Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[PirateFrank]

Just back from a week in Florida. 2 days at Universal and 7 at Disney.

I have to say I was VERY dissappointed in Disney and how they are NOT enforcing the "rules" of mask wearing and social distancing.
In general no one seemed to care except the guy in the checkout line at Disney store in the Springs who was ready to fight the guy behind him when his kids got too close (that was rediculous especially what was going on everywhere)

Saw people not eating or drinking with their masks on their chin. Castmember says please put your mask on. Guy does it walks a few steps away and pulls it right back down. TOTALLY within sight of the castmember. What does this say to EVERYONE - the rule is just a statement that means nothing! Whole families where they all had their masks below their nose.....this is not a misstake this is a choice. Many times those famies were standing RIGHT IN FRONT of a castmember while we were all in line and castmember said NOTHING.
The only times the castmembers seemed to be taking the rule seriously were 2 rides where I heard them say put your mask back on or you will have to leave (Star tours where I think they thought they had closed the door so they couldn't see but they could!)

Do I want Disney to be 'mean" and I am sure they are thinking they want to be pleasant to everyone but you are in fact being mean/rude to the other people who ARE following the rules. Those masks get hot during the day. We were so relieved when we got back to our room and could take them off BUT we wore them! DH and I are fully vaccinated but we wore them!

Can I ask you a question...and please, Im not trying to be confrontational. Im trying to understand your mindset. I do realize that some people have different thresholds of risk when we talk about covid.

At what point do you see normalcy returning to our lives? Truth be told - as human beings, we were never meant to wear permanent masks or be non-social creatures that refused to get within 6 feet of each other. So at *some* point, we have to start pivoting back to normal. When is that for you? Also, whenever that is......do you feel that it's better that we gradually relax these measures - or just wake up one morning with a pronouncement that we're officially back to normal and no masks, no distancing and we're back to smelling each others armpits while waiting to squeeze into a bus back to our resorts?

...and again, Im not being confrontational. I just see this kind of mindset alot (especially here in NY)...where people are getting extremely uncomfortable at the slightest shift back to normal from masks and distancing and react strongly to it - even from people who are fully vaccinated.

At some point, we all need to turn the corner or we're doomed. How can we all come together and move beyond this?

 

[GoofGoof]

I never said nor implied not to wear masks or take common precautions. Simply act in your own self interest. Plan on people not following precautions wherever you go either a bar, WDW, etc.

Do a risk assesment and act in your self interest. If the risk is too high, do not participate in that activity.

Agreed. To me it makes sense to do that even when not high risk.

 

[disneygeek90]

Yes, 84% is a higher probability than 16%

Good thing we have a nice efficient vaccine to protect even that 16% then.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

Point is to take a risk assesment of your situation and act in your self interest. Do not rely on others to act in your self interest.

My job is outside sales. I drive over 4000 miles per month and am in hotels at least 8 nights a month. I was only in the bunker for the first 2 weeks of this pandemic back in March 2020. I am Type II. In December I was out for 2 weeks for removal of squamous cell carcinoma. My wife is a nurse on the front line. I well know the risks of Covid and am around the risk everyday more than most.

Everyday I assess risk and act in my own self interest. I do not rely on others to act in response to my own comorbidities.

Here's a thought - the interests of society in general IS your own self-interest. If the pandemic continues to rage due to noncompliance and anti-vax nonsense conspiracy theories (like Bill Gates using vaccines to kill and/or track people) then people will continue to get sick and die in numbers that outpace any other virus seen today, people will continue to be out of work, and the economy will not recover the way people want and need. So unless you're selling caskets, headstones, or PPE then there's a good chance that you will be impacted by the short-sighted selfish behavior of others whether you want it to or not.

 

[Flugell]

I never said nor implied not to wear masks or take common precautions. Simply act in your own self interest. Plan on people not following precautions wherever you go either a bar, WDW, etc.

Do a risk assesment and act in your self interest. If the risk is too high, do not participate in that activity.

I agree that each individual should do a risk assessment before undertaking any activity. The difficulty is that without relying on others to get vaccinated and take precautions such as mask wearing my personal risk assessment means I am condemned to remain isolated from the majority of humanity ad infinitum.

 

[Nubs70]

It's in my self interest to not have someone else breath on me.

Which of us has a better claim to standing in line at the grocery store, take-out counter, ride queue?

The guy behind me that's creeping up, mask under their chin, exhaling directly at me?
Do I have not have the same rights to stand in line and not be subjected to this abuse from them?

The cashier/attendant clearly has rights that neither of us should be breathing on them. Is there any expectation that someone should be able to be out in public without fearing that the someone else will be exhaling a pathogen directly at them?

