News Disney mask policy at Walt Disney World theme parks

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bdearl41

Well-Known Member
Just out of curiosity, as someone who hasn’t been during all this. I’ve heard rumors that the cast members have gotten to the point of not caring if someone is following the mask rules or not. (Cant say I blame them for being fatigued, not really in their job description). My question is does this seem to be the case? We are going the first week of May and I expect mask mandates probably to have been removed by then but curious what you guys have seen lately? Thanks.
 

Chi84

Premium Member
Just out of curiosity, as someone who hasn’t been during all this. I’ve heard rumors that the cast members have gotten to the point of not caring if someone is following the mask rules or not. (Cant say I blame them for being fatigued, not really in their job description). My question is does this seem to be the case? We are going the first week of May and I expect mask mandates probably to have been removed by then but curious what you guys have seen lately? Thanks.
We visited in May 2021 and October 2021. In May, masks were required both indoors and outdoors. Reminders were consistently broadcast and CMs were stationed around the parks reminding people to pull up masks. Compliance was very high indoors, but less so outdoors - the heat was at record highs for May and entire groups were finding out-of-the-way places to sit and take off masks. Outside at our resort, people generally had a mask with them and would put it on as others approached.

In October, only indoor masks were required. There were some signs as reminders, but I didn't see CMs approach or admonish anyone. Once again, compliance with the indoor requirement was high, so there wasn't much need to enforce it. There were several times when people in restaurants forgot to put on masks when leaving.

My overall experience was that people voluntarily complied with the mask requirement out of respect for others and the rules, whether or not they agreed with it. We rode the Skyliner with another couple in October - the woman was outspoken about how useless the masks were, and her husband agreed, but both wore their masks throughout the ride.

One thing I noted was that almost none of the very young children wore masks and nothing was said to them. This was especially the case at Disney Springs. The ones who did generally had a cloth mask somewhere in the vicinity of their face, but this was the only (what I consider understandable) exception to what I found to be very high voluntary compliance.
 

mkt

Disney's Favorite Scumbag™
Premium Member
Just out of curiosity, as someone who hasn’t been during all this. I’ve heard rumors that the cast members have gotten to the point of not caring if someone is following the mask rules or not. (Cant say I blame them for being fatigued, not really in their job description). My question is does this seem to be the case? We are going the first week of May and I expect mask mandates probably to have been removed by then but curious what you guys have seen lately? Thanks.

With tens of thousands of CMs, there's obviously a variety of opinions - but I've found CM's to be of two kinds.

Either don't care/minimal enforcement, or extremely strict with no flexibility.
 

donsullivan

Premium Member
With tens of thousands of CMs, there's obviously a variety of opinions - but I've found CM's to be of two kinds.

Either don't care/minimal enforcement, or extremely strict with no flexibility.
It’s been my experience that most of the CM’s who you suggest “don’t care” are actually the CM’s who are sick and tired of being attacked (verbally and sometimes physically) by guests for just doing their jobs and trying to enforce the policies of their employer; policies that each guest agreed to when they walked through the entrance. After enough berating and attacks by guests they have just given up to cut back on the stress and anxiety in their lives.

If all guests acted in a civil manner and complied with the published policies, CM’s wouldn’t have to enforce anything and wouldn’t need to be attacked by guests.
 

mkt

Disney's Favorite Scumbag™
Premium Member
It’s been my experience that most of the CM’s who you suggest “don’t care” are actually the CM’s who are sick and tired of being attacked (verbally and sometimes physically) by guests for just doing their jobs and trying to enforce the policies of their employer
Those were the kind of guests that pushed me away from picking up PAC shifts when I was a CM.
 
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castlecake2.0

Well-Known Member
Just out of curiosity, as someone who hasn’t been during all this. I’ve heard rumors that the cast members have gotten to the point of not caring if someone is following the mask rules or not. (Cant say I blame them for being fatigued, not really in their job description). My question is does this seem to be the case? We are going the first week of May and I expect mask mandates probably to have been removed by then but curious what you guys have seen lately? Thanks.
What I see are guests clearly ignoring safety restrictions that they agreed to when they booked their reservations and then belittle Cast trying to enforce rules. It is not a surprise, guests are warned several times that these are the current guidelines throughout the booking process and on signs and placards throughout the resort. If guests don’t agree or don’t think they can follow these rules, or any other of the park rules, designed to keep guests and cast safe then they should find somewhere else to visit. These type of guests just wear down the cast and make it harder for cast members to offer great service as they waste energy on people creating unnecessary issues.
 

TikibirdLand

Well-Known Member
What I see are guests clearly ignoring safety restrictions that they agreed to when they booked their reservations and then belittle Cast trying to enforce rules. It is not a surprise, guests are warned several times that these are the current guidelines throughout the booking process and on signs and placards throughout the resort. If guests don’t agree or don’t think they can follow these rules, or any other of the park rules, designed to keep guests and cast safe then they should find somewhere else to visit. These type of guests just wear down the cast and make it harder for cast members to offer great service as they waste energy on people creating unnecessary issues.
I agree. Their park, their rules.

This is yet another reason we're sitting on the sidelines watching the drama that is WDW...
 

mkt

Disney's Favorite Scumbag™
Premium Member
What I see are guests clearly ignoring safety restrictions that they agreed to when they booked their reservations and then belittle Cast trying to enforce rules.
Going to a Disney Park is not a right. It is a privilege you pay for.

And when you pay for that privilege, you agree to follow their rules.

By not following their rules, you're in breach of that contract.

Disney has the right to throw you out of the park for noncompliance and not refund a cent of the money you gave them.

