News Disney mask policy at Walt Disney World theme parks

[fgmnt]

This country was once a place where people were less selfish and cared about others. Choices about how you deal with an infectious diseases don't only impact you they impact others. The primary function of masks is to reduce the chance of an infected person passing the virus to others. The first coronavirus had pretty limited spread, in big part because you weren't really infectious until you were really sick. COVID-19 is totally different because it can easily spread from people who are not showing symptoms. No, the mask issue is not purely political, it has a legitimate public health purpose. In some areas vaccines have only just opened up to everyone. Give people a few weeks to get it, and 6 more weeks for full vaccination. It's also going to take time to get younger people vaccinated. Right now it feels like we are in WWII declaring victory the morning after D-Day.

We're 14 months into a public health crisis and people still frame actions throughout the crisis as personal decisions. That's why 600k+ Americans are going to end up dead from it.

But at this point, I gotta wave the flag and move on /personally/.

I think most of the country will see the 12-15 cohort vaccinated by July. I'll keep behaving rationally enough. I'm not really into picking fights with the deniers unless they're harassing or assaulting me or others.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Wow, this thread has been driven deep into a ditch. Is there any way possible to get it back on track to just discuss actual changes Disney makes to the mask policy instead of yet another shouting match about each other’s belief about mask wearing?

Disney is going to change their policy when they feel they can safely do so without creating a risk to guests and of lawsuits. And they’ll tell us they are changing when they are ready to, not on somebody on the Internet’s demanded schedule.

Changes to Disney's policies are linked to what people think and our collective willingness to do the things necessary to get back towards normal.

Some people don't want to get vaccinated, and it's not something that can be forced, but I would certainly encourage it because without herd immunity it's more likely Disney will need to continue with precautionary matters.

 

[Chi84]

Wow, this thread has been driven deep into a ditch. Is there any way possible to get it back on track to just discuss actual changes Disney makes to the mask policy instead of yet another shouting match about each other’s belief about mask wearing?

Disney is going to change their policy when they feel they can safely do so without creating a risk to guests and of lawsuits. And they’ll tell us they are changing when they are ready to, not on somebody on the Internet’s demanded schedule.

It’s the same as it has been for 9+ months now. If you do not like their requirements (and you are entitled to that), take your money and spend it somewhere else. .If you go to WDW knowing what the rules still are, you do not have any right to complain or whine, ignore the rules because you think they don’t apply to you, or push back against cast members who are enforcing a policy that you agreed to by planning your trip and walking through the gates.

As always, the problem is much bigger here than at WDW.

 

[Parker in NYC]

Nobody seemed to worry about this problem when the flu was walking around for years. That being said, the freedom of choice should be left up to the public, the freedoms this country was founded on. If you are so concerned about getting sick, then wear a mask... wear two... put on a hazmat suit. I do not care. If you are afraid of getting sick then make a choice to stay away or get vaccinated (the new mask). This choice is what we were allowed to do before Covid 19 came to be when the first coronavirus' were around. Now that there is a vaccine and (as of this week or next) all people over 12 can get vaccinated, get it if you feel that will help you. If you choose not to get the vaccine and you want to go to a public welcoming establishment, you are doing what millions of people did every year before Covid 19. take a risk of getting sick. If you are at a higher risk of dying, then you should have the right to choose to stay away or go to the park. The mask issue is now purely political now that a vaccine is out. Masks mandates should all be removed period!

I swear, I'm posting Meryl Streep whenever anyone dares to bring up the flu.

 

[psuchad]

What is the point that you flip the switch? Why should vaccinated people continue to wear a mask? The likelihood of a vaccinated person contracting and spreading Covid-19 is very small. Today 82.8% of US adults 65 years or older have had a single dose. 69.7% have had both doses. Vaccines for people aged 18-64 are now at 56.3% and 40.6% respectfully. At this point, the most vulnerable group has been vaccinated or already had Covid.

Again why should vaccinated people continue to wear masks? Why do vaccinated people need to be uncomfortable, hot, and have difficulty breathing? Just because half the country is below freezing in the winter, we don't make Florida residents wear a parka and snow pants. I know, bad analogy. But it sort of makes the point.

 

[RoyWalley]

Wow, this thread has been driven deep into a ditch. Is there any way possible to get it back on track to just discuss actual changes Disney makes to the mask policy instead of yet another shouting match about each other’s belief about mask wearing?

Disney is going to change their policy when they feel they can safely do so without creating a risk to guests and of lawsuits. And they’ll tell us they are changing when they are ready to, not on somebody on the Internet’s demanded schedule.

