News Disney mask policy at Walt Disney World theme parks

[arich35]

As long as it just being indoors I think its fine. Hopefully by December it will be gone

 

[DisneyJoe]

In my opinion, what happens with mask requirements at the parks will be all about the numbers; if cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to trend upward over time, masks will be back...

You think there will be a immediate price increase on masks at the parks like when they came out with the environmentally friendly shopping bags?

The mask pricing has already increased.

 

[mikejs78]

Here in Massachusetts, one of the most-vaccinated states in the U.S., we're having a bit of an outbreak out on Cape Cod. Last I saw we're above 800 cases traced back to the first couple weeks of July in Provincetown. About 2/3 of those cases are Massachusetts residents. I personally know 4 people who are among those cases, all vaccinated, though they're showing only minor symptoms.

Only a couple venues in town we're requiring proof of vaccination. Mask mandates across the state have followed CDC guidelines of "wear a mask if unvaccinated", optional for those vaccinated. Masks really weren't seen at any bar, restaurant or club.

(The P-town town council has since instituted a mandatory indoor mask order)

"Miss Delta", as some of my friends have started referring to it, is not messing around. If we can get a sudden outbreak in a state where 74.3% of adults 18+ are fully vaccinated, I shudder to think what will happen in the states with vaccination rates in the low-40's.

Edit to add: As of last Friday, when the confirmed cases were at 430, 69% of them were in fully-vaccinated people.

-Rob

General consensus from an epidemiologist friend of mine.

Basically, viral load of Delta in an unvaccinated person is so high that the amount of shedding bombards a vaccinated person before the immune system can mount a response. But, given the robust immune memory in the T.and B cells that the mRNA vaccines elicit (less clear about J&J and AstraZenica at the moment, but it's looking promising there too), the body quickly mounts a defense and gets rid of the virus. Hence the infected but mild symptoms that seems common among the vaccinated breakthrough cases.

Viral shedding seems to be *much* less in a vaccinated infected case than an unvaccinated. So while it's possible that a vaccinated person could infect another vaccinated person or unvaccinated person, it's far less likely because a) far fewer vaccinated individuals are getting infected to begin with and b) viral shedding seems much lower.

Given the high viral load and level of tranmissability of Delta, we need to get a much higher level of vaccination than is even the case in some of the better vaccinated states like my home MA. We are talking about an estimated 80-85% of the *total population* (based on the R0 factor of Delta), not just adults.

Bottom line: this won't end until we vaccinate a *lot* more people.

 

[Unbanshee]

FYI - Masks sold onsite at Disney and via shopDisney are back to full price instead of the deep discounts of a day or two ago.

That's because there is free shipping today

 

[Disstevefan1]

The mask pricing has already increased.

Disney S.O.P.

 

[ElvisMickey]

You’re misunderstanding me. What I find surprising isn’t the Kennedy Space Center’s swiftness to act, but Disney’s slowness. I expected an announcement last night or this morning.

If I’m not mistaken, Kennedy Space Center was the last of the Central Florida attractions to remove the mask mandate. They were still requiring it back during Father’s Day weekend when I was looking to go there.

I’m not surprised at all in regards to Disney. No one wants to go back to masks again. And aside from Disney, the only high profile business I’ve seen all day to reinstate a mask mandate is Ford and they’re ONLY doing it in their Florida and Missouri locations.

 

[Po'Rich]

The mask pricing has already increased.

Yup. Last week, I purchased masks (pack of 4) for $6 from Shop Disney. Now, the same pack is $19.99.

 

[maui2k7]

There's the Chapek way!

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Come to Canada. Masks are being sold off at $1 each or less.

Plenty to go around since we're getting vaccinated and don't have as much of a need for them.

 

[ABQ]

Come to Canada. Masks are being sold off at $1 each or less.

Plenty to go around since we're getting vaccinated and don't have as much of a need for them.

Too bad that's the border we cannot cross.

 

[disneygeek90]

I snagged a few HHN masks last fall for $1 a piece. Perhaps I'll be needing them in a couple months after all.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Come to Canada. Masks are being sold off at $1 each or less.

Plenty to go around since we're getting vaccinated and don't have as much of a need for them.

And besides that, if/when a spike in cases happens in Canada, they will simply lock down again and re establish curfews

 

[LittleBuford]

Disney has not taken the lead on messaging or mitigation one single time during this whole debacle, why would they move swiftly now? They have been following precedent set by Universal and others with almost every change.

I don't agree. Disney announced its closure before Universal in March 2020, and it has acted more cautiously since. From my perspective, Universal acted first only in the wrong direction (i.e., moving away from mitigations).

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

And besides that, if/when a spike in cases happens in Canada, they will simply lock down again and re establish curfews

It's true. More people are wearing masks than necessary, given our vaccination numbers. We do what needs to be done based on the situation at hand, while Americans scream about freedom.

Not that I expect a major spike. Vaccine numbers are good. They work.

 

[EeyoreFan#24]

Maybe something timed around this this afternoon.

 

[JohnD]

FYI - Masks sold onsite at Disney and via shopDisney are back to full price instead of the deep discounts of a day or two ago.

Yep.

https://www.shopdisney.com/search?q=masks&lang=default&isRegSearch=1

 

[LittleBuford]

FYI - Masks sold onsite at Disney and via shopDisney are back to full price instead of the deep discounts of a day or two ago.

I really hate that Disney switched last year from their initial mask fabrication (two layers of cotton under an outer polyester one) to their current all-polyester design. I haven't checked the current guidance, but last year, cotton was the recommended fabric for cloth masks. Thankfully, I bought some of the old-style masks just before they were phased out.

 

[pdude81]

Demings has said he will make some adjustments, but it's tough to say what he's going to be allowed to do without legal challenges. I assume he would have reached out to the governor's office to try and work something

Then again, Orange county lifted it's order sometime in June, right, even though it was already lifted by executive order in May. As usual, the directions are clear as mud

 

[GimpYancIent]

Here is what I am saying.

If me and 5 of my vaccinated Friends get together for poker tonight how concerned should I be?

What? Do you think the authorities are going to be spying on you or monitoring you some how? Maybe through your smart device? If you and 5 vaccinated friends get together for a game of cards in a none public place who is going to know? It is your business and no one elses.

 

[Tom P.]

FWIW, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the FDA, who is generally seen as a respected and reasonable voice, not a political hack, says that he believes the new CDC guidance will have "negligible impact" on Covid and that he also thinks we are 2-3 weeks away from being past the Delta wave.