Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[GoofGoof]

I was referring to the statistics concerning children and COVID. Elementary school is required; going to WDW is not. Most contact with unrelated kids at a theme park would be brief - unlike what happens at school. The CDC guidelines are based on what the agency feels is safe, and they have always (in my opinion) been on the conservative side. If parents nonetheless feel their children are at risk, it would be wise to put off a WDW trip right now. That’s what we did last October when we didn’t want to wear the required masks.

I don’t disagree, but we have seen over and over in life when people do something that they know is in clear violation of the rules blame a corporation for it anyway. So it’s not the parents who delay their trip that are the issue it’s the ones who go, allow their kids to not follow the posted rules (maybe they don’t think it’s a risk at all) and then if the kid gets sick blame Universal for not enforcing their own rule. This is why it’s not very common for a company to set a rule based on safety and then blatantly ignore customers who aren’t following it. Safety rules are usually heavily enforced.

 

[AEfx]

People from all over the country as well. People who have been on planes and through crowded airports. People are focused on Florida case counts, but is that really a great metric when discussing an international tourist destination?

I've been wondering about this the whole time. It's very difficult to see their relevance to WDW.

 

[GoofGoof]

People from all over the country as well. People who have been on planes and through crowded airports. People are focused on Florida case counts, but is that really a great metric when discussing an international tourist destination?

I've been wondering about this the whole time. It's very difficult to see their relevance to WDW.

Ive been saying this from the beginning. WDW is in FL but is very much a national attraction. Disney as a company has said they will rely on recommendations from local and national public health departments and especially the CDC. The potential change to mask rules is complicated by the CDC rule change. In theory the CDC change follows the science with only fully vaccinated people dropping masks. In practice it’s pretty difficult to implement for a theme park. With no additional guidance from the CDC I’m not sure what Disney will do. Universal has made their call.

 

[oceanbreeze77]

Not for Universal Orlando.

then I wonder how this would go over at disney with their union.

 

[GoofGoof]

It‘s official...the majority of Americans now have at least 1 dose of vaccine

 

[Chi84]

I don’t disagree, but we have seen over and over in life when people do something that they know is in clear violation of the rules blame a corporation for it anyway. So it’s not the parents who delay their trip that are the issue it’s the ones who go, allow their kids to not follow the posted rules (maybe they don’t think it’s a risk at all) and then if the kid gets sick blame Universal for not enforcing their own rule. This is why it’s not very common for a company to set a rule based on safety and then blatantly ignore customers who aren’t following it. Safety rules are usually heavily enforced.

I see a difference between safety rules adopted by a company in furtherance of its business and emergency mitigation measures mandated to keep guests from making each other ill. At some point (and I think we have reached it) the responsibility for avoiding illness shifts from business to guest. You are correct that business-related safety measures are usually heavily enforced, and I don’t see that changing.

 

[GoofGoof]

I see a difference between safety rules adopted by a company in furtherance of its business and emergency mitigation measures mandated to keep guests from making each other ill. At some point (and I think we have reached it) the responsibility for avoiding illness shifts from business to guest. You are correct that business-related safety measures are usually heavily enforced, and I don’t see that changing.

I think we are getting pretty close to that point but not there yet. Some time pretty soon they will drop the mask mandates for everyone everywhere and then it’s up to individuals to take complete responsibility of avoiding the illness. As long as Universal still has a rule in place that says unvaccinated people need to wear a mask then they are keeping a piece of the responsibility. I think for adults it’s not an issue because they are relying on people to be honest and follow the rules with no easy way to verify. It’s the kids under 12 that present a dilemma since there is (in some cases) an easy way to know they aren’t vaccinated. Maybe not an 11 year old or even a bigger 9 year old, but nobody can reasonably say if they see a 6 year old they don’t know if they are vaccinated.

 

[Chi84]

As long as Universal still has a rule in place that says unvaccinated people need to wear a mask then they are keeping a piece of the responsibility.

They don't have a rule in place that says unvaccinated people need to wear a mask. They have a safety guideline stating an "expectation" that guests who are not fully vaccinated will wear masks indoors. It's the language on their website.

 

[GoofGoof]

They don't have a rule in place that says unvaccinated people need to wear a mask. They have a safety guideline stating an "expectation" that guests who are not fully vaccinated will wear masks indoors. It's the language on their website.

This is what the website says:

Face covering guidelines​

Face coverings are optional for fully vaccinated guests. Non-vaccinated guests are asked to wear face coverings at all indoor locations.

 

[Jrb1979]

They don't have a rule in place that says unvaccinated people need to wear a mask. They have a safety guideline stating an "expectation" that guests who are not fully vaccinated will wear masks indoors.

This is what the website says:

Face covering guidelines​

Face coverings are optional for fully vaccinated guests. Non-vaccinated guests are asked to wear face coverings at all indoor locations.

We all know how well that's going to work. Most people will opt not to wear it.

