Nervous about our 3 year old and masks

WildRide

WildRide

Active Member
Hi All,

My wife and I along with our two kids will be heading to WDW for a week over labor day. Our kids will be 1 and 3 years old. We have been having a very difficult time trying to get our oldest son to wear a mask. We are hoping practice over the next 6 months will help but are panicking about being thrown out of a park on a trip we've spent a lot of money on...

Can anyone comment on how Disney has been handling 3 year olds who struggle to keep their mask on? Is there any grace in the enforcement of the policy as long as parents are complying etc?
 
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dvclover15

Member
Not sure if you're driving or flying but I'd be more worried about the flight than Disney. Disney isn't going to throw you out. You might get told a million times a day to have your child put it back on and as long as you keep complying you'll be fine.

Try not to worry about September so much at the moment. Things could very well change by then. If there is a huge issue just take time at the hotel pool. Kids love that and no mask needed.
 
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ilovelabs2021

ilovelabs2021

Well-Known Member
Disney's CEO has confirmed that guests will most likely be wearing masks through 2021, so I wouldn't count on the mask mandate going away by September. I do agree with the pps' advice; as long as you are complying when told to put the mask back on your son, they won't kick you out. Also, character masks are a good idea.
 
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nickys

nickys

Premium Member
Let him choose some masks with favourite characters. Then start a routine that you use every day to practice wearing a mask. Let him see you and your wife wearing one, encourage him to hold it over his face to start. Make it a game. Play peekaboo with them. Then start with wearing one for 30 seconds, a minute, build up. Reward him for wearing it. Let him wear it as a chin strap or one his head to pull down. When you go out, put one on so he sees it as normal. Encourage anyone who visits you (if anyone of course) to wear one.

Above all, make it FUN. And keep at it.
 
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tpoly88

tpoly88

Well-Known Member
its so hard with the young kids as they get so hot and want the mask off, im older and i have a hard time when its hot, luckly we stop to get a drink and cool off. so far with what ive seen they are not going to toss you out becasue of your kids popping their mask off, you as an adult they will scold if yours is off and walking but they are being as understanding as they can, a cast member will just come up and ask you help your child put their mask back on. i know they say the mask requirment will be all year but it might be modified as by then 200 mil people will be vaccinated in the US (hopefully) but if they open the world travel that would put a damper on it.
 
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CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
ilovelabs2021 said:
Disney's CEO has confirmed that guests will most likely be wearing masks through 2021, so I wouldn't count on the mask mandate going away by September. I do agree with the pps' advice; as long as you are complying when told to put the mask back on your son, they won't kick you out. Also, character masks are a good idea.
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He said we will likely have "some degree" of mask wearing and social distancing for the remainder of the year. That doesn't necessarily mean mandates.
 
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NelleBelle

NelleBelle

Well-Known Member
Have him start by watching his favorite show wearing a mask. Take a break. Set a timer and see if he can "beat the timer" game--let him pick out a sticker/M&M, etc. It will be hot when you go so maybe have him hold his water bottle and take frequent drinks (I'm assuming kids in their strollers can drink and not come to a complete stop). But let him pick out masks that he'd like (there are some paper disposable disney masks that might be cooler).
 
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Weather_Lady

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
NelleBelle said:
Have him start by watching his favorite show wearing a mask. Take a break. Set a timer and see if he can "beat the timer" game--let him pick out a sticker/M&M, etc. It will be hot when you go so maybe have him hold his water bottle and take frequent drinks (I'm assuming kids in their strollers can drink and not come to a complete stop). But let him pick out masks that he'd like (there are some paper disposable disney masks that might be cooler).
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My sister teaches in a kindergarten classroom, and has been impressed all year with how well the simplest of motivations (a sticker, as you mentioned, or just having masks the kids love and are proud to wear) can motivate kids to keep their masks on all day long. Your suggestions are spot on.
 
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JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
I wouldnt be overly stressed out about it. You do what you can to condition him to wear one prior to your trip. If a CM sees him at some moment with it off they will remind you that he needs it on. You can then place it back on for the time. Whats the chances that same CM will catch him without it later in another part of the park. Do the best you can, after all a 3yo is a 3yo. Other than incidents of adults who know better and put up a fight about non mask wearing getting thrown out, I havent heard of families getting tossed because their toddlers violated the policy. I'm not a non mask advocate or one who disputes Covid, or disputing the wisdom of a 3yo's wearing a mask... but we have to be realistic when it comes to parents dealing with 3yo kids.
 
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NelleBelle

NelleBelle

Well-Known Member
I do agree with @dvclover15 that you may experience more issues with the flight, depending on the airline. I'm sure we've all heard the horror stories of parents being removed from flights due to children not keeping their masks on. I think you have lots of time to work with you 3yo to be just fine. Maybe even get him his favorite stuffed disney character to have wear a mask that he's in charge of putting the mask on when he has to wear his mask.
 
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CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
NelleBelle said:
I do agree with @dvclover15 that you may experience more issues with the flight, depending on the airline. I'm sure we've all heard the horror stories of parents being removed from flights due to children not keeping their masks on. I think you have lots of time to work with you 3yo to be just fine. Maybe even get him his favorite stuffed disney character to have wear a mask that he's in charge of putting the mask on when he has to wear his mask.
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Most of those high-profile "incidents" on the airplanes have proven to be BS. It's almost always a clout-chasing parent who wants to be a social media influencer so they bait the airline employees into impossible situations. Then they selectively edit the videos and post them for maximum views.
 
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carriebeth

Well-Known Member
My preschool son fell asleep on a flight to Disney recently. He was sound asleep and turned his head a bit and un noticed by me his mask had partially fallen off and his nose was exposed. He has curled up and facing the window and it was only our family in our row but a flight attendant did notice on her pass through and I was very forcefully told that “that kid needs to put his mask back on properly right away”. I had a few things in my hands that I had to set down and she stood there and watched until I was able to reach over and pull it back up. And then was told “you NEED to make sure he has that on properly for the remainder of this flight”. He nor no one in our family had for one second prior to this had our mask off or worn improperly at all. It’s not like they had reason to watch over us or anything. So; yes, our flight experience would lead me to tell you to be very worried about your flight if your kid has any inclination of removing or fighting wearing the mask.
 
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arich35

Well-Known Member
carriebeth said:
My preschool son fell asleep on a flight to Disney recently. He was sound asleep and turned his head a bit and un noticed by me his mask had partially fallen off and his nose was exposed. He has curled up and facing the window and it was only our family in our row but a flight attendant did notice on her pass through and I was very forcefully told that “that kid needs to put his mask back on properly right away”. I had a few things in my hands that I had to set down and she stood there and watched until I was able to reach over and pull it back up. And then was told “you NEED to make sure he has that on properly for the remainder of this flight”. He nor no one in our family had for one second prior to this had our mask off or worn improperly at all. It’s not like they had reason to watch over us or anything. So; yes, our flight experience would lead me to tell you to be very worried about your flight if your kid has any inclination of removing or fighting wearing the mask.
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I am worried about our flight, our daughter will had just turned 2 so I am not really worried about Disney because they don't know the age when we are in the park but on the flight they will. I still think it is outrageous to expect a 25 month old to keep a mask on the whole 2 hour and 20 minute flight, there is just no way. But also the flight attendants aren't around all the time, when taking off and landing they are sitting down and also when they are getting beverages (if your flight is long enough), etc. Also when in the air I would assume a kid can take off the mask to eat some food.
 
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