On Friday 13 March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic put an end to my 2,995-day streak of visiting Disneyland in California daily. In 2011, a long and difficult bout of unemployment had made finding entertainment for free a necessity, but it was also nearly impossible. However, that Christmas, I was gifted an annual pass to Disneyland, which gave me free entry for the year. I thought: “Why not make the most of it and try to visit every single day for an entire year?”

I already had a great love for Disney. Tron is by far my favourite film. Growing up, my family would take me there for special occasions, such as birthdays or Easter, and my aunt was even a cast member at Walt Disney World in Florida for a while. I’ve also collected more than 3,000 Disney-themed badges along the way.

And so each day throughout 2012, I visited the park. It’s open every day of the year – in fact, before Covid, Disneyland California had only two full-day unscheduled closures since opening in 1955, bar unexpected weather closures. After that first year I kept going, because I had so much fun. It felt like a regular part of my life.

The world of Disney became my sanctuary. It was a place where I made friendships with people from all over the world. When times were tough, being able to visit Disneyland at no extra cost was a joy, and I could lose myself within the park and all its attractions for hours.

My favourite place was the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area, which opened in 2019. The park was less busy from January to March, though my pass let me skip the queues at all times. It was only a 20-minute drive from home, and it was better to be in Disneyland than moping around at mine. A bonus was my pedometer counting thousands of steps a day as I explored.

That first year I’d spend hours applying for jobs at home before leaving to spend the rest of the day in the park. I’m a US air force veteran, and eventually got a job at a veterans’ hospital. I’d finish around 3pm, and go to the park after hours.

People often ask me if I ever took any days off from my Disneyland visits. I didn’t, but if I was ever feeling a bit under the weather, I’d wear a mask and stay for just an hour. I’m lucky, as I don’t get sick easily. Perhaps Disney is good for the immune system.

During my first 200 days, I would post about my visits on social media. I now treat my Instagram like a personal Disney photo album. On day 60 of my challenge, I met a reporter who ended up sharing my story and I started going viral. I even ended up on a red carpet at a Disney movie premiere.

Soon I started getting recognised by other guests, who wanted to get pictures with me. It became really crazy when actual celebrities started messaging me. One year into my streak, Disney gifted me the Dream Suite at their hotel for a night, above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. It was very special to stay there.

I kept going to Disneyland after my one-year challenge because I never stopped having fun. I could have a bad day at work and then be cheered straight up again. I could climb treehouses, watch movies, try all the restaurants, and watch the fireworks. Every day was different, so it didn’t feel like I was repeating the same things. People often asked why I didn’t just work for Disney, but part of the magic was the escape from work.

I haven’t been back since 2020, which surprises people. The pass system has changed since Covid-19: not only is it much more expensive – a premium annual pass in 2012 cost $649 (£536); now it is $1,599 (£1,320) – and now you also have to book. I didn’t like the idea of doing that.

To keep myself busy after work, I’ve started hiking and completed 24 scuba dives last year. Disney was a huge part of my life but I now enjoy trying new outdoor experiences instead.

A lot of people thought I was crazy for the amount of trips I did, but the annual pass made it possible and cheap, and you can’t please everyone. Disney has the magical power to bring people together and I’ll always be thankful for that.

• As told to Elizabeth McCafferty

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