News Walt Disney World says goodbye to the final remnants of its COVID-19 safety protocols

[wdwmagic]

I agree, the hand sanitizer dispensers were a nice touch. I know of a few smaller parks that had these even before the pandemic. It was a nice touch that was customer focused. This is purely a cost savings thing.

And yes, I wash my hands as often as possible, but it was always nice getting a quick squirt while exiting an attraction. Who knows what kind of bacterial filth is all over the lap bars, Toy Story Midway/Buzz Lightyear guns, etc.

Yes I think they should remain as a guest convenience. It. makes for a healthier environment for guest and cast, so it would seem the small cost would be worthwhile. But then every penny counts for TWDC.

 

[correcaminos]

Quiet now. The fear mongers don't want to hear things like this. The message needs to be that it's only getting worse.

It's not great, but it's no where near levels we've had before. More places are masking suggested for sure, but at the same time many are hovering right on limits of yellow or orange. I'm the stupid realist. I look at now vs winter or even with Delta and it is different. At least I can say I don't fear catching it. Cautious around a few but as a whole I'm not. I'd hate spreading it to others but that's it now.

 

[Tjaden]

Removal of the hand sanitizer stations is idiocy. Forget Covid, these are just useful to combat a host of "spread by contact" oral/fecal illnesses, and the fact that they were constantly empty by the end of the day indicates people were using them.

Yeah but pallets of hand sanitizer are like $3 at closeout stores. You can't expect Disney to pay like $50 a day in hand sanitizer do you? How would Bob have enough money to feed his family?

 

[MrMichaelJames]

Dude. Just wash your hands.

Ok thats fine for those that actually do, but there are TONS of people that don't. And then they touch the doors, chains, safety bars, drink machines, etc, etc, etc. The disinfecting pumps and wiping stuff down more often is actually a really good thing that should have been done more to start with.

Oh and those saying just get vaccinated...vaccinations and boosters do NOT prevent you from getting covid and then spreading it to others. I'm in the same boat of "you accept a certain level of risk and its up to you to decide if you want to or not". But lets not fool ourselves into thinking that the vaccines will just make this go away, its not going away.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Ok thats fine for those that actually do, but there are TONS of people that don't. And then they touch the doors, chains, safety bars, drink machines, etc, etc, etc.

The people who don't wash their hands weren't using the sanitizer stations either.

The disinfecting pumps and wiping stuff down more often is actually a really good thing that should have been done more to start with.

The Atlantic is hardly an outlet that's been advocating fast-and-loose COVID policy and even they say most of this is nonsense.

How Are We Possibly Still Disinfecting Things?

America can’t quit hygiene theater.

www.theatlantic.com

Oh and those saying just get vaccinated...vaccinations and boosters do NOT prevent you from getting covid and then spreading it to others.

Right but that's not the relevant question. Getting COVID and getting sick from COVID are two different things. My whole family of 5 picked up COVID on a cruise ship a few weeks ago. Three of us weren't sick at all, one of us had some sniffles for about a day, and the baby had one night of chest congestion. So who cares that we popped two blue lines on the antigen test? We were all fine.

I'm in the same boat of "you accept a certain level of risk and its up to you to decide if you want to or not". But lets not fool ourselves into thinking that the vaccines will just make this go away, its not going away.

Nobody has suggested, ever, that it's going away. The argument is not "vaccines have eliminated COVID," the argument is that vaccines have neutered COVID to the point where we don't need to alter our lives to accommodate the extremely low risk it presents to us.

 

[Ayla]

Welp, time to re-up that ignore list!

 

[MrMichaelJames]

The people who don't wash their hands weren't using the sanitizer stations either

The sanitizer isn't for them its for those of us that do wash our hands but you can't just run to the bathroom after every ride, its not practical but it is extremely simple to have these outside each ride and each restaurant or in strategic locations. This is really a no brainer. Offices have them at elevators and in various locations, airports have always had them around, bus and train terminals, basically anywhere large numbers of people congregate. It makes no logical sense to remove them except as a money thing (which is not logical).

