Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[DisneyCane]

I wonder if the fact that they're removing plexiglass from retail registers (only seeing reports from shops in Epcot so far, though) is any indication of the remaining plexiglass being removed from ride queues soon. Not worth speculating, I suppose. What queues still have plexiglass besides 3 Caballeros and (IIRC) Tower of Terror?

IIRC, Frozen had a bunch a few weeks ago and FoP had some.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

I wonder if the fact that they're removing plexiglass from retail registers (only seeing reports from shops in Epcot so far, though) is any indication of the remaining plexiglass being removed from ride queues soon. Not worth speculating, I suppose. What queues still have plexiglass besides 3 Caballeros and (IIRC) Tower of Terror?

Mickey’s Runaway Railway still has it in the last part of the queue after you enter the “cartoon world.”

 

[correcaminos]

Mickey’s Runaway Railway still has it in the last part of the queue after you enter the “cartoon world.”

You're right. I didn't think about that initially as they were diverting 1 and 2 people parties in front of it instead. Just literally the last row. But we were pulled from that before we walked it.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

They went against then-current public CDC guidance when they dropped masks in February of this year.

Grey area. I don't believe the CDC ever recommended private business mandate masks; simply that you should wear one when indoors. So by mandating them, they were going above and beyond what the CDC asked. In fact, when the recommendations for masking changed in the Summer of 2021, Director Walensky even stated in that briefing that "wearing a mask is a personal choice."

 

[Tom P.]

That’s why Disney’s metics make no sense

Disney's metric is, and always has been, "how lax can we be without running afoul of the law or making our guests upset." They don't want ANY Covid mitigation measures in place. They want everything to be 100% normal. Now that the societal winds have shifted to wear people in general don't want masks anymore, Disney's not bringing them back unless they have to.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

Given that the general public has moved into the “living with COVID” phase of this and has mostly moved on, save for the diehards who never want it to end, I don’t think you’ll ever see them come back at Disney. Fauci said as much recently when asked if that kind of mitigation would ever return. His response was something along the lines of “I don’t think the public has any appetite for that anymore.”

 

[Tom P.]

From Good Morning America today:

Anchor: But Dr. Fauci, you said that we had to be ready to be flexible and maybe go back to some of these restrictions, but I mean, the reality is, don't we have to admit that train has left the station and it's going to be almost impossible to get people to put masks back on?

Fauci: You know, I unfortunately have to agree with you on that. I think everyone feels, not only in the United States but throughout the world, that we're done with Covid. I mean, it's an understandable feeling. We've had two years and three months of real difficulty having to deal with this and you're quite right. If people need to pivot and turn around it's gonna be very difficult for people to do that.

 

[DC0703]

Given that the general public has moved into the “living with COVID” phase of this and has mostly moved on, save for the diehards who never want it to end, I don’t think you’ll ever see them come back at Disney. Fauci said as much recently when asked if that kind of mitigation would ever return. His response was something along the lines of “I don’t think the public has any appetite for that anymore.”

If a particularly nasty variant emerges, I'm guessing much of the general public will be wearing masks again (With the exception of those who have a political aversion to wearing them). Guessing the public's response during a low covid phase does not indicate how they will react when things take a turn for the worse.

For the record, here in Chicago, people about 50% of the people I see in stores continue to wear masks. Ditto for the office where I work. At my office, one of the main reasons many still mask is either because they are immunocompromised or have a high-risk family member that they are trying to protect

 

[SingleRider]

If a particularly nasty variant emerges, I'm guessing much of the general public will be wearing masks again (With the exception of those who have a political aversion to wearing them). Guessing the public's response during a low covid phase does not indicate how they will react when things take a turn for the worse.

For the record, here in Chicago, people about 50% of the people I see in stores continue to wear masks. Ditto for the office where I work. At my office, one of the main reasons many still mask is either because they are immunocompromised or have a high-risk family member that they are trying to protect

I’m in a southern state and when Delta came around there were no local mandates in my city and I’d say it was 50/50 here. Certain places I frequent would have much fewer than that.

During this past basketball season (with Omicron running wild) at my local university around 3 out of 4 defied the mask mandate at the arena (it wasn’t enforced.)

 

[Heelz2315]

Disney's metric is, and always has been, "how lax can we be without running afoul of the law or making our guests upset." They don't want ANY Covid mitigation measures in place. They want everything to be 100% normal. Now that the societal winds have shifted to wear people in general don't want masks anymore, Disney's not bringing them back unless they have to.

Solid point. I wonder though what would make them “have to”? What that set of conditions would look like.

 

[DisneyCane]

If a particularly nasty variant emerges, I'm guessing much of the general public will be wearing masks again (With the exception of those who have a political aversion to wearing them). Guessing the public's response during a low covid phase does not indicate how they will react when things take a turn for the worse.

For the record, here in Chicago, people about 50% of the people I see in stores continue to wear masks. Ditto for the office where I work. At my office, one of the main reasons many still mask is either because they are immunocompromised or have a high-risk family member that they are trying to protect

I’m in a southern state and when Delta came around there were no local mandates in my city and I’d say it was 50/50 here. Certain places I frequent would have much fewer than that.

During this past basketball season (with Omicron running wild) at my local university around 3 out of 4 defied the mask mandate at the arena (it wasn’t enforced.)

