Will WDW lift mask mandate?

[marikujawa]

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.

According to the CDC masks are not a substitute for social distancing. If Disney packs people together wearing masks, they won’t be following CDC recommendations. In any event, the vaccines are highly effective - I suspect the conversation will be entirely different in a few months.

 

[WawaCoffee]

Purely speculation, but I expect the mask mandate to be lifted a few weeks before the 50th.

 

[dreamer17555]

According to the CDC masks are not a substitute for social distancing. If Disney packs people together wearing masks, they won’t be following CDC recommendations. In any event, the vaccines are highly effective - I suspect the conversation will be entirely different in a few months.

Truthfully except for the markers at attractions there really is no social distancing happening. Especially at some of the bottleneck points in fantasyland. I’m quite sure Disney is going to keep the social distancing markers in lines for a little bit and masks but let’s be honest they’re going to do everything they can to increase capacity. I predict both stick around until almost 22

 

[unbanshee]

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

Since that site isn't allowed, here's one that is: Disney CEO: We Expect to Remove Theme Park Mask Mandate, Social Distancing in 2022

 

[brockash]

I def. doubt anytime soon, however today we were at the main pool at CBR and 3 different times over our 4 hrs there we saw cms going around the deck, taking note of all the chairs etc and noting each time guests had moved the chairs. - They didn't say anything to the guest nor did they move them back or anything, but they were documenting... it seemed like maybe some research as to if they need to continue trying to SD at the pools or not...it was kinda different.

 

[BillBrasky]

I’m as big of a mask believer as anyone but it’s going to be interesting to see how people and businesses who want to do right deal with the CDC going forward. I just can’t imagine the CDC ever saying “ok you can burn those masks and start sweating on each other for all we care now”. The CDC’s charge is public health, and masks and distancing will always be good for public health, pandemic or no. If they’re focused on their job rather than appeasing public sentiment, recommendations won’t change. It’s like how the FDA says we should all eat like 8 servings of vegetables a day or something, but we just don’t listen. If we all really HAD to eat vegetables to save our lives for a year but got through it, the FDA wouldn’t say “ok you can all go back to eating nothing but slimjims and redbull now.” Point being businesses and orgs are going to have to make their own calls eventually I think.

 

[DisneyMama811]

Bob Chapek has already stated he expects masks and social distancing to remain in place in the parks throughout the rest of 2021 and hopefully ease up in 2022... a vaccine does not equal an end to covid... especially in a country like America that had if I'm not mistaken almost the highest number of cases in the entire world (except maybe the UK?)

 

[20minutesaway]

Since that site isn't allowed, here's one that is: Disney CEO: We Expect to Remove Theme Park Mask Mandate, Social Distancing in 2022

Chapek also said the vaccine availability could be a game changer. President Biden promised vaccine availability for everyone by May 2021. Disney has to draw the risk tolerance line somewhere. If it isn't when the vaccine is available for 100% of the population, then I don't know where else they would draw it. We probably will not achieve eradication of COVID, and free riders will continue to be a problem such that small outbreaks may still occur. As a country (and even the world) we have to decide that, after vaccines are available to 100% of the population, do we continue to impose restrictions on those who have been vaccinated to protect those who won't get the vaccine. Disney has the same decision to make. I would hope, if President Biden is correct, that Disney would lift mask mandates before 2022. That may depend on some as yet unknown data breakpoint determined by the government (Fauci?) or by data that shows guests will not attend if or unless the mask mandate is lifted. Who really knows?

 

[chasgeese]

It will get harder when Disney remains the only place requiring them especially outdoors. More and more people are waiting till masks go away to go places and come summer they will be going where the restrictions are less and better value of their money.

Eh, I’m not sure that’s going to matter enough for Disney to pull mask restrictions. The parks are just one part of a massive empire and at this point they have shown that they would rather err on the side of caution, even if that comes at the expense of park revenues, which I think is probably the right move. Disney has a bunch of other revenue streams to rely on, particularly Disney+ at the moment, but they also know they could face consequences if the parks become a transmission vector for Covid that other companies like US or Sea World wouldn’t.

Also, unlike a lot of the other parks, Disney has the ability to eat losses for longer because they have other ways of making money. The parks were essentially money making machines pre-covid and I think Disney would rather take the hit now so there isn’t any event that could prevent the parks from returning to that once things get back to normal. Sure, they might lose a marginal amount of business to the other Florida parks for they remain more strict, but they know that WDW is a valuable brand worth protecting in the long-term. They aren’t going to throw that away for one year of lost revenue on the parks, especially when they have other revenue streams.

 

[Aussie RJ]

How could Disney lift the mask mandate with a huge majority of the park at an age where the vaccine won’t be offered until 2022?

