Will WDW lift mask mandate?

[jlwhitney]

I have quite a few friends who are CMs, and while nobody enjoys wearing a mask (especially in the Florida heat), every one has articulated to me — in some way — that the mask is the thing that has made them feel comfortable returning to a workplace where they encounter thousands of Guests an hour. The majority of front-line CMs are also younger, so unless theme park workers receive early access to the vaccine in FL, they would be at the end of the line for vaccines.

For the WDW mask requirement to be lifted, the OC mandate must be lifted (county officials are saying they won’t consider until the summer at least), other businesses have to lift theirs (Disney is not going first), and a new agreement must be reached with all of the various unions that represent Disney CMs. That’s a lot of hurdles to clear before any change is made to WDW’s mask policy, let alone removing the policy altogether.

By summer it’s gonna be a very different playing field, vaccines are expected to be widely available. There Are hurdles but things are changing fast even now and it won’t be 100% change but loosening in stages .

 

[andyman8]

By summer it’s gonna be a very different playing field, vaccines are expected to be widely available. There Are hurdles but things are changing fast even now and it won’t be 100% change but loosening in stages .

Any change in the face covering policy Disney makes would need to clear those hurdles, not just eliminating the mask requirement entirely. Disney also isn’t going to renegotiate contracts with the unions over tiny changes in policy; they’ll just wait until the virus situation has changed drastically enough that they can remove the mask mandate. At this point, I would not be planning a trip to WDW for the summer or fall if you’re not comfortable wearing masks in the parks everywhere. Nobody knows when the situation will allow for maskless crowds, so I hope people don’t set themselves up for potential disappointment in the not significantly unlikely scenario that masks remain required in the parks during that period. If there’s anything this last year has demonstrated, it’s that we can’t make predictions with certainty for the time being. I understand many don’t like them but there is no indication from Disney of the policy changing anytime soon.

 

[jlwhitney]

Any change in the face covering policy Disney makes would need to clear those hurdles, not just eliminating the mask requirement entirely. Disney also isn’t going to renegotiate contracts with the unions over tiny changes in policy; they’ll just wait until the virus situation has changed drastically enough that they can remove the mask mandate. At this point, I would not be planning a trip to WDW for the summer or fall if you’re not comfortable wearing masks in the parks everywhere. Nobody knows when the situation will allow for maskless crowds, so I hope people don’t set themselves up for potential disappointment in the not significantly unlikely scenario that masks remain required in the parks during that period. If there’s anything this last year has demonstrated, it’s that we can’t make predictions with certainty for the time being. I understand many don’t like them but there is no indication from Disney of the policy changing anytime soon.

We haven’t gone since parks reopened and won’t be till masks are dropped , but I still am in the side it’s coming quicker then some want to accept. This summer is gonna be a hot mess with crowds and masks And hear. Last summer wasn’t crowded at all.

 

[Joe in VA]

Pure conjecture based on mandates/public demand/domino theory, etc but I’d guess outdoors gone by late Summer, indoors gone in fall.

 

[Pyotr]

Pure conjecture based on mandates/public demand/domino theory, etc but I’d guess outdoors gone by late Summer, indoors gone in fall.

Possible. If Disney wants to increase capacity and limit social distancing, the masks will need to go. You cannot say it’s too dangerous to remove the masks and then pack people in like sardines.

 

[Eric Smith]

We haven’t gone since parks reopened and won’t be till masks are dropped , but I still am in the side it’s coming quicker then some want to accept. This summer is gonna be a hot mess with crowds and masks And hear. Last summer wasn’t crowded at all.

It’s not about accepting anything. It will be a long time until Disney lifts the mask requirement. It’ll probably be the last thing to go from all of the COVId restrictions.

 

[parasail_of_congress]

Mask mandates are being lifted now despite a small percentage of the population being vaccinated. More and more evidence is coming out to show that vaccines prevent both illness and transmission of the virus. Right now the masks and social distancing are actually helping to keep demand down, and Disney’s okay with it because of capacity limits. But when Disney wants the crowds back, the restrictions will need to be relaxed.

If enough adults are vaccinated to make transmission of the virus highly unlikely, Disney will lift the mask mandates. Anything is possible I guess, but I highly doubt they will wait for children to be vaccinated. The only way to ensure complete safety from the virus would be a vaccination requirement, and I doubt that will happen.

