News Disney mask policy at Walt Disney World theme parks

[Diamond Dot]

It would be lovely if Disney kept the mask mandates for indoors and those opposed stayed at home or went elsewhere. Parks would be less crowded and Chapek and his cohorts would hyperventilate and realise that going to Disney is not that vital to everyone after all.

 

[marymarypoppins]

It would be lovely if Disney kept the mask mandates for indoors and those opposed stayed at home or went elsewhere. Parks would be less crowded and Chapek and his cohorts would hyperventilate and realise that going to Disney is not that vital to everyone after all.

Or vice versa but I have feeling there are far more people wanting to ditch mask than don't!

 

[DisneyCane]

A record revenue in the last quarter doesn't happen if attendance is struggling. Anyone who has been in the parsk over the last few months knows that attendance is big right now.

True, but for all anybody knows it could have been an even bigger record if not for the mask requirement. They have quite a lot of revenue to make up from the time they were closed in 2020 and the very soft attendance for several months after reopening so I assume they want to maximize revenue.

WDW will likely be the only entertainment or leisure venue in Florida that requires any kind of masking if they keep the policy in place for much longer.

 

[DisneyCane]

Or vice versa but I have feeling there are far more people wanting to ditch mask than don't!

As evidenced by how fast people stopped wearing them at WDW the first time they removed the requirement. Also, @Vegas Disney Fan reported about how few people masked up at a concert in Vegas very shortly after the mandate was removed.

For the general population out and about at stores and things where not required it's probably anywhere between 30% and 70% masking depending upon the locale. However, for non-essential leisure activities the evidence says that fewer than 20% of the people who feel "safe" in those environments (masked or unmasked) want to continue masking when not required.

As I've said, if there was a push notification on MDE in the middle of the day that indoor masking was no longer required effective immediately, I'd bet that at least 70% wouldn't be masking anywhere within 2 hours (probably closer to 90%).

 

[ToTBellHop]

True, but for all anybody knows it could have been an even bigger record if not for the mask requirement. They have quite a lot of revenue to make up from the time they were closed in 2020 and the very soft attendance for several months after reopening so I assume they want to maximize revenue.

WDW will likely be the only entertainment or leisure venue in Florida that requires any kind of masking if they keep the policy in place for much longer.

Eh, the mask mandate was popular in December. That’s why universal brought it back.

Support for masking is rapidly falling right now, so we are watching dramatic shifts away from these protocols. Let’s hope there isn’t a Pi variant…

 

[DisneyCane]

Eh, the mask mandate was popular in December. That’s why universal brought it back.

Support for masking is rapidly falling right now, so we are watching dramatic shifts away from these protocols. Let’s hope there isn’t a Pi variant…

They brought it back because, for a brief time, the Omicron outbreak was scary and they thought they had to "do something" for PR.

 

[CJR]

True, but for all anybody knows it could have been an even bigger record if not for the mask requirement. They have quite a lot of revenue to make up from the time they were closed in 2020 and the very soft attendance for several months after reopening so I assume they want to maximize revenue.

WDW will likely be the only entertainment or leisure venue in Florida that requires any kind of masking if they keep the policy in place for much longer.

Not to mention, loss of photo sales on certain rides where masks are required. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Rockin' Roller Coaster, Splash Mountain, and more probably have fewer photo sales because people wear masks on them, but not on rides like Slinky Dog Dash.

 

[Mark52479]

We cant really compare today to last year.

@ToTBellHop brings up that point.

Last year Florida was pretty much the only state that had no mask mandate so it was very prudent of Disney to have masks. Now, there are NO states left with mask mandates (just read DC ends their mask mandate on Feb 28)

So, as of Feb 28 its very possible Disney would be the one of the few places left in the country that has a mask mandate. I am sorry, but in so many different ways I cant see Disney wanting to be in that position.

 

[Incomudro]

It would be lovely if Disney kept the mask mandates for indoors and those opposed stayed at home or went elsewhere. Parks would be less crowded and Chapek and his cohorts would hyperventilate and realise that going to Disney is not that vital to everyone after all.

