New restaurant mask rule

[castlecake2.0]

Even before this was a rule my party and I kept our masks on until our drinks arrived and then replace them at the end of our meal. Just the safe and courteous thing to do.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Oh, another mask thread!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

If you’re going out to a theme park then you already don’t care enough as it is. So eh.

Going to a theme park is one of the safest things you can do. There are a lot of us who wear our masks the entire time to protect the CMs working there and other guests and who spend our money, which in turn keeps thousands of people employed. It's a few who don't care who ruin it, as usual.

 

[Chi84]

Oh, another mask thread!

I don’t think it is. Disney changed the wording of their mask policy as it applies to dining and people are asking for information on how it will affect their dining experiences on upcoming trips. That’s what this site is for, in my opinion.

 

[donsullivan]

Even before this was a rule my party and I kept our masks on until our drinks arrived and then replace them at the end of our meal. Just the safe and courteous thing to do.

Unfortunately, the pattern you describe is very much the exception vs the norm from my personal experiences. It is very common, especially for large groups for most of a group to be long finished with their food and one or two slow eaters taking much longer than the others. The entire group are just hanging out at the table while the stragglers finish up and not a one puts their mask back on. There are still many who have not grasped the concept that they need to put it back on when walking up to grab more napkins or ketchup, or similar.

All of these result in Disney having to constantly refine the language to be progressively more precise for those who still feel the need to push against the rules. The countless variations of “They didn’t explicitly say I can’t do this, so I did” is what triggers these evolutions of the guidelines.

 

[JIMINYCR]

As reported...Face coverings for each guest age 2 and up, which must be worn in all public areas and can only be removed while actively eating and drinking. Face coverings must be worn while standing, waiting or sitting in dining locations.

Sounds clear enough. Get to table... wait to be served... mask on. Meal and drink served...start dining ... mask off. When done eating, waiting to pay... mask on. Actively eating and drinking means being in the process of partaking of your meal.

Now we need fine print 10 page disclosures clauses to explain even the simplest of things.

 

[JIMINYCR]

No we took it off after we sat down and no one mentioned anything at all about masks for the entire meal.

As so often happens as seen on many other policies... CM's across property tend to choose enforcing things differently from place to place. It wouldnt surprise me to see some being more stringent than others depending on the server you get.

 

[larryz]

Oh, my... how difficult can this be to decode and/or enforce???

When you're eating, mask off. When you're not eating, mask on. Now for the quiz:

1. Are you eating when you're waiting for the CM to take/bring your order?
a. No
b. Yes
c. Not sure
d. I have a Guest Assistance Card

2. Are you eating when there's a plate of food sitting in front of you?
a. No
b. Yes
c. There's no food in my mouth, so...
d. I have an Eating Assistance Card

3. Are you eating when you're cutting your steak?
a. No
b. Yes
c. I'm from Texas, so...
d. I have a Cowboy Assistance Card

4. Are you eating when you excuse yourself and head for the rest room?
a. No
b. Yes
c. I'm still chewing on that steak, so...
d. I have a Bathroom Assistance Card

5. Are you eating when you're drinking your coffee with your dessert?
a. No
b. Yes
c. The Grapefruit Cake is really dry today
d. I have a Desert Assistance Card

6. Are you eating when you're waiting for the check?
a. No
b. Yes
c. Some people at my table are still eating, so...
d. I have a Disney Visa Card

And yes, your nose is still attached to your respiratory system, so please keep it covered when you're wearing your mask.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

If you have food and drink in front of you the mask can be off.
What you cannot do is just sit at a table and remove your mask.
So while you are waiting to order and waiting for your food to arrive the mask is on.
If people would stop using technicalities and loopholes Disney would stop having to close them.

 

[Chi84]

As reported...Face coverings for each guest age 2 and up, which must be worn in all public areas and can only be removed while actively eating and drinking. Face coverings must be worn while standing, waiting or sitting in dining locations.

