News Disney mask policy at Walt Disney World theme parks

[legwand77]

That's a mystery. There are a lot of local entertainment/dining establishments that are dropping masks and capacity limits this weekend, which I can understand because it will help those businesses. But theme parks aren't a last-minute type of decision.

Not a mystery, it gives tremendous relief to team members by not having to police and have issues in a busy park

 

[montyz81]

”Tonight or a week from now“ is a little bit of a window . But kudos to the CM for sharing some info.

There aren't that many bus drivers so the rumors have to come from somewhere

 

[CarolinaSoprano]

Me? I'm not personally. However I have a friend who felt that the safety measures that were in place up until now were reasonable and safe, and so they made plans, booked flights, etc. If the indoor mask policy is removed, they feel that I will no longer be safe for their kids, And they will lose out on a decent amount of money.

Your friend had no idea that a change in mask policy might happen? We have been getting guidance from the CDC this entire time and that guidance has led to different rules/policies put in place by states and businesses. Some of those policies have been more restrictive and some loosened. Surely they are aware that this is a fluid situation?

 

[DisneyCane]

Local leaders are allowed to make public health decisions for their communities based on the local data. The governor can make them legally unenforceable, either way people not following standards and calling them "imaginary" is why covid lasted 14 months.

But I do agree with you that demmings will likely lift the mandate next week and Disney will follow within several hours.

As of 7/1/21, local leaders will not be allowed, by statute, to make public health decisions on an emergency basis that last longer than 42 days and the governor will have an explicit right to invalidate any local, non-weather related, emergency order at any time. Currently, the governor's executive orders supersede local emergency orders. The orders have not been made legally unenforceable. The orders have been invalidated.

Previously, they were made unenforceable against individuals but allowed to be enforceable against businesses. The latest order invalidated all local orders. Therefore, from a legal perspective, the local orders no longer exist. They aren't just unenforceable.

 

[SoFloMagic]

As of 7/1/21, local leaders will not be allowed, by statute, to make public health decisions on an emergency basis that last longer than 42 days and the governor will have an explicit right to invalidate any local, non-weather related, emergency order at any time. Currently, the governor's executive orders supersede local emergency orders. The orders have not been made legally unenforceable. The orders have been invalidated.

Previously, they were made unenforceable against individuals but allowed to be enforceable against businesses. The latest order invalidated all local orders. Therefore, from a legal perspective, the local orders no longer exist. They aren't just unenforceable.

Whatever.

The county says we're almost at the point where indoor unmasking is reasonably safe so it would behoove Disney to wait til we're consistently under 5% positive for a bit before making that choice.

 

[mikejs78]

Your friend had no idea that a change in mask policy might happen? We have been getting guidance from the CDC this entire time and that guidance has led to different rules/policies put in place by states and businesses. Some of those policies have been more restrictive and some loosened. Surely they are aware that this is a fluid situation?

Actually she didn't. She's a pediatrican and was quite surprised by the CDC ruling (as were many epidemiologists). She figured we would have indoor masking until at least a lower case threshold was reached.

 

[JusticeDisney]

Can't understand why someone who has the vaccine cares whether or not other people are wearing a mask.

Errrrrrrrr, duhhhhhhhh (drooling).

LMAO!

 

[Polkadotdress]

Millions of Americans as well as Foreign Guests have auto-immune disorders while simultaneously having received full vaccination regimens. Millions more have or will develop diseases (such as cancer) that utilize treatments that require medications that leave them immunocompromised. Those individuals are encouraged to continue to wear face coverings. Are there actual advocates that those individuals should never be out in public?

Those people are quite rare and were never going to be the drivers of public health policy. Their situation is also not unique to COVID-19. And we're never getting to COVID zero.

(Raises hand and waves it about wildly)

Me. I'm one of those people. And we're not *that* rare.

 

[DisneyCane]

What does any of this have to do with Disney making rules about masks while on their property?

