rides, showing that on Dec. 3 he "Got to ride with my Friends from Oregon for my 14,999th time on Racers."
He noted that he would be going for a whopping 15,000 on Dec. 8, which he has now achieved.
His blog features photos of him holding a white sign with red numbers on it, showing the ride for each major number he hits. The superfan also celebrated the "Cars Land 10th Birthday Tribute" on June 16, 2022.
Hale credited the fast-moving line for single riders for helping him reach the large number, adding that he gets on Radiator Springs Racers about 13 times each time he visits Disney California Adventure Park.
"You don't know who is going to win the race," he explained of what continues to drive him. "There is no pattern of who wins or loses."
Radiator Springs takes fans through Ornament Valley, "the cutest little town in Carburetor County," according toDisneyland's official website. It's there where riders can find Mater, Lightning McQueen, Doc Hudson, Sally, Luigi, Guido, Mack and Ramone cheering them on.
"It's like family," Hale told AP of how he's become friends with Disneyland staff, adding that they support him at every level he climbs on the attraction. "Everybody recognized me, they're rooting for me."
Hale hit his 14,000 ride on the attraction in January.
In April, theCarsenthusiast tookSFGatewith him on his 14,834th time around the track.
"I'm goal-oriented," Hale told the outlet. "I like to hit goals. So I keep track of them … It's interesting to see what colors I win the most on, or what month I go on the most times."
Hale also keeps a notebook where he jots down the color of each car he rides, in addition to his lane and whether he wins or loses, perSFGateand AP.
Hale told AP that when the Radiator Springs Racers ride opened, he "went on it seven times that day."
"It wasn't until 2014 that I started keeping track of the lanes and all that other stuff. I think that's when cast members started recognizing me," he added.
On Christmas Day that year, Hale broke his own record when he rode the ride 52 times in one day. "It was crazy. I was on fire," he told SFGate.
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Guinness World Records does not track how many times an amusement park guest has ridden rides, AP reported.
Disneyland did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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