Sounds clear enough. Get to table... wait to be served... mask on. Meal and drink served...start dining ... mask off. When done eating, waiting to pay... mask on. Actively eating and drinking means being in the process of partaking of your meal.

Now we need fine print 10 page disclosures clauses to explain even the simplest of things.

Sounds clear enough to me too. Seated at table and someone brings water - mask off. Finished paying and sipping coffee until ready to leave - mask off. Leaving the table - mask on. We’ll be there soon. I’ll let you know if I get kicked out.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

As so often happens as seen on many other policies... CM's across property tend to choose enforcing things differently from place to place. It wouldnt surprise me to see some being more stringent than others depending on the server you get.

There are zero cast members and zero restaurants and zero managers who are interpreting the policy to mean "put your mask on in between your entree and your desert," because that's not what Disney intended.

This is NOT an example of CMs going against official policy. It's an example of the official policy not meaning what people on the Internet claim it means.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Unfortunately, the pattern you describe is very much the exception vs the norm from my personal experiences. It is very common, especially for large groups for most of a group to be long finished with their food and one or two slow eaters taking much longer than the others. The entire group are just hanging out at the table while the stragglers finish up and not a one puts their mask back on. There are still many who have not grasped the concept that they need to put it back on when walking up to grab more napkins or ketchup, or similar.

All of these result in Disney having to constantly refine the language to be progressively more precise for those who still feel the need to push against the rules. The countless variations of “They didn’t explicitly say I can’t do this, so I did” is what triggers these evolutions of the guidelines.

I believe OP was asking about table service dining. Nobody is getting up for napkins or ketchup.

 

[mpaulam]

We were there Wednesday and Thursday. Had 3 table service meals. We would take our masks off when we sat at the table and put them on when we left the table (left the restaurant or used the restrooms). We weren't asked to put them on. I got the email about this new policy a few days before we went. I agree with a previous poster that it will most likely be enforced when someone is clearly using the table as a rest from their mask and taking more than a break for a meal.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Going to a theme park is one of the safest things you can do.

....BAHAHHA!!

Don't get me wrong. I'm one of the folks that don't care. I went to Universal the day after it reopened, and Disney in August. But by all means it is NOT the safest thing you can do.

Safest things you can do list: 1). Stay home. 2). Order grocery delivery instead of going out to get it yourself. 3). Do school online.

The list can go on and theme parks would probably rank at about #73 on a list of safest things you can do during this pandemic.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Actually, cast ARE enforcing the rules, this just isn't one of them.

Yes, they are forcing the general mask rules.

But not the new mask rule in restaurants when you're sitting at your table.

 

[Chi84]

....BAHAHHA!!

Don't get me wrong. I'm one of the folks that don't care. I went to Universal the day after it reopened, and Disney in August. But by all means it is NOT the safest thing you can do.

Safest things you can do list: 1). Stay home. 2). Order grocery delivery instead of going out to get it yourself. 3). Do school online.

The list can go on and theme parks would probably rank at about #73 on a list of safest things you can do during this pandemic.

The vaccine changes that, at least for the vaccinated individual.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

But not the new mask rule in restaurants when you're sitting at your table.

When you're sitting at your table in the middle of a meal, that is considered "actively eating," meaning there's nothing to enforce.

 

[Chi84]

Also, the mask touching thing is largely debunked as the virus is extremely difficult to spread via a surface, so touching it doesn't really put you at a much larger risk. Theres some increase, sure, but its very low.

The CDC guidelines currently say to wash or sanitize your hands before putting on a mask and specifically says “Do NOT (emphasis theirs) touch the mask while wearing it.” So the CDC hasn’t debunked it. It’s just not something that can be done in practice. I don’t think the CDC guidelines contemplated visiting theme parks.

 

[WondersOfLife]

When you're sitting at your table in the middle of a meal, that is considered "actively eating," meaning there's nothing to enforce.

lol but the new rule states that you wear your mask until your food arrives. THAT is not being enforced.

 

[WondersOfLife]

The vaccine changes that, at least for the vaccinated individual.

Yes. It's starting to be a bit different now with the vaccine rolling out.