That there are people saying that Disney will/should wait to change the indoor mask requirement until Orange County drops their mandate for same. It has to do with the fact that Orange County doesn't actually have a mandate and Disney can do whatever they want with the policy like Universal and Seaworld, both of which dropped the indoor requirement.

 

[SoFloMagic]

What does any of this have to do with Disney making rules about masks while on their property?

Well there currently is a mask mandate indoors in orange county and even though it is currently unenforceable, Disney likely won't allow unmasked guests indoors until it is lifted by the mayor.

 

[Bullseye1967]

Here's a simple rule: you don't have to wear a mask anywhere at WDW if you prove you're vaccinated. That's it.

Who exactly loses from such a rule besides people who value their vaccination history privacy over a WDW visit, which is their absolute right? This should ease everyone's concerns and yet it was outlawed before even enacted!

Disney loses there in several ways. They would have to go think through the problem of a way to check people. That takes more CM's to do that. It also would cause bottle necks at the front of the parks. Then they would have to come up with a system to show who is and isn't vaccinated. They would still have to keep the many CM's who are checking for masks at the entrance to indoor locations. Lastly they would have to weigh out if they are attracting more guests with such a policy or sending more guests to UO and SW. In the end Disney is a business and they have started looking out for their bottom line.

 

[Lilofan]

Well there currently is a mask mandate indoors in orange county and even though it is currently unenforceable, Disney likely won't allow unmasked guests indoors until it is lifted by the mayor.

Mayor Demings of Orlando could perhaps lift the mandate if the numbers improve to 70% vaccination rate. Orange County is still at 51% as of May 29. That is unacceptable at 51%.

 

[Bullseye1967]

Mayor Demings of Orlando could perhaps lift the mandate if the numbers improve to 70% vaccination rate. Orange County is still at 51% as of May 29. That is unacceptable at 51%.

Phase three becomes effective when 70% of the county’s 16-and-older population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and/or the 14-day rolling positivity rate is at 5% or below. At that point, all guidelines would be lifted. The positivity rate has been under 5 for over 14 days.

 

[legwand77]

Gotcha, that makes sense.

he 'kinda' lifted it yesterday

 

[SoFloMagic]

Mayor Demings of Orlando could perhaps lift the mandate if the numbers improve to 70% vaccination rate. Orange County is still at 51% as of May 29. That is unacceptable at 51%.

Yeah but I think his other standard is 5% testing positivity, which we're at now. I agree about a bit early and hope he waits for two weeks straight at 5% positivity.

 

[SoFloMagic]

he 'kinda' lifted it yesterday

Really? I missed that. I guess we did hit the 5%, but you'd imagine the positivity rate would rise with the mask order lifted and we'd be right back over 5%. Hmm.

 

[Bullseye1967]

Yeah but I think his other standard is 5% testing positivity, which we're at now. I agree about a bit early and hope he waits for two weeks straight at 5% positivity.

we are at 17 days under 5.

 

[legwand77]

Really? I missed that. I guess we did hit the 5%, but you'd imagine the positivity rate would rise with the mask order lifted and we'd be right back over 5%. Hmm.

not completely and vague but - https://newsroom.ocfl.net/media-adv...nge-county-mayor-jerry-l-demings-may-28-2021/

 

[ToTBellHop]

The Orange County mandate will end in the next five weeks, regardless.

The CDC needs to drop the charade and say no masks for anyone. If there is a real threat of a fall resurgence that would require masks to return, there is no hope of people heeding that call in November if they don’t drop masks now. That will cause more deaths.

Of course, we will have vaccine down to age 5 by then, likely rendering masks unnecessary. No one in their right mind would say “masks for 2-, 3-, and 4-year olds, only.”

 

[Thelazer]

At some point the cast enforcement of masks "indoors VS outdoors, on a Tuesday, on leap years only after 3pm" becomes more of a hassle than it's worth.. were quickly approaching that point.