Out in Vegas it seems that maybe 10% of visitors are masking. The ones that are seem to mostly be older people. For the younger demographic, around 50% of maskers seem to be African American. Under 50% of the maskers are wearing N95s which makes no sense to me. If you are going to be among the 10% of people masking for personal protection, why wouldn't you wear the type that has the highest likelihood of doing something and is available for free at Walgreens or CVS right on the strip?

I roll my eyes at the people who wear them walking to their table in a restaurant and the taking them off at the table.

As far as casino employees go, it's probably around 30% masking but nonsensically almost none with N95s. I've seen almost none of the housekeeping staff wearing them at the hotel. A few waiters and waitresses are wearing masks. None of the ones who have served me have worn them. They don't know it but they got an extra 5% tip for not masking. That's my new policy at any restaurant.

 

[Incomudro]

Out in Vegas it seems that maybe 10% of visitors are masking. The ones that are seem to mostly be older people. For the younger demographic, around 50% of maskers seem to be African American. Under 50% of the maskers are wearing N95s which makes no sense to me. If you are going to be among the 10% of people masking for personal protection, why wouldn't you wear the type that has the highest likelihood of doing something and is available for free at Walgreens or CVS right on the strip?

I roll my eyes at the people who wear them walking to their table in a restaurant and the taking them off at the table.

As far as casino employees go, it's probably around 30% masking but nonsensically almost none with N95s. I've seen almost none of the housekeeping staff wearing them at the hotel. A few waiters and waitresses are wearing masks. None of the ones who have served me have worn them. They don't know it but they got an extra 5% tip for not masking. That's my new policy at any restaurant.

Reinforces my conclusion that most people never understood masking in the first place, and some of the present adherents still don't get it, and never will.

 

[correcaminos]

Reinforces my conclusion that most people never understood masking in the first place, and some of the present adherents still don't get it, and never will.

I saw someone at Disney earlier this week. Double masked. With the surgical style beneath the KN95.

My kid wore a KN95 on the plane because they are super comfortable for him. On monorail/buses we wore surgical style. I did see a lot of KN95s on monorails and buses though. I was a bit surprised by that, though in terms of durability they are better IMO. I did see some families with KN95 indoors with young children. I understood that more. Same with seeing what sounded like international travelers with them. No one wants to risk not getting back home.

I have some KN94 style I found for my face to sing with I still have, KN95s never fit me so I found ways around it. One should really figure out what is best for face and such. Surgical style can be manipulated to fit very well and reduce chances of spread.

We got word that all places we go have officially dropped the mask requirements. So as I figured we'd come back to not wearing at all. My kid might now and then he said depending on the teacher (for them, not him). But he hasn't 100% decided. Though we literally had 1 case out of almost 7500 last week. 2 the week before.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Out in Vegas it seems that maybe 10% of visitors are masking. The ones that are seem to mostly be older people. For the younger demographic, around 50% of maskers seem to be African American. Under 50% of the maskers are wearing N95s which makes no sense to me. If you are going to be among the 10% of people masking for personal protection, why wouldn't you wear the type that has the highest likelihood of doing something and is available for free at Walgreens or CVS right on the strip?

I roll my eyes at the people who wear them walking to their table in a restaurant and the taking them off at the table.

As far as casino employees go, it's probably around 30% masking but nonsensically almost none with N95s. I've seen almost none of the housekeeping staff wearing them at the hotel. A few waiters and waitresses are wearing masks. None of the ones who have served me have worn them. They don't know it but they got an extra 5% tip for not masking. That's my new policy at any restaurant.

Sounds consistant with what I see, what truly fascinates me are the people who are voluntarily choosing to still wear a mask but are doing it in a way that makes it useless. Of the 10% who are still wearing masks I’d guesstimate 10% have their noses out, I just can’t comprehend why anyone would do that, it’s mind boggling.

 

[DisneyCane]

Sounds consistant with what I see, what truly fascinates me are the people who are voluntarily choosing to still wear a mask but are doing it in a way that makes it useless. Of the 10% who are still wearing masks I’d guesstimate 10% have their noses out, I just can’t comprehend why anyone would do that, it’s mind boggling.

I actually walked by a woman yesterday wearing an N95 underneath her nose. If you're only going to cover one opening it makes more sense to leave your mouth exposed for most people.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Sounds consistant with what I see, what truly fascinates me are the people who are voluntarily choosing to still wear a mask but are doing it in a way that makes it useless. Of the 10% who are still wearing masks I’d guesstimate 10% have their noses out, I just can’t comprehend why anyone would do that, it’s mind boggling.

My wife works in a high school. Half the kids who still mask also have their noses out.

WTH?

 

[Nubs70]

I actually walked by a woman yesterday wearing an N95 underneath her nose. If you're only going to cover one opening it makes more sense to leave your mouth exposed for most people.

Did you stop her to tell her she was wearing it wrong?

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I still wear a mask, even though I'm triple vaxxed. I don't feel comfortable ditching it yet.

 

[Mike C]

I still wear a mask, even though I'm triple vaxxed. I don't feel comfortable ditching it yet.

Even mandated KN95 use in South Korea, Hong Kong and Germany didn't stop the omicron wave from hitting there hard. If that helps.

 

[DisneyCane]

Did you stop her to tell her she was wearing it wrong?

I thought about it but didn't want to cause a conflict. The other people with her were wearing them properly so one of them can tell her.