News Disney mask policy at Walt Disney World theme parks

[SoFloMagic]

According to this article from Feb. 11 at the investors meeting with Bob Chapek, " mask wearing and social distancing is expected for the remainder of the year. Chapek expects masks and distancing at the parks to be gone in 2022."

In February the CDC was worried about variants causing the "darkest days yet" in the pandemic. But we did a great job getting vulerable populations vaccinated and it turned out the vaccines were still highly effective against the variants cuz they all still had the spike protein.
And now it looks like the vaccines are so good that despite rapid reopening and suboptimal vaccination rates, cases are still falling.
So, their calendar gets moved up 6 months.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Everyone it seems thought all of 2021...but efforts have been successful and things are returning ahead of our mental schedule.

that’s good all the way around, right?

I hope we don’t waste time debating how and why every past prediction wasn’t 100% spot on...and instead use time dissecting the psychology of mistakes and how to fix them.

but I’m an optimist

 

[MaryJaneP]

Along with Bob's prediction that masks and social distancing will be gone in WDW by 2022, the media missed his ancillary prediction that horse and buggies will not be the main transportation method in New York City by 2022 also. Maybe there is a different fiscal/calendar explanation for that.

 

[ToTBellHop]

The CDC will soon update its masking guidance for children.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Does CDC masking guidance apply to WDW since WDW uses "face covering" and specifically excluded certain types of such coverings? Can WDW (or any other entity, for that matter) choose to follow or not follow CDC guidance?

 

[CosmicRays]

Does CDC masking guidance apply to WDW since WDW uses "face covering" and specifically excluded certain types of such coverings? Can WDW (or any other entity, for that matter) choose to follow or not follow CDC guidance?

In their new signs Disney actually uses the word masks.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Does CDC masking guidance apply to WDW since WDW uses "face covering" and specifically excluded certain types of such coverings? Can WDW (or any other entity, for that matter) choose to follow or not follow CDC guidance?

wdw can do anything it wants...no matter how
Many laws florida passes. Those are compete overreach and could be struck down rather quickly in court...

do they “want” to continue them? No...the political/economic worm has turned.

the only travel condition they’d want now...but won’t come out and say...is vaccine passports for dcl

 

[ToTBellHop]

WDW follows Orange County and the State of Florida laws. The CDC issues guidelines, but Disney’s outdoor mask rules don’t really follow those guidelines (they get around this by suggesting you stay within a small group, but we know how the parks actually look, now).

Disney will end all mask mandates for guests, soon. They may wait for the update from the CDC coming soon with respect to children and masks in preparation for the 2021-22 school year, which begins in some places in just 2 months. But that CDC update is coming so soon that WDW could just update with Orange County and assume people won’t really notice if they jump a bit ahead of the CDC. Again, they didn’t wait for the CDC on the outdoor mandate.

In any event, it looks like a maskless 4th of July at Walt Disney World. Disneyland is a different fish for now.

 

[ColeTrain04]

WDW follows Orange County and the State of Florida laws. The CDC issues guidelines, but Disney’s outdoor mask rules don’t really follow those guidelines (they get around this by suggesting you stay within a small group, but we know how the parks actually look, now).

Disney will end all mask mandates for guests, soon. They may wait for the update from the CDC coming soon with respect to children and masks in preparation for the 2021-22 school year, which begins in some places in just 2 months. But that CDC update is coming so soon that WDW could just update with Orange County and assume people won’t really notice if they jump a bit ahead of the CDC. Again, they didn’t wait for the CDC on the outdoor mandate.

In any event, it looks like a maskless 4th of July at Walt Disney World. Disneyland is a different fish for now.

Source for the CDC updates? I can’t find anything.

 

[PirateFrank]

Chapek talks in terms of fiscal years.

Disney’s 2022 fiscal year begins October 2021.

Disney really wanted the 50th anniversary to be maskless.

