Face mask while at table

[DGsAtBLT]

I don't care about the rule itself. It doesn't bother me if I have to wear a mask while sitting.

It's the logic behind the decision that is worrisome. Who is going to enforce a diner to put their mask on between courses?

Who is going to enforce wearing masks in Disney? Nobody will listen! Guests will eat the poor front line cast alive!

-Disney internet community, circa spring 2020.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

I don't care about the rule itself. It doesn't bother me if I have to wear a mask while sitting.

It's the logic behind the decision that is worrisome. Who is going to enforce a diner to put their mask on between courses?

One would hope that people would be respectful enough to follow rules of establishment they're visiting without being forced.

Key word here is ‘reasonably”. We could all wear 3 masks and goggles every day too, but that wouldn’t be reasonable to most of us. Just like wearing a mask at a table, when I’m seated at least 6 feet away from anyone else, is not reasonable to me.

Minus cast members who are delivering food/drinks or taking your order.

 

[Eric Smith]

Key word here is ‘reasonably”. We could all wear 3 masks and goggles every day too, but that wouldn’t be reasonable to most of us. Just like wearing a mask at a table, when I’m seated at least 6 feet away from anyone else, is not reasonable to me.

You’re not always 6 ft away from the server.

 

[soniam]

I was thinking it was either this or they were trying to encourage people to wear masks while their waiter/waitress was at the table to take their order. Would seem like common courtesy but I know how that goes.

We kept our masks on until we got our food. We would pull them down to take a drink before then. We also tried as much as possible to have our masks on when interacting with staff. We even had restaurant staff at WDW thank us for not ripping our masks off the minute we sat down. I just thought it was respectful to them. They were respecting us by wearing masks. I think this attitude is what makes me glad that we aren't going back until next summer at the earliest. Thanksgiving was so much more stressful than July.

 

[gottalovepluto]

One of two things. Either they are about to squeeze tables closer together. Or they've documented an outbreak to one of their restaurants.

Or someone threw an adult size hissy fit that they were inside a restaurant and therefore no longer had to wear a mask...

 

[MickeyWaffles]

You’re not always 6 ft away from the server.

Exactly. Servers are within 6 feet of unmasked guests repeatedly all day. Do people think about how many unmasked guests each server comes in contact with over the course of a shift? It’s not just them!

A pretty minor change for each guest that will significantly reduce a CM’s overall exposure to unmasked people during a long shift. Seems reasonable, courteous and respectful to me.

 

[xuxa777]

Fascinating that there is all this discussion, blog posts and even an entire thread based on one unofficial tweet. Sure there might me a hard crackdown on mask in Disney restaurants, but very good chance there will be no changes or at least anything people will notice. Disney needs to put out some real news because the dis social world is in rough shape

 

[imjustafatkid]

But why not minimize exposure as much as possible?

This won't do that.

 

[charmed59]

I suspect this “change” has to do with the frustration of dine in restaurant managers trying to keep their servers healthy enough to fully staff each shift. If one server gets Covid while on shift all those working with them also has to quarantine. It must be hard to get a full compliment of servers when that happens.

 

[Olaf Myfrenzargay]

I will refuse to comply with this. Period.

 

[Pyotr]

This has nothing to do with safety. This is Disney justifying increasing the amount of tables in a restaurant.

"Yes, there are more tables, but we have taken enhanced safety measures beyond what the CDC is recommending." - Disney

 

[skeeter31]

I will refuse to comply with this. Period.

Good for you. And I hope you’ll be asked to leave property and if you throw a fit, you’ll be banned for life. Enjoy your stance!

 

[disneygirlsng]

I will refuse to comply with this. Period.

To wear a mask for an extra 5 minutes or so before a meal? Good lord.

 

[CSLucas]

I agree with others that keeping it on AT LEAST until you order is common courtesy. Our family keeps masks on until the food arrives. If you can't bear to keep a mask on for 10 more minutes then maybe Disney isn't the right place for you right now. At some point I don't think it matters whether someone proves to you if it is more effective to keep it on for those extra minutes - it's Disney's rules and honestly if it makes the servers feel more comfortable then why the heck wouldn't you do it? It doesn't keep anyone safe for you to keep your shoes and shirt on either, but it sure makes it a nicer environment for people.

 

[piccolopat]

This won't do that.

Sure it will. Since masks have shown to offer at least some protection for those around you, anytime a mask is worn in the close vicinity to others will offer that protection. It may not be perfect, but it helps. I agree with PP that keeping my mask on until my food is actually served and then putting it back on when I am done is an easy and respectful way to help protect the servers. If you disagree, ask yourself how would you feel if the servers didn't have their mask on when they were closely interacting with you?

 

[Henwen88]

They have already been doing this. Last month at HS, we got drinks at the little bar outside Brown Derby and then sat at one of the tables outside (more than 6 feet away from the other tables). Outside. As we were sipping our drinks, a security guard came over to tell us and the other tables that we literally have to put our masks on between sips. LOL. (Did I say we were sitting at a socially distanced table, outside, drinking our overpriced drinks???)

 

[cbeeindisney]

The fact that this is THAT big of an issue is incredible. Wear your mask for a few more minutes to minimize the spread, even just a little bit, and show your care for others and responsibility during this pandemic. Your server, in most cases, is not 6 feet away, and while the server may have a face shield on, this does not absolutely protect them from your droplets that could land on them while they are working to serve you and your family.

Let's work together to get rid of this thing so we CAN go back to not wearing masks at all and we can enjoy meals out without having to worry about this. But hey, if this is make or break during your Disney trip, I don't know what to say.

 

[Sydnerella]

Yay...
Another mask debate.... nobody was actually asking for this.

The Disney stupidity continues. No one was asking for this.

Uh, we were. We were totally asking for this rule - and we thought it already was the rule. Which is why during our TG visit we asked why it wasn’t being enforced and were told once seated guests could remove them... uhhh... okaaayyyyy????

This made us incredibly surprised/concerned/uncomfortable at our first TS meal at Beaches and Cream during our trip... the tables are very tight in that smaller space - diners were closer than 6ft to each other in some places- and the ceiling isn’t super soaring so airflow and fluid dynamics were weighing heavily on my civil engineering brain. We masked as much as possible between eating, sipped malts through bottom of masks and got the heck outta there as fast as possible. Brown Derby was the opposite experience. The only other TS we felt uncomfortable due to spacing/crowding/behavior was TG dinner at Diamond Horseshoe - which I requested to sit in rather than low ceiling LTT. But super full - as one might expect - so another meal we ate quickly.

To be clear, and get back to the post, something that NOBODY asked for was COVID-19.
But it’s here and there are ways to keep people safe so let’s follow guidelines and rules that private businesses put in place if we want the privilege to enjoy them, not to mention a new normal someday sooner than later.

But why not minimize exposure as much as possible? We know so much about viral load, exposure, etc. now. It makes sense to minimize the *amount* of maskless exposure to the CMs who serve hundreds of guests a day as much as possible.

I truly can’t believe this is a deal breaker for people. I just don’t understand.

I agree @MickeyWaffles - totally do not understand the selfish indignant disregard for others with this deadly airborne virus. With A/C indoors in particular.

I will refuse to comply with this. Period.

This is just....
Wow...
I got nothin’

 

[jamos14]

The good news is that vaccines are WAY ahead of pace so this discussion will be moot in next ~6 months.

 

[srdavidson]

I’d like to see some actual new reports from people there now before I judge anything.