If this activity is outside the comfort level of your risk assesment, remove yourself from the the risk area. Possibly shop at a less busy time or.do delivery if available.

As to the cashier, that is her own risk assesment. The cashier is responsible for herself.

 

[disneygeek90]

Just back from a week in Florida. 2 days at Universal and 7 at Disney.

I have to say I was VERY dissappointed in Disney and how they are NOT enforcing the "rules" of mask wearing and social distancing.
In general no one seemed to care except the guy in the checkout line at Disney store in the Springs who was ready to fight the guy behind him when his kids got too close (that was rediculous especially what was going on everywhere)

Saw people not eating or drinking with their masks on their chin. Castmember says please put your mask on. Guy does it walks a few steps away and pulls it right back down. TOTALLY within sight of the castmember. What does this say to EVERYONE - the rule is just a statement that means nothing! Whole families where they all had their masks below their nose.....this is not a misstake this is a choice. Many times those famies were standing RIGHT IN FRONT of a castmember while we were all in line and castmember said NOTHING.
The only times the castmembers seemed to be taking the rule seriously were 2 rides where I heard them say put your mask back on or you will have to leave (Star tours where I think they thought they had closed the door so they couldn't see but they could!)

Do I want Disney to be 'mean" and I am sure they are thinking they want to be pleasant to everyone but you are in fact being mean/rude to the other people who ARE following the rules. Those masks get hot during the day. We were so relieved when we got back to our room and could take them off BUT we wore them! DH and I are fully vaccinated but we wore them!

You mention both Disney and Universal, but only report on Disney. As someone who has been dozens of days post reopening at both places, Disney is much better with masks overall. Universal mask wearing is pretty much a free for all unless you walk by the person holding the mask sign. Even then they will just shout to someone who will ignore and keep walking.

Once people get into City Walk they immediately drop their masks and no one says anything. I've also seen some crazy packed chaotic areas such as the front of Mummy when it is only doing virtual queue. Disney absolutely does reinforce more consistently than Universal, and for the compliance is much higher in Disney too. Maybe you stumbled onto some bad luck, but Disney is much more strict than Universal and it's not even close.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

Can I ask you a question...and please, Im not trying to be confrontational. Im trying to understand your mindset. I do realize that some people have different thresholds of risk when we talk about covid.

At what point do you see normalcy returning to our lives? Truth be told - as human beings, we were never meant to wear permanent masks or be non-social creatures that refused to get within 6 feet of each other. So at *some* point, we have to start pivoting back to normal. When is that for you? Also, whenever that is......do you feel that it's better that we gradually relax these measures - or just wake up one morning with a pronouncement that we're officially back to normal and no masks, no distancing and we're back to smelling each others armpits while waiting to squeeze into a bus back to our resorts?

...and again, Im not being confrontational. I just see this kind of mindset alot (especially here in NY)...where people are getting extremely uncomfortable at the slightest shift back to normal from masks and distancing and react strongly to it - even from people who are fully vaccinated.

At some point, we all need to turn the corner or we're doomed. How can we all come together and move beyond this?

I believe, and I’m not trying to speak for the poster, is that Disney has rules and regulations in place right now that haven’t been lifted. The OP is wondering why they aren’t being enforced. It has nothing to do with her own feelings of when things should be relaxed or her level of risk she may be willing to take for herself and family. If the rules are in place that’s what’s expected because some are basing their vacation on their own threshold of things. If getting to Disney and it’s not being upheld, they have a complaint. If Disney says all masks and distancing are no more, then people can also book their vacation on that risk.

 

[mmascari]

24 to discuss the merits of LED/swirly fluorescent light bulbs

Please point me to this thread, I'm sure that debate was riveting and compelling.

 

[HarperRose]

Can I ask you a question...and please, Im not trying to be confrontational. Im trying to understand your mindset. I do realize that some people have different thresholds of risk when we talk about covid.

At what point do you see normalcy returning to our lives? Truth be told - as human beings, we were never meant to wear permanent masks or be non-social creatures that refused to get within 6 feet of each other. So at *some* point, we have to start pivoting back to normal. When is that for you? Also, whenever that is......do you feel that it's better that we gradually relax these measures - or just wake up one morning with a pronouncement that we're officially back to normal and no masks, no distancing and we're back to smelling each others armpits while waiting to squeeze into a bus back to our resorts?

...and again, Im not being confrontational. I just see this kind of mindset alot (especially here in NY)...where people are getting extremely uncomfortable at the slightest shift back to normal from masks and distancing and react strongly to it - even from people who are fully vaccinated.

