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Man Goes On Same Disney California Adventure Ride Over 5,000 Times
Jon Hale has ridden Disney California Adventure's Radiator Springs Racers ride over 5,000 times, keeping a detailed account of each ride.
Jon Hale keeps a notebook in his pocket where he records the pertinent details of each ride on Radiator Springs Racers, according to the OC Register. He records the date and time of the ride, what color car he boarded and if his car won or lost the race. Hale's mom and dad were accountants, so perhaps his penchant for keeping records is hereditary.
Guests on this ride get into a six-person car in the Comfy Caverns Motor Court, then move through the relatively peaceful Ornament Valley. Soon, the car moves through the dark portion where rideres encounter (and nearly crash into) characters from the animated film Cars. The car will eventually either get a new coat of paint or a tire change, then will race another car along two parallel outdoor tracks. One car will win, though that's a randomized event and has nothing to do with the actions of the guests.
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Hale has gone on this ride over 40 times in a single day, and over 5,000 times total. A most recent count reveals that Hale is up by 18 wins, but that could have changed by now as Hale is prone to ride on Mondays and Tuesdays, which he has off from his job in the video department of Television Games. On those days, Hale wakes up before 6 a.m. to make the trek from his Brea home to Anaheim.
Hale has always loved going to Disneyland, but back in 2010, he weighed over 400 pounds, resulting in mobility issues and knee problems. Hale's doctor told him he could have knee replacement surgery if he lost weight, so Hale went on a liquid diet, received gastric bypass surgery and shed 150 pounds. In 2011, he had his knees replaced.
Several months later, California Adventure's Cars Land opened. This was the first time that Hale tried the Radiator Springs Racers ride, and he said he was initially worried he would be unable to bend his knees to board the car. However, he was able to ride seven times that day. The rides continued and he began making friends with cast members. On his 300th ride, he said they all cheered for him. Now, he bakes them sweets, attends their weddings, and has plans to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens with some of them next month. One cast member likened him to an older brother.
Hale is now aiming for his 10,000th ride, which he says he will likely hit in about two years.
In other amusement park goals, a man once rode the Pepsi Maxi Big One in Pleasure Beach in the U.K. for 405 hours straight. That's commitment.
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