News Disney mask policy at Walt Disney World theme parks

[dreday3]

Starting today going to be any different than the last two weeks? I'll pay for LL and genie + and not wait in long lines no matter what's going on. We are lucky enough to be able to be in a mode to go to the parks and have zero expectations of going on any rides or attractions all, no pressure. Our attraction is being in the bubble and we found that is working for us this trip. No long line waits, no amount of people in the park is going to change it for us because we have no pressure to see anything. We are finding when we don't put that pressure on ourselves to see this or that all of a sudden we are seeing everything! It could be we are just very lucky, that's fine too.

I heard the same thing last week someone saying boy it's busy, don't come. We did anyhow and headed to MK. That night I kissed my wife like I used to do far more 25 years ago. At that moment Fireworks are going off and Tinkerbell flew right by our heads. I am not an emotional guy, but what a moment! The poster that warned me how busy it was and not to come had their perception, it was the same day, same crowds. Maybe we just don't care about the crowds or too old to care. There was a lot of pushing on the edges of the fireworks crowd and I thought these trees need be cut for fireworks viewing so another 5 thousand people could see better. Still, I will remember that moment for years to come as busy as it was or wasn't.

So far the last two weeks have been amazing and I highly doubt the next two weeks will all of a sudden be any different for us. Nothing will make it an August summer in the next two weeks.

It's a holiday weekend in the U.S. Will be busier as per norm.

 

[Trauma]

And we all know that 100% of the anti-mask crowd has behaved themselves in a respectable manner and haven't assaulted any flight attendants or store clerks or referred to people who masked up as "sheep" and people who got vaccinated as "guinea pigs." Up until now, they've been setting the standard for how to behave in a calm, polite, and peaceful manner in public from Day 1.

Exactly.

Both sides of the argument have been nasty.

This will thankfully settle down now since all the mandates are gone.

The policy is aligned with what the majority of the country wants.

 

[Lilofan]

Not an excuse for their deplorable behavior but you have to remember the anti-mask crowd has been attacked and called every name in the book for the past 2 years.

However a parent should clearly be able to choose if their kid wears a mask or not.

If the kid doesn’t agree with the parent they can just take the mask off once they are inside anyways.

A parent can choose but if the school boards requires kids to wear masks, then the choice is merely just a choice.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

Exactly.

Both sides of the argument have been nasty.

This will thankfully settle down now since all the mandates are gone.

The policy is aligned with what the majority of the country wants.

But only one side was actively putting the health of others at risk as far back as March 2020 while also playing the victim card. Once you (the general "you," not you specifically) show a complete disregard for the health of others, it's hard to garner much sympathy because someone was rude when you didn't wear a mask.

 

[Trauma]

But only one side was actively putting the health of others at risk as far back as March 2020 while also playing the victim card. Once you (the general "you," not you specifically) show a complete disregard for the health of others, it's hard to garner much sympathy because someone was rude when you didn't wear a mask.

The only “side” putting people at risk where those who refused to get vaccinated.

 

[correcaminos]

The only “side” putting people at risk where those who refused to get vaccinated.

And before that? Or those who blatantly flaunt breaking rules that are posted? Sorry but there were some serious maskholes on both sides. The ones who intentionally ignored the rules don't get a pass. Also as an FYI common sense prevailing is a gross generalization that makes it sound like masks and social distancing were never useful. They were.

 

[Tom P.]

Just a passing thought based on how many people are commenting on the unvaccinated not following the rules...

Look at the wording of the Disneyland policy. Now look at the wording of the Walt Disney World policy. Compare and contrast. And remember, these were carefully drawn up by lawyers. Nothing in them is by accident.

Technically, the unvaccinated are only required to mask up at Disneyland. Disney has an expectation, but not a requirement, that unvaccinated guests wear masks at WDW.

Like I say, they didn't word it that way by accident.

 

[Trauma]

And before that? Or those who blatantly flaunt breaking rules that are posted? Sorry but there were some serious maskholes on both sides. The ones who intentionally ignored the rules don't get a pass. Also as an FYI common sense prevailing is a gross generalization that makes it sound like masks and social distancing were never useful. They were.

Ok let’s just agree and say everyone who didn’t like masks was a complete jerk.

I don’t care anymore as far as I’m concerned this is finished.

Everyone else can continue to argue and I’m going to book a trip to enjoy the parks mask free!!

 

[Chip Chipperson]

The only “side” putting people at risk where those who refused to get vaccinated.

In 2020, that wasn't possible for anyone outside of the pharmaceutical studies. In early 2021, that wasn't possible for everyone since vaccine supplies were scarce and most states had eligibility for the shots broken into groups. During that time, people knew that masks could reduce the spread, knew they were required, and still went into stores, banks, theme parks, and on planes refusing to wear one and physically assaulted the employees trying to enforce the rule. Forgive me if I don't weep for the feelings of those people or the people who cheered for them on social media as if they were heroes.

 

[correcaminos]

Ok let’s just agree and say everyone who didn’t like masks was a complete jerk.

I don’t care anymore as far as I’m concerned this is finished.

Everyone else can continue to argue and I’m going to book a trip to enjoy the parks mask free!!

Outside of loosening the ear loops and using them with my winter hat as a small scarf, I don't like them. Any time I was asked I wore them. Not all did. Those are who I am talking about. Not following rules is not okay and if someone had a person be rude to them for not following rules it's not great, but understandable. Should we just let line jumpers go ahead? Same thing. Follow rules or stay out.