It's all coming down very soon.

 

[Trauma]

If their intent was To remove the mandate tomorrow when California mandate is relaxed will they at least announce that today?

 

[ToTBellHop]

If their intent was To remove the mandate tomorrow when California mandate is relaxed will they at least announce that today?

If it were today, I presume it would come late. It’s only 11:30 am at Disneyland.

 

[Mark52479]

Yeah I was thinking of the possibility of a late announcement tonight that BOTH parks dropping masks as of tomorrow.

I guess anything is in the cards as this point

 

[DCBaker]

Yeah I was thinking of the possibility of a late announcement tonight that BOTH parks dropping masks as of tomorrow.

I guess anything is in the cards as this point

I think the mandate is still in effect through the 15th.

 

[Mark52479]

I think the mandate is still in effect through the 15th.

Yeah your right. Through the 15th

 

[DisnEdely]

After watching the Superbowl last night where the majority were not wearing masks, with a supposed mask mandate for all in attendance in place. I suspect that park goers and hotel guests will start behaving in the same manner over the coming days. People have had enough and they are going to have hound me to wear a mask next week when we are there.

 

[Mark52479]

After watching the Superbowl last night where the majority were not wearing masks, with a supposed mask mandate for all in attendance in place. I suspect that park goers and hotel guests will start behaving in the same manner over the coming days. People have had enough and they are going to have hound me to wear a mask next week when we are there.

Well thats the biggest concern IMO. I read yesterday on another message board there were a group of people kicked out of DHS for not wearing masks.

I dont think Disney wants to be in the business of kicking all these people out each day.

 

[SingleRider]

After watching the Superbowl last night where the majority were not wearing masks, with a supposed mask mandate for all in attendance in place. I suspect that park goers and hotel guests will start behaving in the same manner over the coming days. People have had enough and they are going to have hound me to wear a mask next week when we are there.

My local arena has been like this for months. Signs and announcements exist but nobody is enforcing it. The event staff will even scan your ticket and let you in without saying anything if you don’t have a mask.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

After watching the Superbowl last night where the majority were not wearing masks, with a supposed mask mandate for all in attendance in place. I suspect that park goers and hotel guests will start behaving in the same manner over the coming days. People have had enough and they are going to have hound me to wear a mask next week when we are there.

The only people wearing masks consistently seemed to be Prince Harry and his cousin, all the Hollywood “royalty” who love to preach were on full hypocritical display for the whole world to see.

It was nice to see them all having a good time, it’s a bad look to preach one thing while doing the opposite though.

 

[Tom P.]

I do not want to run afoul of @wdwmagic and his request that we not debate masks in general, so I'll try to limit my comments to those that pertain to Disney's situation.

But these last several posts are the reason why you can't compare Disney's decision-making calculus last year to the current situation. Last year, there was widespread public support for Covid mitigation measures, including masking. Florida was by no means the only state without a mask mandate, but there were certainly a good number of states that had them. Most entertainment venues were enforcing masks, proof of vaccination, or both, even if Universal wasn't.

Today, the public winds have shifted. Despite a vocal minority online (which is not representative of real life), you can just look around you and see that the public at large does not want masking anymore and, in many cases, isn't even willing to comply if there is a rule in place. Virtually *everyone* is dropping mask requirements at this point. And that's what the public wants. In very short order, Disney is going to be left as the only place that requires masks.

Disney may be very cautious, but they do not want to be enforcing something that no one else has and the vast majority of the public does not want. And, whether you agree it's the right direction or not, that's where we are right now. I would be surprised if the mask mandate at Disney lasts beyond this week. I would be absolutely shocked if it lasts beyond this month. Disney is going to drop it. The only question left is when.

 

[mattpeto]

If it were today, I presume it would come late. It’s only 11:30 am at Disneyland.

What is the lag time from dropping the mask mandate to restoring traditional M&Gs and character meals?

30 days? 90 days?