It’s the same as it has been for 9+ months now. If you do not like their requirements (and you are entitled to that), take your money and spend it somewhere else. .If you go to WDW knowing what the rules still are, you do not have any right to complain or whine, ignore the rules because you think they don’t apply to you, or push back against cast members who are enforcing a policy that you agreed to by planning your trip and walking through the gates.

Has anyone heard of a lawsuit because they got Covid at an establishment? I have no idea just wondering after reading this post and the thought crossed my mind. Could someone file a lawsuit against Disney claiming they got Covid at WDW?

 

[tpac24]

Has anyone heard of a lawsuit because they got Covid at an establishment? I have no idea just wondering after reading this post and the thought crossed my mind. Could someone file a lawsuit against Disney claiming they got Covid at WDW?

I think with all the messaging Disney has they may be covered .

 

[FormerMember]

It’s the same as it has been for 9+ months now. If you do not like their requirements (and you are entitled to that), take your money and spend it somewhere else. .If you go to WDW knowing what the rules still are, you do not have any right to complain or whine, ignore the rules because you think they don’t apply to you, or push back against cast members who are enforcing a policy that you agreed to by planning your trip and walking through the gates.

Fair!

I do hope this sentiment cuts both ways though. Disney is going to make masks optional in the not to distant future. And at point the opposite becomes true. So hopefully people act with tact and decorum regarding the removal of the mandates.

 

[FormerMember]

Has anyone heard of a lawsuit because they got Covid at an establishment? I have no idea just wondering after reading this post and the thought crossed my mind. Could someone file a lawsuit against Disney claiming they got Covid at WDW?

No. Desantis also signed an EO making that impossible.

 

[psuchad]

Has anyone heard of a lawsuit because they got Covid at an establishment? I have no idea just wondering after reading this post and the thought crossed my mind. Could someone file a lawsuit against Disney claiming they got Covid at WDW?

Good luck proving where you caught it. It's like a lawsuit because you got heatstroke at Disney. It's well known that it's hot in Florida. Covid is a known natural risk. Not saying that there isn't a lawyer willing to take the case.

 

[donsullivan]

Has anyone heard of a lawsuit because they got Covid at an establishment? I have no idea just wondering after reading this post and the thought crossed my mind. Could someone file a lawsuit against Disney claiming they got Covid at WDW?

It’s not just about the guests but also about the cast members. It hasn’t been tested much in the courts yet but the negative publicity of such a suite could be incredibly harmful to Disney.

People Are Now Suing Their Bosses Over COVID-19 at Work, But Can They Win in Court? | New Jersey Law Journal

Already a handful of employers has been hit with litigation in connection with employees who became sick and who claim safety precautions were missing from the workplace. But major hurdles face such suits, from causation to the standard of proof under the workers' compensation law, some lawyers say.

www.law.com

 

[Parker in NYC]

It’s not just about the guests but also about the cast members. It hasn’t been tested much in the courts yet but the negative publicity of such a suite could be incredibly harmful to Disney.

People Are Now Suing Their Bosses Over COVID-19 at Work, But Can They Win in Court? | New Jersey Law Journal

Already a handful of employers has been hit with litigation in connection with employees who became sick and who claim safety precautions were missing from the workplace. But major hurdles face such suits, from causation to the standard of proof under the workers' compensation law, some lawyers say.

www.law.com

Random aside, but who else thinks Cynthia should star in the Bea Arthur biopic? She'd be fabulous.

 

[sullyinMT]

What is the point that you flip the switch? Why should vaccinated people continue to wear a mask? The likelihood of a vaccinated person contracting and spreading Covid-19 is very small. Today 82.8% of US adults 65 years or older have had a single dose. 69.7% have had both doses. Vaccines for people aged 18-64 are now at 56.3% and 40.6% respectfully. At this point, the most vulnerable group has been vaccinated or already had Covid.

Again why should vaccinated people continue to wear masks? Why do vaccinated people need to be uncomfortable, hot, and have difficulty breathing? Just because half the country is below freezing in the winter, we don't make Florida residents wear a parka and snow pants. I know, bad analogy. But it sort of makes the point.

Directly to Disney, or in this case WDW, it will make sense to flip the switch when community spread in the area where their CM's live has dropped to a more manageable level. FL is riding a plateau of daily cases much higher than when they announced reopening with masks.