In 2020, that wasn't possible for anyone outside of the pharmaceutical studies. In early 2021, that wasn't possible for everyone since vaccine supplies were scarce and most states had eligibility for the shots broken into groups. During that time, people knew that masks could reduce the spread, knew they were required, and still went into stores, banks, theme parks, and on planes refusing to wear one and physically assaulted the employees trying to enforce the rule. Forgive me if I don't weep for the feelings of those people or the people who cheered for them on social media as if they were heroes.

And those of us in studies didn't find out until we were eligible for vaccine or sometime in 2021. So really even if vaccinated we didn't know 100%

 

[dovetail65]

unenforceable rule... what's the point of saying fully vaccinated?

I agree, why bother. All it does is make people liars. How many are truly going to wear that mask becasue they are not vaccinated. I say close to zero. The non vaccinated are most likely to be against the masks in the first place so to asking the non vaccinated group to wear masks is bordering on a joke.

I believe it might be a liability issue. Odds are 29 times more likely a more serious health issue arises in a person that gets Covid in a non vaxxed person so they cover themselves by saying you should of masked up, your fault you got Covid if you were not vaccinated and masked up(along with the constant over and over again you are taking our own risk by coming here information WDW gives ). Or maybe they truly believe the non vaxed will truly mask up, who knows.

 

[Andrew C]

Ok let’s just agree and say everyone who didn’t like masks was a complete jerk.

I don’t care anymore as far as I’m concerned this is finished.

Everyone else can continue to argue and I’m going to book a trip to enjoy the parks mask free!!

It is finished, or almost finished when it comes to the parks (really for me it is has been finished for almost a year unless I was travelling ). But while mask mandates are dropping everywhere, certain places are desperately holding on to their school mask mandates...I don't get it, and I never will..probably should avoid going down this road again. And wrong thread anyways.

Have fun booking!

 

[Roy G. Dis]

Having a rule that politely asks the unvaccinated to wear masks without enforcement relies on the concept of "personal responsibility". Not everyone in the world has abandoned this idea yet but it's quite a showing of where we're at when people are questioning such an idea...

 

[Dizziman]

Just a passing thought based on how many people are commenting on the unvaccinated not following the rules...

Look at the wording of the Disneyland policy. Now look at the wording of the Walt Disney World policy. Compare and contrast. And remember, these were carefully drawn up by lawyers. Nothing in them is by accident.

Technically, the unvaccinated are only required to mask up at Disneyland. Disney has an expectation, but not a requirement, that unvaccinated guests wear masks at WDW.

Like I say, they didn't word it that way by accident.

Good eye. Yes, that phrasing is definitely purposeful. Disney World does not "require" that the unvaxxed mask (except for transportation, along with everyone else); they merely "expect" it.

 

[Trauma]

Outside of loosening the ear loops and using them with my winter hat as a small scarf, I don't like them. Any time I was asked I wore them. Not all did. Those are who I am talking about. Not following rules is not okay and if someone had a person be rude to them for not following rules it's not great, but understandable. Should we just let line jumpers go ahead? Same thing. Follow rules or stay out.


And those of us in studies didn't find out until we were eligible for vaccine or sometime in 2021. So really even if vaccinated we didn't know 100%

No drama it just isn’t worth arguing about anymore is all I was trying to say.

Disney and the country at large has reached a verdict.

All I was trying to say is as far as I’m concerned the mask debate is over. (At least for the parks)

This thread should probably be locked as it was many times previously, until there is something new to report.

 

[correcaminos]

No drama it just isn’t worth arguing about anymore is all I was trying to say.

Disney and the country at large has reached a verdict.

All I as trying to say is as far as I’m concerned the mask debate is over. (At least for the parks)

This thread should probably be locked as it was many times previously, until there is something new to report.

Mostly for the parks. Transportation is our last hurdle.

I do agree it's not worth arguing about. So we can set that all aside now I think

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I just view it as selective memory at work.

I’ve been going to the parks monthly for a decade and can’t think of a negative CM interaction, whether towards or from a CM, I’m sure I’ve witnessed them but honestly can’t think of a single one.

I can vividly recall sitting and watching a CM and character interacting with a group of kids with Down Syndrome for about half an hour in DL (on my very first Disney trip) like it was yesterday though, I can also vividly recall Stitch walking by and literally pulling me out of the walkway to take a picture the morning of my very first trip to WDW (solo) like it was yesterday. I still don’t know how he could tell I was uncomfortable being at WDW alone as a single male adult but that one moment changed my entire trip and cemented my fandom, etc, etc.

I can recall dozens of positive CM interactions over my decade in the parks but I can’t recall a single negative one, that doesn’t mean they didnt happen, just means my selective memory has forgotten them.

 

[The Mom]

I can recall one negative encounter with a CM which happened almost 30 years ago. So that's a pretty good track record of customer service. Of course, I never acted entitled or tried to scam the system in any way.

 

[cranbiz]

As a former CM, I always tried to treat people right. Even the one entitled DVC guest that tried to berate me to allow her on my bus with an unfolded stroller got treated with kindness. While she certainly didn't appreciate me telling her she could fold the stroller with or without her child in it, she needed to fold the stroller to board my bus. It was told to her politely but firmly and the manager present commended me for how I handled her. Unfortunately, even 13 years ago, some guest encounters made me sour on people. People were entitled in the late 2000's I can't imagine how bad it is there now.

 

[Trauma]

I can recall one negative encounter with a CM which happened almost 30 years ago. So that's a pretty good track record of customer service. Of course, I never acted entitled or tried to scam the system in any way.

My interactions have always been positive.

I have noticed a 100% decrease ( for my family at least) of surprise magic moments. Meaning when a cast member does something out of nowhere to make your trip more memorable.

On a 7 day trip we used to have at least 3 of those moments ( I don’t know maybe we got lucky ).

The last 3 weeks I’ve been on property we have experienced none.

Could just be randomness.