And I really REALLY wish they'd do this. I really wish that they'd follow the airlines's lead and have a zero tolerance policy. Don't comply? Get out, get banned, and lose your money.
 

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
I agree. Their park, their rules.

This is yet another reason we're sitting on the sidelines watching the drama that is WDW...
No offense but more and more I am hoping the mask restrictions stay in place through our trip this October and many more people think the same as you. Btw, I completely understand your desire to wait.
 

DisneyCane

Well-Known Member
Going to a Disney Park is not a right. It is a privilege you pay for.

And when you pay for that privilege, you agree to follow their rules.

By not following their rules, you're in breach of that contract.

Disney has the right to throw you out of the park for noncompliance and not refund a cent of the money you gave them.

And I really REALLY wish they'd do this. I really wish that they'd follow the airlines's lead and have a zero tolerance policy. Don't comply? Get out, get banned, and lose your money.
The airlines don't need to attract customers in the same way that Disney does because they all have the same rule and are required to have it by "federal law" (calling it a law is tenuous at best but I'll not go on that tangent). If the federal mandate gets dropped in my lifetime and one of the airlines stops requiring masks, then others won't be so strict because they won't want to lose business to a competitor.

While USO currently has the requirement, I'd expect that they take it away once the Omicron wave passes in a few weeks and they will remove the requirement before WDW does.

It's also about future business. If WDW adopted a 3 strikes rule for improper masking, people who get kicked out are unlikely to return for a future vacation.

That's why they seem to only eject people if they either outright refuse when asked by a CM or if they become combative.

Personally, I will not renew my AP if the rule is still in place in June when my renewal comes up. I could have gone for a quick trip this past week and I didn't because I didn't want to have to wear a mask.
 

mkt

Disney's Favorite Scumbag™
Premium Member
The airlines don't need to attract customers in the same way that Disney does because they all have the same rule and are required to have it by "federal law" (calling it a law is tenuous at best but I'll not go on that tangent). If the federal mandate gets dropped in my lifetime and one of the airlines stops requiring masks, then others won't be so strict because they won't want to lose business to a competitor.

While USO currently has the requirement, I'd expect that they take it away once the Omicron wave passes in a few weeks and they will remove the requirement before WDW does.

It's also about future business. If WDW adopted a 3 strikes rule for improper masking, people who get kicked out are unlikely to return for a future vacation.

That's why they seem to only eject people if they either outright refuse when asked by a CM or if they become combative.

Personally, I will not renew my AP if the rule is still in place in June when my renewal comes up. I could have gone for a quick trip this past week and I didn't because I didn't want to have to wear a mask.
There's no shortage of people that want to go to a Disney park.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
The airlines don't need to attract customers in the same way that Disney does because they all have the same rule and are required to have it by "federal law" (calling it a law is tenuous at best but I'll not go on that tangent). If the federal mandate gets dropped in my lifetime and one of the airlines stops requiring masks, then others won't be so strict because they won't want to lose business to a competitor.
It’s not just behavior around masks that gets people banned from airlines. Berating a Cast Member for enforcing any rule or sense of decorum can result in rewards for the customer and punishment for the employee.
 

Vegas Disney Fan

Well-Known Member
Also remember that 63% of Michigan is vaccinated, but only make up 41% of hospitalizations, 34% of the ICUs, and 33% of the Ventilators. Honestly wish the difference was more pronounced, but at least it is showing some resistance.
The huge unknown is still who’s hospitalized specifically because of Covid and who just has Covid as a secondary condition?

It has been reported by multiple hospitals that approximately half their Covid cases are secondary cases and are not in the hospital specifically for Covid, that could really throw off the ratios we’re seeing.

I’d assume the majority of the secondary cases are within the vaccinated, since it’s well documented the vaccinated have milder cases, but without an actual breakdown that’s pure speculation on my part.
 

Incomudro

Well-Known Member
What I see are guests clearly ignoring safety restrictions that they agreed to when they booked their reservations and then belittle Cast trying to enforce rules. It is not a surprise, guests are warned several times that these are the current guidelines throughout the booking process and on signs and placards throughout the resort. If guests don’t agree or don’t think they can follow these rules, or any other of the park rules, designed to keep guests and cast safe then they should find somewhere else to visit. These type of guests just wear down the cast and make it harder for cast members to offer great service as they waste energy on people creating unnecessary issues.
I'm all for following the rules when I go to a place - much as I hate masks and believe that much of how they are worn, and under the circumstances they are worn makes their effectiveness questionable at best - I'd where a mask where required at WDW because I'm a polite person who doesn't make scenes and challenge people.
That being said, WDW is not a "safe" place to be if a person is actually concerned about covid.
Dense crowds essentially all day long, but wearing masks indoors?
Hardly a measure of safety, if that's a guests priority.
Those rules are to protect Disney, not the guests.
 

disneygeek90

Well-Known Member
I'm all for following the rules when I go to a place - much as I hate masks and believe that much of how they are worn, and under the circumstances they are worn makes their effectiveness questionable at best - I'd where a mask where required at WDW because I'm a polite person who doesn't make scenes and challenge people.
That being said, WDW is not a "safe" place to be if a person is actually concerned about covid.
Dense crowds essentially all day long, but wearing masks indoors?
Hardly a measure of safety, if that's a guests priority.
Those rules are to protect Disney, not the guests.
I've been to Disney around 100 days since covid without getting sick. Is it the masks? Self awareness? Vaccines? Luck?

Who knows, probably a combination of all of it. But I imagine that if everyone had been indoors without masks (pre and post vaccine) this entire time I would have likely had it by now.
 
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