This is going to be up to interpretation. Personally, I disagree. It the context of that call, it sounded to me like he was talking about calendar years, not fiscal years. Usually when accountants and managers specifically speak about fiscal years - they say the phrase 'fiscal year' to avoid misinterpretation (especially in companies that don't have calendar fiscal years). Maybe Bob is a really weird guy that only talks in terms of FY - but that kinda reminds me of the scene in Spy Game, when Robert Redford's character says "Dinner out is a go".....and a guy in the room is like "That's how he talks to his wife?"

I also think Bob was being CEO conservative in his response. If he said "We're gonna take off the masks before the 50th" and mask requirements remained through the fall, he'd have to later walk back the comments. Again - it's interpretation. But to me, talking casually in terms of fiscal years without actually saying "fiscal year" is just weird and it doesn't happen frequently enough for me to think that's what he normally meant.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Source for the CDC updates? I can’t find anything.

Myself...

 

[ColeTrain04]

I’m really hoping they’re gone by the weekend.....we go next week and while we are not opposed to wearing them indoors (even though we’re vaccinated) it would be nice to not have to take them at all.

 

[Ripken10]

Myself...

Would you think the CDC will wait till (the majority) of schools in the country are out for the summer. While there is some areas that have started to get out, we aren't to the point where the majority have gotten out. I would think the CDC will wait till at least a majority are out as to not cause confusion (I know they could set a date, like July 1st).

I just read something similar, when the CDC director responded to a question about if they will be relaxing rules for masks with children “I think we will. We are looking at the evidence now and we will be coming out with that guidance, soon to come.” but she also said in same interview “We’ve said through the school year of ‘20 to ‘21 that our school guidance was not going to change,” which makes me think they want to wait till more school calendars for 20-21 have ended.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Would you think the CDC will wait till (the majority) of schools in the country are out for the summer. While there is some areas that have started to get out, we aren't to the point where the majority have gotten out. I would think the CDC will wait till at least a majority are out as to not cause confusion (I know they could set a date, like July 1st).

I just read something similar, when the CDC director responded to a question about relaxing rules for masks with children “I think we will. We are looking at the evidence now and we will be coming out with that guidance, soon to come.” but she also said “We’ve said through the school year of ‘20 to ‘21 that our school guidance was not going to change,” which makes me think they want to wait till more school calendars for 20-21 have ended.

Well there you have it, then. The CDC Director would not speak out of turn. Everything is pre-planned. When she says, “I think we will,” she means “we’ve already made a decision and will announce it very soon.”

The CDC doesn’t make school policies. Those are determined by states and school districts. They will just make a guideline and states will do what they were planning on doing. All it does is provide some cover for Disney, but they don’t need to wait. Especially not when the CDC Director puts it out in the open.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Well there you have it, then. The CDC Director would not speak out of turn. Everything is pre-planned. When she says, “I think we will,” she means “we’ve already made a decision and will announce it very soon.”

The CDC doesn’t make school policies. Those are determined by states and school districts. They will just make a guideline and states will do what they were planning on doing. All it does is provide some cover for Disney, but they don’t need to wait.

And you are a scientist.

 

[ToTBellHop]

And you are a scientist.

Yes...not that it really matters for understanding what the CDC will do.

 

[Figgy1]

I’m really hoping they’re gone by the weekend.....we go next week and while we are not opposed to wearing them indoors (even though we’re vaccinated) it would be nice to not have to take them at all.

If flying you'll still need them for that

 

[ToTBellHop]

If flying you'll still need them for that

Yes, that’s set through September, I believe. The poor flight attendants are struggling to mandate it. My flight out of MCO Monday was delayed because of a belligerent passenger on the previous flight refusing to mask. Federal agents were called. I feel for the flight attendants. Just follow the damn rules.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Disney transportation would still fall under the mask rule no matter what correct?

 

[ToTBellHop]

Disney transportation would still fall under the mask rule no matter what correct?

No. That’s public transit. This isn’t that. Disney could choose to mandate masks if they want.