At some point, we all need to turn the corner or we're doomed. How can we all come together and move beyond this?

Disney's current rule is you wear masks while in the park, with the exception of pics and standing still while eating/drinking. If you don't want to do that, don't come.

 

[PirateFrank]

I believe, and I’m not trying to speak for the poster, is that Disney has rules and regulations in place right now that haven’t been lifted. The OP is wondering why they aren’t being enforced. It has nothing to do with his own feelings of when things should be relaxed or his level of risk he may be willing to take for himself and family. If the rules are in place that’s what’s expected because some are basing their vacation on their own threshold of things. If getting to Disney and it’s not being upheld, they have a complaint. If Disney says all masks and distancing are no more, then people can also book their vacation on that risk.

Oh I agree....my question wasn't related to Disney's policies, but more so as an overall mindset - as I see the level of comfort of people who will complain about WDW's enforcement (or lack of) to be fairly aligned with their risk aversion related to covid.

That being said - I strongly suspect that when WDW does start relaxing mask requirements further, it will be preceded by a non-official relaxation of the policy (to test the reception/impact) before making it official and being subject to it.

 

[HarperRose]

Here's a thought - the interests of society in general IS your own self-interest. If the pandemic continues to rage due to noncompliance and anti-vax nonsense conspiracy theories (like Bill Gates using vaccines to kill and/or track people) then people will continue to get sick and die in numbers that outpace any other virus seen today, people will continue to be out of work, and the economy will not recover the way people want and need. So unless you're selling caskets, headstones, or PPE then there's a good chance that you will be impacted by the short-sighted selfish behavior of others whether you want it to or not.

This pandemic could have come to a screeching stop in the US eight months ago if the idiot anti-maskers, anti-science and anti-common sense would have been stopped in their tracks.

 

[PirateFrank]

Disney's current rule is you wear masks while in the park, with the exception of pics and standing still while eating/drinking. If you don't want to do that, don't come.

See my response above and tone down your defensiveness. I'm not posting to start a fight or complain about WDW's policies.

 

[HarperRose]

You mention both Disney and Universal, but only report on Disney. As someone who has been dozens of days post reopening at both places, Disney is much better with masks overall. Universal mask wearing is pretty much a free for all unless you walk by the person holding the mask sign. Even then they will just shout to someone who will ignore and keep walking.

Once people get into City Walk they immediately drop their masks and no one says anything. I've also seen some crazy packed chaotic areas such as the front of Mummy when it is only doing virtual queue. Disney absolutely does reinforce more consistently than Universal, and for the compliance is much higher in Disney too. Maybe you stumbled onto some bad luck, but Disney is much more strict than Universal and it's not even close.

I was at Disney about a month ago and my experience was the same as @EngineerMom.

 

[mmascari]

If this activity is outside the comfort level of your risk assessment, remove yourself from the the risk area. Possibly shop at a less busy time or.do delivery if available.

As to the cashier, that is her own risk assessment. The cashier is responsible for herself.

That's just it, it wasn't a risk area. The decisions of someone else to intrude on the area through no decision or action by the impacted person changed the assessment of the situation. Someone else took an action and imposed their conditions instead.

Instead of breathing, if this was spitting or not wearing pants and something, would that change the perception?

 

[disneygeek90]

I was at Disney about a month ago and my experience was the same as @EngineerMom.

Have you been to Universal? It's much worse.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

Oh I agree....my question wasn't related to Disney's policies, but more so as an overall mindset - as I see the level of comfort of people who will complain about WDW's enforcement (or lack of) to be fairly aligned with their risk aversion related to covid.

That being said - I strongly suspect that when WDW does start relaxing mask requirements further, it will be preceded by a non-official relaxation of the policy (to test the reception/impact) before making it official and being subject to it.

I understand what you are saying but this isn’t about a fast pass change or a change of a menu where they slowly implement things to see the reaction from people. We are still in a pandemic and people will not like going into parks where there has been no major announcement about the removal of masks or distancing. I think we will all be well aware when that day comes.

 

[HarperRose]

See my post below and tone down your defensiveness. I'm not posting to start a fight or complain about WDW's policies.

Sure you are, otherwise you wouldn't have asked on a post directly relating to Disney's policies.

Disney will change their mask policy when they feel it will benefit them. They've already relaxed it for pictures.

 

[HarperRose]

Have you been to Universal? It's much worse.

No. I don't visit Universal.

 

[Figgy1]

Good thing we have a nice efficient vaccine to protect even that 16% then.

Too bad some people are going to be waiting for a while to get it for a while longer.