Right but that's not the relevant question. Getting COVID and getting sick from COVID are two different things

You forgot about the whole "transmit to other people who might get sick".

the argument is that vaccines have neutered COVID to the point where we don't need to alter our lives to accommodate the extremely low risk it presents to us.

Well except that they haven't yet. It is still circulating and causing problems. Not to mention the long term issues it is causing even if you are vaccinated. There is a lot that just isn't known about this thing still. I'm not saying lock everything down but there are certain things we can continue to do to get through it. I'm seeing people go back to their disgusting ways, not washing after bathrooms, meals, etc. Going to places sick, kids going into school sick. Its like no one learned anything and reverted back to their stupid ways.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

You forgot about the whole "transmit to other people who might get sick".

Damn they should get vaccinated too.

There is a lot that just isn't known about this thing still.

Eh. Not really.

I'm not saying lock everything down but there are certain things we can continue to do to get through it. I'm seeing people go back to their disgusting ways, not washing after bathrooms, meals, etc. Going to places sick, kids going into school sick. Its like no one learned anything and reverted back to their stupid ways.

No one is banning hand sanitizer. Bring your own if you'd like it.

 

[dreday3]

Just relaying my experience in October - majority of people just streamed on by the hand sanitizers after the rides. We used them, but not sure how well they mitigated Covid when large amounts of people weren't using them.

 

[JenniferS]

Removal of the hand sanitizer stations is idiocy. Forget Covid, these are just useful to combat a host of "spread by contact" oral/fecal illnesses, and the fact that they were constantly empty by the end of the day indicates people were using them.

I was just coming here to say the same thing.
Hand sanitizer stations hurt nobody. Use them or don’t.

Even pre-COVID, I’d started to carry sanitizer with me. I can’t tell you how many times in years past I’ve brought a Disney bug home with me.

 

[Lilofan]

Yeah, wait till the monkey pox protocols start…I hope they didn’t throw out all that plexiglass and sanitizer stations…

If they do, the third party plexi installers will once again have a booming business.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Dude. Just wash your hands.

I mean, there are not hand washing stations outside of every area where you have to touch what other people have touched? This was a minimal cost for an effective mitigation tool. There’s a reason that they have these all over the place on cruise ships. Removing them is stupid.

 

[mf1972]

we brought a bottle or 2 of our own sanitizer & never really used theirs. we’ll probably do the same when we travel there this november. we’ll still wear masks for or own safety & being considerate to others.

 

[Lilofan]

Damn you should get the vaccine, I hear they have those now.

Need to restart Krispy Kreme free glazed donut at KK stand alone locations everyday for a year with proof of vaccination to get more to roll up arms.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

e people who don't wash their hands weren't using the sanitizer stations either.

No kidding, but if the person with poopy hands rode the doom buggy in haunted mansion right before me, I could use hand sanitizer when I got off the haunted mansion to lower the risk of getting whatever his poor hygiene poop was carrying around.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

This was a minimal cost for an effective mitigation tool.

They were neither minimal cost nor effective mitigation.

COVID does not spread meaningfully on surfaces. This was literally one of the first things we knew about it. It's an airborne respiratory virus. You're not going to get COVID by touching something someone else touched.

 

[Andrew C]

No kidding, but if the person with poopy hands rode the doom buggy in haunted mansion right before me, I could use hand sanitizer when I got off the haunted mansion to lower the risk of getting whatever his poor hygiene poop was carrying around.

For these cases, it’s best to carry your own then.

 

[Andrew C]

They were neither minimal cost nor effective mitigation.

COVID does not spread meaningfully on surfaces. This was literally one of the first things we knew about it. It's an airborne respiratory virus. You're not going to get COVID by touching something someone else touched.

Pink eye maybe.

 

[The Mom]

Please do not turn this into another Covid debate. Any posts going down that road will be deleted. Along with any other contagious disease debates!

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I'm with those who think hand sanitiser stations are at least a nice touch for those who want to use them and probably should stay.

Surely, though, the restrictions have to end at some point and it comes down to making your own decisions regarding risk? I mean, Covid is not going anywhere anytime soon is it?