The switches will be flipped in different areas for different reasons. Locally to me, people largely don't care that 60% of the population is unvaccinated and that businesses are still "requiring" masks. They're pretending normal is here now. And, as someone who has been involved in literally turning off the life of the sickest of the sick, it raises my blood pressure more than necessary. Admittedly, we've tried to mitigate the stress through all of this by participating in society with mitigations. So, some may call me a hypocrite for traveling to WDW for Thanksgiving, for example. But it is all ending way too soon, before the virus has had its way with us.

Oddly enough, places that have vaccinated a large portion of adults and continue to do so, like NY and her neighbors, will be more "right" for flipping their switches when they do, because more people will ACTUALLY be protected. Especially now that adolescents will soon join the fray.

 

[Dranth]

This country was once a place where people were less selfish and cared about others.

Not accusing anyone in particular here as I think most people have been pretty reasonable and tried to have a real discussion but there is just a group out there that can’t handle this concept for whatever reason.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

What is the point that you flip the switch? Why should vaccinated people continue to wear a mask? The likelihood of a vaccinated person contracting and spreading Covid-19 is very small. Today 82.8% of US adults 65 years or older have had a single dose. 69.7% have had both doses. Vaccines for people aged 18-64 are now at 56.3% and 40.6% respectfully. At this point, the most vulnerable group has been vaccinated or already had Covid.

Again why should vaccinated people continue to wear masks? Why do vaccinated people need to be uncomfortable, hot, and have difficulty breathing? Just because half the country is below freezing in the winter, we don't make Florida residents wear a parka and snow pants. I know, bad analogy. But it sort of makes the point.

As already noted, having some WDW guests wear a mask but not others wouldn't work from a monitoring and enforcement perspective.

While vaccines are expected to reduce transmission of COVID, this is still being studied.

Wearing a mask for a bit longer, post-vaccination, falls in the "better safe than sorry" column, and is it really that much of a hardship? If someone has trouble breathing through a basic surgical mask they should see a doctor because they might have an underlying health problem.

A lot of us have noticed we didn't get a regular cold or flu this past year. Masks and social distancing work. There's a reason people in other parts of the world were already wearing masks on a regular basis.

Would I expect or want mask wearing to become a permanent thing? No, but I'd be happy to see us use them in specific circumstances. Feeling slightly sick? Wear a mask when in a crowded situation like the bus ride back to your resort at the end of the day or when visiting a crowded shop.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Not accusing anyone in particular here as I think most people have been pretty reasonable and tried to have a real discussion but there is just a group out there that can’t handle this concept for whatever reason.

It's the "me" era...and it's been around for a while. I can't wait until it's over.

 

[mgf]

Disney is going to make masks optional in the not to distant future.

I would not be so sure. Disney is moving at its own speed. They are not getting nudged along by anything but their own business needs. I think people vastly overestimate how much Disney wants to get rid of masks. They could have done it already in Florida if they really wanted to do it. The political environment was and is permissive.

I would bet good money Disney knows where the market is at on the issue.

 

[LittleBuford]

I was at Yacht club beginning of April and saw the same exact thing. Many families also shared elevators when the lines were long. I saw only one family decline sharing and they weren't tarred and feathered for it nor were the people who were sharing the space. People generally minded their own business and weren't playing covid police.

Those who break the rules by sharing lifts create an expectation that others will follow suit, potentially making some feel pressured into doing so against their better judgement. I wish people would just follow the rules to the letter.

 

[HarperRose]

We seem to be in a circular argument for much of the past few days. I think we need to accept that some people have different views on this, and perhaps if you want to carry on a debate with someone, take it to private messaging. I think this thread would be more useful as a way to discuss the issue in relation to WDW.

Tolerating those "different views" is what got us to where we are, 14 months later.

 

[Tamandua]

Because this is a health decision that directly impacts other people's health. If you choose to overeat, someone standing next to you won't suddenly become obese, but if you get infected with the virus you could pass it to someone who is unable to get the vaccine, or has lost immunity to it.

This is ridiculous. Have we all forgotten that these vaccines are still classified as experimental? It needs to be a measured decision for people. The adverse side effects are real. Here in Los Angeles County, more than 277,000 people have not returned for their second dose, and the county public health director speculates that they were turned off by the side effects they got from the first dose. My sister told me the other day "I'm in so much pain" after she got her second dose. My dad, my wife, my in laws... Everyone I know that got it has had considerable side effects. Does that mean you shouldn't take it? Each person needs to decide if it's worth it to them, but telling everyone they need to have it to have their freedom back is insanity.