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2021/02/28...entary-school-kids-likely-coming-in-2022.html

 

[angelmav]

Not a chance before 2022 and even then, I say that’s unlikely. As noted, the recommendations are likely to be vaccine plus masks. Will be up to private business to decide from there, which to me makes the point of the vaccine hard to accept.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

A lot will come down to when Sea World and Universal do it. I know we all like to believe that Disney is doing all this to keep us safe (and I'm sure they DO have safety in mind to an extent), they are also trying to maximize profits. If SW and UOR lift mask mandates and people start flocking there instead of Disney, I'm confident that Disney will follow suit. On the other hand, if SW and UOR lift restrictions and no one goes (doubtful), then Disney may keep theirs around longer.

 

[Weedy]

Even though Orange County is lifting their mask mandate doesn't mean businesses will. Stores, restaurants, fast food places, hair cutters will keep their mask and distancing policy. So will WDW.

Just my opinion
I don’t see Orange County lifting there mask mandate anytime soon our mayor Jerry Demings as well as the mayor of Orlando Buddy Dyer are both very pro mask

 

[jlwhitney]

A lot will come down to when Sea World and Universal do it. I know we all like to believe that Disney is doing all this to keep us safe (and I'm sure they DO have safety in mind to an extent), they are also trying to maximize profits. If SW and UOR lift mask mandates and people start flocking there instead of Disney, I'm confident that Disney will follow suit. On the other hand, if SW and UOR lift restrictions and no one goes (doubtful), then Disney may keep theirs around longer.

Yup! They have already lost people to Universal just simply because while Universal is still being strict they are just a bit less that makes it just that little bit easier. Even last summer people traveled but they choose places that would still be fun and easy to do and often cheaper also and are waiting for Disney and the such.

There will def come a point where profits and such will matter more especially if its proven people are fine going to parks maskless.

 

[Makmak]

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.

I second this. I mentioned in another thread some incidents I’ve observed of families taking masks off when exiting at end of trip and laughing. One time at universal a second and third group also took masks off when they heard a mom refusing. I was worried about a “Spartacus” moment and I’m wondering how long until that happens as more states lift mandates causing ppl to think “I don’t have to”, from a social control standpoint it’s very worrying. The parks will have to have something in place to incentivize masks otherwise shifting public opinion is going to create an enforcement nightmare.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Yup! They have already lost people to Universal just simply because while Universal is still being strict they are just a bit less that makes it just that little bit easier. Even last summer people traveled but they choose places that would still be fun and easy to do and often cheaper also and are waiting for Disney and the such.

There will def come a point where profits and such will matter more especially if its proven people are fine going to parks maskless.

Universal also lets you remove masks for pictures.

A lot of the schools in my area switched their senior trips to universal with one day at Disney. It’s usually 4 days at Disney and one day at universal. They said Disney wouldn’t accommodate them.

 

[Weedy]

Truthfully except for the markers at attractions there really is no social distancing happening. Especially at some of the bottleneck points in fantasyland. I’m quite sure Disney is going to keep the social distancing markers in lines for a little bit and masks but let’s be honest they’re going to do everything they can to increase capacity. I predict both stick around until almost 22

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Truthfully except for the markers at attractions there really is no social distancing happening. Especially at some of the bottleneck points in fantasyland. I’m quite sure Disney is going to keep the social distancing markers in lines for a little bit and masks but let’s be honest they’re going to do everything they can to increase capacity. I predict both stick around until almost 22

I feel like that’s everywhere. I was at home goods this weekend. There was no social distancing. The store was packed. And no one seemed to care.

Went to dinner. The waiting area was packed. No one cared.

Honestly if you go to Disney you have to expect social distancing won’t happen most of the time. It’s a theme park.

 

[jlwhitney]

Universal also lets you remove masks for pictures.

A lot of the schools in my area switched their senior trips to universal with one day at Disney. It’s usually 4 days at Disney and one day at universal. They said Disney wouldn’t accommodate them.

Yes that also. Disney also lost the pop warner contract since they wouldn't commit and guarantee them anything but Universal is able to accommodate them. The teams at my daughters dance studio usually go to Disney springs in the spring and all Disney keeps stringing them along and they are now considering looking elsewhere for spring 2022 so they know they can have a spring performance since its now too late this year.

Universal also announced Halloween Horror Nights will be happening. Crickets from Disney about MNSSHP, my bet is Disney is not happy Universal is doing theirs since its gonna increase the pressure for Disney to figure something out.

 

[vnovabri]

I don't see this happening before 2022. A few points. Vaccines are not a cure and regaress, a majority of the population won't be vaccinated anytime soon. Disney lost billions with larks being closed, they aren't going to risk being shut down again because some people don't like the idea of wearing a mask. They will also go to the more conservative end on masks and social distancing. Disney is always going to draw crowds and people will return to disney, parks like sea world aren't a threat long term. Cruise lines are even shut down through May, why would they life mask mandates in the park when they don't think it's safe/worth it to run the cruise ships. Disney will have a long term approach to this and isn't going to react to short term changes around them.