There's a lot to break down here:

1. Some places in the US never even had mask mandates. That's mostly irrelevant for what Disney will be doing.
2. Disney would prefer to have no virus and not have to limit capacity. I'm not sure what you mean about Disney being "OK with it."
3. Disney isn't going to relax restrictions just so they can have larger crowds. They will do it when it's safe to do.
4. A vaccine requirement will not "ensure complete safety from the virus."

 

[andyman8]

Possible. If Disney wants to increase capacity and limit social distancing, the masks will need to go. You cannot say it’s too dangerous to remove the masks and then pack people in like sardines.

Actually, I think the opposite will happen. They’ll limit distancing to further fill the parks and initially cover themselves from any negative PR/criticism by leaning into the mask requirement. For example, this is what they’ve done when they’ve wanted to fill every row on some rides. When you add in the pace of vaccinations, that plus the masks will be enough to raise capacity for the summer while fending off any criticism.

Nobody here is rooting for masks to stay around, and there’s reason to be optimistic but I also think it’s important to manage our expectations in check (especially if people are putting money on the line based on those expectations).

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

2022

2032

 

[Lewisc]

Effectiveness of masks in reducing spread is based on science. Who should Disney look to for information, guidance and facts?

1. Medical sources such as the CDC?
2. Politicians?
3. Anonymous posters on Disney fan sites?

Disney won't lift mask requirements until CDC suggests mask are no longer needed.

Disney would rather keep the mask rule and reduce social distancing, increasing capacity, then eliminating mask mandates.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

https://wdwnt.com/2021/02/bob-chape...e-and-social-distancing-requirements-by-2022/

 

[dreamer17555]

We haven’t gone since parks reopened and won’t be till masks are dropped , but I still am in the side it’s coming quicker then some want to accept. This summer is gonna be a hot mess with crowds and masks And hear. Last summer wasn’t crowded at all.

If Disney is crowded and hitting whatever capacity they set with masks required why would they change it?

 

[dez1978]

Well, with DME gone you will have to pay to get there somehow. Be it renting a car or Uber or something (some are obviously cheaper than others)

I think the point is that many just won’t go to Disney if they have to pay extra to get there via other means. If they are going to pay more, they are going to universal or sea world.

 

[dreamer17555]

Possible. If Disney wants to increase capacity and limit social distancing, the masks will need to go. You cannot say it’s too dangerous to remove the masks and then pack people in like sardines.

Actually they can say masks are the reason it is safe to pack the parks. Everyone is protected by masks so we can increase capacity.

 

[soniam]

Vaccine supplies may look great for some states, but not all states are vaccinated as highly, Texas for one. I am just hoping to be able to get one by the end of summer, since I am not 65+, an essential worker, or high risk. Disney has to take into account that people come from many different states with varying degrees of infection/vaccination. A large number of Disney visitors are from Texas. Looking at how things look today and guessing at what they will be like this summer, I would not go for our July trip if they remove the mask mandate, especially since our son won't be able to get it until they are available for under 16 or when he turns early next year. I am already leary of increased capacity and lessening of social distancing that I am seeing.

EDIT: There is also a huge unknown with the existing variants and possibly new variants to come. The existing variants are 2-3 times more contagious, and we don't know fully yet how well the current vaccines work with them. Except J&J, we know it doesn't seem to work well with the South Africa variant.

 

[torene03]

2022

2032

$1

 

[jlwhitney]

If Disney is crowded and hitting whatever capacity they set with masks required why would they change it?

It’s gonna be an enforcement nightmare. They were already struggling over the holidays when it was cooler. More people in parks harder it is to enforce.

 

[bakerworld]

I think the hotels would all have to open and the parks move to 100% occupancy before the mask mandate change.

 

[dreamer17555]

It’s gonna be an enforcement nightmare. They were already struggling over the holidays when it was cooler. More people in parks harder it is to enforce.

Hopefully they bring back more cast members as they increase capacity and therefore it won’t be an issue to enforce the rules.

 

[jlwhitney]

Hopefully they bring back more cast members as they increase capacity and therefore it won’t be an issue to enforce the rules.

Its more that it’s hard to see through the denser crowds .