News Disney mask policy at Walt Disney World theme parks

[disneygeek90]

The mask mandate came back because the Orange County mayor asked Disney to do it (Universal and Sea World didn't) and he recently said he's going to continue to have masks for county employees until the county is classified as "moderate" spread.

My sarcastic point was because I think the CDC considering anything close to 50 per 100k over 7 days as "substantial" community spread is ridiculous. Even at double that, you're talking 0.1% of the population testing positive over a week.

The chance of you being near somebody with COVID who is also contagious indoors at WDW for a significant period of time is incredibly low even in the "substantial" community spread category.

I don't feel it's reasonable to adjust mandates and restrictions based on local numbers like we're talking about a local zoo. WDW and the greater theme parks (even though they don't seem to care) are in a unique position because they do need to be aware of what's happening in the entire country.

 

[DisneyCane]

I don't feel it's reasonable to adjust mandates and restrictions based on local numbers like we're talking about a local zoo. WDW and the greater theme parks (even though they don't seem to care) are in a unique position because they do need to be aware of what's happening in the entire country.

I don't feel that there should be mask requirements anywhere in the country, especially once 5-11 year old children have had 5-6 weeks to be "fully" vaccinated. Therefore, they shouldn't exist at WDW past 12/19 at the latest.

I wish they would have followed Universal and Sea World and just let people who aren't comfortable going with voluntary masks not go. If not having a requirement was hurting the other parks, they would have made them mandatory.

 

[disneygeek90]

I don't feel that there should be mask requirements anywhere in the country, especially once 5-11 year old children have had 5-6 weeks to be "fully" vaccinated. Therefore, they shouldn't exist at WDW past 12/19 at the latest.

I wish they would have followed Universal and Sea World and just let people who aren't comfortable going with voluntary masks not go. If not having a requirement was hurting the other parks, they would have made them mandatory.

I've still gone to Universal over the past couple months even though I don't think they made the right call. Perhaps it doesn't matter as much now that cases are more stable, but back in August their lack of rules was downright irresponsible.

FWIW, I'd be fine with Disney removing masks now with the contingency that cases remain stable. We can't have another hospital max capacity wave while people are slammed together inside after traveling across the country with no masks.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

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."

Why would it they be “hilariously low”…how’d “some…some place…” work the last 2 years?

not good…hence the 3 substantial surges

you do understand the need to set high standards, correct? It’s a time honored human motivating solution

 

[Chip Chipperson]

I don't feel that there should be mask requirements anywhere in the country, especially once 5-11 year old children have had 5-6 weeks to be "fully" vaccinated. Therefore, they shouldn't exist at WDW past 12/19 at the latest.

I wish they would have followed Universal and Sea World and just let people who aren't comfortable going with voluntary masks not go. If not having a requirement was hurting the other parks, they would have made them mandatory.

Each company has done what they feel is the right thing to do (I hope) - whether that was for their business or for the health of the public in general is up for debate since we aren't in the room when these decisions are made. While there is certainly some overlap in the customer base for WDW, Universal, and Sea World, they don't completely share the same audience so what one did may not have been the best thing for the others and vice versa. Personally, I think Universal Orlando was way too lax in their safety standards in 2020 and Disney certainly appeared to take a more safety-oriented approach during that time.

When you say that people who aren't comfortable with voluntary masks just shouldn't go, the counter-argument is that people who don't want to wear masks indoors at WDW should stay home until they are optional or they should just go to Universal instead. Each business is free to set their own policy, and isn't that what many anti-maskers wanted all along (leave it up to the businesses to decide if they require masks rather than having state or local governments mandate them)?

 

[DisneyCane]

Of course you don’t…you’ve beat the same general drum the whole time…

but all that turned out to be not so wise. And the shield of “can’t expect too much of Florida” isn’t really a valid thing either.

history is what it is…not an opinion debate. You’ll be able to not where a mask soon enough. If people aren’t stupid.

Yes, history is what it is and there is no significant correlation between high masking states and low deaths per capita states. They are kind of all over the place so what is wise and what isn't is debatable.

I don't think that Disney should be mandating something so people "feel" safe at the expense of making people like me "feel" uncomfortable and annoyed.

 

[disneygeek90]

I don't think that Disney should be mandating something so people "feel" safe at the expense of making people like me "feel" uncomfortable and annoyed.

Why does you being annoyed outweigh the sense of others feeling safe? These are all arbitrary.

 

[correcaminos]

That's the boat I'm paddling in now. I arrive at WDW Thursday.

Sunday here...

 

[Andrew C]

Why does you being annoyed outweigh the sense of others feeling safe? These are all arbitrary.

What is safe?

 

[mkt]

not going until the mask policy is changed.

And I'm thankful for that. One less person in line.

 

[disneygeek90]

What is safe?

I suppose that's based on the individual, that's why I said it was arbitrary. I was commenting on DisneyCane's suggestion of it.

 

[DisneyCane]

Why does you being annoyed outweigh the sense of others feeling safe? These are all arbitrary.

Because WDW is a leisure destination, not a necessity. A doctor's office should do whatever is necessary for people to feel safe so they will go there for necessary treatment.

Wearing an annoying mask is not fun for me. The only reason I go to WDW on occasion now is because I already paid for my AP. If I knew they would return to masking I wouldn't have renewed. I cancelled my University of Miami basketball season tickets for this season because they have a mask mandate in the arena.

To me, doing something fun shouldn't involve feeling like you are in an infectious disease ward and having difficulty communicating because voices are muffled talking through a mask.

 

[Andrew C]

I swear, the people who complain about masks are the ones who only had to wear one for 20 minutes once a week to the grocery store because they worked from home. Sometimes I have to wear mine (multiple) for up to 10-12 hours. It's not that big of a deal.

DW has had to wear one at work everyday since the pandemic started. She hates it. Whether it’s a big deal or not is a personal opinion. Anything for that extra 0.01% protection though for the vaccinated, I guess.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Sunday here...

I’ll ask you…because I know I’ll get a well thought out answer…what do you want/are comfortable with?

What is safe?

The rhetorical answer is “what health policy makers feel is acceptable risk…not Wdw AP holders want…”, right?

 

[mkt]

I swear, the people who complain about masks are the ones who only had to wear one for 20 minutes once a week to the grocery store because they worked from home. Sometimes I have to wear mine (multiple) for up to 10-12 hours. It's not that big of a deal.

Exactly, it's really not a big deal.

 

[Mike C]

Any word of the mask issue dropping? We're going to pass if its there in December.

 

[Trauma]

Any word of the mask issue dropping? We're going to pass if its there in December.

No word expect for one person hinting basically every day that it’s about to change and then it doesn’t.

 

[DisneyCane]

No word expect for one person hinting basically every day that it’s about to change and then it doesn’t.

They will probably be right one day. Notice I said "probably" because I can't guarantee it will change any time soon.

 

[Ayla]

Any word of the mask issue dropping? We're going to pass if its there in December.

There has been no word for customers, only CM's as of now.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

No word expect for one person hinting basically every day that it’s about to change and then it doesn’t.

They will probably be right one day. Notice I said "probably" because I can't guarantee it will change any time soon.

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