News Disney mask policy at Walt Disney World theme parks

[Trauma]

I agree with your opinion completely. However, them doing so and not admitting the real reasoning behind it leads to distrust of the CDC.

If they had just given the real reason, that could have led to vaccinated people putting more pressure on unvaccinated friends and relatives to get vaccinated because they could blame them for why masking was back. Instead, it led to people saying "the vaccines don't work."

Yeah it was the biggest misstep so far and is what led to my mistrust.

They should have just come out and said “the unvaccinated are not following the rules so we all have to mask”.

 

[The Mom]

Again, the thread is about WDW mask policies - not airplanes, courtrooms, etc. And not about whether or not masks are necessary, or whether they are efficient or just theater.

 

[PirateFrank]

Get your popcorn ready kids. Monday will be a very interesting day.

Why? Did I miss something (this thread can be a laborious read)?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Why? Did I miss something (this thread can be a laborious read)?

@ToTBellHop usually knows what's up before the rest of us.

 

[ToTBellHop]

@ToTBellHop usually knows what's up before the rest of us.

In this case, I really don’t know when they’ll make the change. Not sure they do. My gut says Friday’s modest move was a trial balloon to see if anyone even noticed.

 

[LittleBuford]

The CDC recommending masks indoors to slow the spread in areas of Substantial or High transmission is not the problem. The problem is that they defined "Substantial" so hilariously low that pretty much EVERYWHERE is considered "Substantial."

I have no epidemiological background and so really cannot say whether the CDC’s threshold is on the low side. What are you basing your opinion on?

 

[GimpYancIent]

Disney is fairly easy to read and understand these days. If stepping away from mask wearing means an increased $$$$ revenue stream, guess what Disney is going to do.

 

[Heelz2315]

@ToTBellHop usually knows what's up before the rest of us.

If and I mean IF WDW drops them indoors, I pray it's for more than 45 days. The back and forth won't help them much. A very large portion of this country (both vaxxed and unvaxxed) wants to put this behind us in the worst way. Dropping them, and bringing them back in 2 month would make WDW look bad, and in the wor$t way

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I have no epidemiological background and so really cannot say whether the CDC’s threshold is on the low side. What are you basing your opinion on?

The problem is that they use two different metrics, and if EITHER of the two metrics indicates "Substantial," then you go in "Substantial."

One of the metrics is test positivity rate. Most people don't get tested if they don't have symptoms, meaning if a community had low rates of transmission (according to the common-sense understanding of the English language), it means their population isn't going to get tested frequently because they're not feeling sick. A high test positivity percentage doesn't necessarily mean "more people are sick," it could just as likely mean "few people are getting tested."

This article is old, but it still applies.

Test Positivity Is a Bad Way to Measure Covidâs Spread

So why do policymakers keep using it?

www.wired.com

 

[LittleBuford]

The problem is that they use two different metrics, and if EITHER of the two metrics indicates "Substantial," then you go in "Substantial."

One of the metrics is test positivity rate. Most people don't get tested if they don't have symptoms, meaning if a community had low rates of transmission (according to the common-sense understanding of the English language), it means their population isn't going to get tested frequently because they're not feeling sick. A high test positivity percentage doesn't necessarily mean "more people are sick," it could just as likely mean "few people are getting tested."

Again, I have no relevant scientific background or expertise and so really cannot make any informed criticisms of the CDC’s metrics. I honestly have no idea what a “common-sense understanding” of low transmission would be anyway—very little about this pandemic has proved to be within my commonsense understanding of anything.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Again, I have no relevant scientific background or expertise and so really cannot make any informed criticisms of the CDC’s metrics. I honestly have no idea what a “common-sense understanding” of low transmission would be anyway—very little about this pandemic has proved to be within my commonsense understanding of anything.

If 2 people in a city of 500,000 have COVID, but only 20 people get tested, the CDC sees a test positivity rate of 10% and calls that community "High" transmission. They're not High transmission because many people have COVID, they're High transmission because few people have gotten tested.

 

[DisneyDodo]

If 2 people in a city of 500,000 have COVID, but only 20 people get tested, the CDC sees a test positivity rate of 10% and calls that community "High" transmission. They're not High transmission because many people have COVID, they're High transmission because few people have gotten tested.

If we want to get Disney to drop the mask mandate, we just need Covid-negative people in Orange County to get tested as many times as possible

 

[LittleBuford]

If 2 people in a city of 500,000 have COVID, but only 20 people get tested, the CDC sees a test positivity rate of 10% and calls that community "High" transmission.

But these are just hypothetical and nonsensically farfetched figures. If you could demonstrate your point with real-life data, I would be more inclined to understand your position.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Only for vaccinated CMs. They can easily enforce that policy when they know for a fact who is or isn't vaccinated.

Isn’t all cast required to be vaccinated?

 

[DisneyCane]

But these are just hypothetical and nonsensically farfetched figures. If you could demonstrate your point with real-life data, I would be more inclined to understand your position.

The data has changed but a week or so ago, Glades County, FL was listed as "high" on the CDC site and it was fewer than 10 cases in a week. Granted, it's a low population but it was the positivity that made it "high," the cases per 100k were still in the "substantial" range.

 

[RSoxNo1]

In this case, I really don’t know when they’ll make the change. Not sure they do. My gut says Friday’s modest move was a trial balloon to see if anyone even noticed.

What happened Friday?

 

[DCBaker]

What happened Friday?

Walt Disney World relaxes mask requirement for its Cast Members beginning November 8 but reiterates that guests are still required to use masks

This latest mask policy update applies to Walt Disney World Cast Members who are fully vaccinated.

www.wdwmagic.com

 

[Chip Chipperson]

Isn’t all cast required to be vaccinated?

I believe so, but perhaps there are some with medical exemptions? Either way, Disney has proof of CMs' vaccination status but isn't allowed to do the same for guests.

 

[Tom P.]

I believe so, but perhaps there are some with medical exemptions? Either way, Disney has proof of CMs' vaccination status but isn't allowed to do the same for guests.

Disney is prohibited from making vaccination a requirement for park attendance. They absolutely could make it a requirement of going maskless. There is nothing in Florida's laws or executive orders that would stop Disney from saying "everyone is welcome in the parks regardless of vaccination status but those who choose to voluntarily provide proof of vaccination are exempt from the indoor mask requirement." But Disney does not want to do that.

 

[CJR]

Disney is prohibited from making vaccination a requirement for park attendance. They absolutely could make it a requirement of going maskless. There is nothing in Florida's laws or executive orders that would stop Disney from saying "everyone is welcome in the parks regardless of vaccination status but those who choose to voluntarily provide proof of vaccination are exempt from the indoor mask requirement." But Disney does not want to do that.

It's easy to see why, the staffing required to organize that would be a huge burden. They'd need to be trained to notice fraudulent documentation and deal with more frequent complaints from those who think they should be exempt. All for something that could be gone in a matter of weeks too. They don't even want to staff the trams yet and those would be much more lasting - hopefully.