 

[GoofGoof]

We all know how well that's going to work. Most people will opt not to wear it.

Only fully vaccinated guests can opt not to wear a mask. Unvaccinated people can’t. They can decide to break the rules and not wear a mask even if not fully vaccinated but that’s not the same thing as opting out.

 

[Jrb1979]

Only fully vaccinated guests can opt not to wear a mask. Unvaccinated people can’t. They can decide to break the rules and not wear a mask even if not fully vaccinated but that’s not the same thing as opting out.

We all know most aren't going to wear them. At this point might as well just drop everything, most places already have.

 

[GaBoy]

Daughter and grandkids will be there Monday. She's doing double backflips (vaccinated). Doubt the kids will be wearing them but they've had it along with Dad a month ago. I'll get the scoop from her while she's there Monday.

 

[Chi84]

Only fully vaccinated guests can opt not to wear a mask. Unvaccinated people can’t. They can decide to break the rules and not wear a mask even if not fully vaccinated but that’s not the same thing as opting out.

Still, there's a difference between "asking" or "expecting" someone to wear face coverings and requiring it. You're certainly free to disagree, but nothing in the language on Universal's website indicates that it is accepting any responsibility whatsoever for enforcing a "rule" about mask-wearing. As far as children are concerned, it seems the responsibility for their safety is being placed squarely on the shoulders of their parents.

 

[ParentsOf4]

We all know most aren't going to wear them.

And we know that how?

I live in a heavily Republican county in Georgia with only 50% vaccinated. There are no mask mandates here.

Still, perhaps 3 out of 4 people wear masks at stores.

There always will be the 10% who break the rules but most people are good. Have some faith in others to do the right thing.

 

[havoc315]

Only fully vaccinated guests can opt not to wear a mask. Unvaccinated people can’t. They can decide to break the rules and not wear a mask even if not fully vaccinated but that’s not the same thing as opting out.

Semantics. There is no enforcement. So following the rule is entirely “optional.”

Or let’s put it another way, is it really a “rule” if it’s entirely 100% voluntary?
If you don’t brush your teeth twice a day, is that breaking a rule?

 

[DCBaker]

Statement from Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings | May 28, 2021

"There is much to look forward to on this Memorial Day weekend. Coronavirus infections and deaths continue to decline. Fully vaccinated family members can enjoy their time with one another – both indoors and outdoors – without a mask.

Right now, 53.96 percent of Orange County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Our 14-day rolling positivity rate is 4.7 percent. These are great numbers that we want to maintain.

I ask any resident who has not been vaccinated to please do so. Please help us contain this deadly disease, and continue our return to normalcy. We do not want to see a spike in COVID-19 infections like we did after Memorial Day 2020.

Have a safe weekend, and may we all continue to honor the military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country."

Statement from Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings on Memorial Day and COVID-19 | May 28, 2021

“There is much to look forward to on this Memorial Day weekend. Coronavirus infections and deaths continue to decline. Fully vaccinated family members can enjoy their time with one another – both indoors and outdoors – without a mask. Right now, 53.96 percent of Orange County residents have...

newsroom.ocfl.net

 

[DisneyCane]

Something interesting looking at the County by County vaccination report in FL. In Orange County there is a much higher than average percentage of the "series complete" being J&J. It's over 16% in OC vs. under 10% for FL.

 

[havoc315]

And we know that how?

I live in a heavily Republican county in Georgia with only 50% vaccinated. There are no mask mandates here.

Still, perhaps 3 out of 4 people wear masks at stores.

There always will be the 10% who break the rules but most people are good. Have some faith in others to do the right thing.

How much you want to be that the 25% not wearing masks are almost entirely unvaccinated?

I’m vaccinated. I continue wearing a mask in places that choose to require it. But in some locations and communities — where vaccination is high — there is still lots of mask wearing. It’s in areas where vaccination is low, that people have abandoned masking. A great irony.

 

[Bullseye1967]

Statement from Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings | May 28, 2021

"There is much to look forward to on this Memorial Day weekend. Coronavirus infections and deaths continue to decline. Fully vaccinated family members can enjoy their time with one another – both indoors and outdoors – without a mask.

Right now, 53.96 percent of Orange County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Our 14-day rolling positivity rate is 4.7 percent. These are great numbers that we want to maintain.

I ask any resident who has not been vaccinated to please do so. Please help us contain this deadly disease, and continue our return to normalcy. We do not want to see a spike in COVID-19 infections like we did after Memorial Day 2020.

Have a safe weekend, and may we all continue to honor the military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country."

Statement from Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings on Memorial Day and COVID-19 | May 28, 2021

“There is much to look forward to on this Memorial Day weekend. Coronavirus infections and deaths continue to decline. Fully vaccinated family members can enjoy their time with one another – both indoors and outdoors – without a mask. Right now, 53.96 percent of Orange County residents have...

newsroom.ocfl.net

He kind of side stepped that one.