Masks at Disney World - Mask Policy Update Nov 2021
Good news about masks at Disney world! The latest mask policy update is that masks are no longer required anywhere outdoors at Walt Disney World in Florida. Disney has announced that they will leave it up to guests to decide whether they want to wear a mask outside, or not.
Earlier in 2021, masks were required to be worn by all theme park and Disney resort guests, all the time, at Walt Disney World, which comprises four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney Studios, plus the Blizzard Beach water park and the Disney Springs entertainment, shopping, and dining complex.
Disney World Mask Mandate
The new rules for the Disney mask mandate, which came into effect on Thursday, August 19th 2021 are Disney’s latest policy adjustment to its face-covering policies.
Note that masks are still required for ALL visitors aged two or older and older at any location indoors, which includes indoor waiting lines, attractions, restaurants, theaters, and on transportation such as the monorail, the Skyliner or Disney buses. The only exception is the ferry boats around Disney World.
The requirement to wear masks inside applies whether or not you're vaccinated, no exceptions, and Disney is very strict to enforce this policy. Still, it's a welcome relief compared to the previous mask policy, which required all visitors to wear a mask at all times, which was not easy in the hot Florida heat!
Masks at Disneyland
On the West coast of the States in California, Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks in Anaheim still requires masks to be worn on most attractions and inside any transportation vehicles, regardless of vaccination status. Masks remain optional for all visitors in outdoor areas.
There's no question that Disney is taking covid seriously. Interestingly, Disney officials recently stated that all of their employees in the U.S. who work on-site must be fully vaccinated. Remote workers are able to remain unvaccinated if they wish.
Disney Park Closures
Remarkably, during the worst period of the pandemic, Disneyland was closed for more than a year, and Disney World remained completely closed for four months in 2020. When it reopened the parks, there were strict safety protocols in place that involved requiring masks, temperature checks at the entrances, enforcing social distancing, and having crowd limits for the parks by requiring guests to register for a specific day and park in advance, after purchasing their tickets.
Still, this latest announcement is definitely good news. If you visited the parks after they reopened, you'll know what a bad experience it was! It was mandatory to keep a face mask on at all times other than when actively eating and drinking. Cast members acted like police in many cases, shouting at guests to replace their mask if they even dated to remove it for a few seconds just to take a photo!
Disney Mask Policy Update
No doubt we're not done with masks at Disney World for a while yet. Expect more policy changes over the next 6-12 months, depending on what happens with the pandemic, and covid case rates.
When Will Disney World Drop Indoor Mask Mandate?
This is the question on everyone's minds at the moment. Since the local authorities have ended the local 'state of emergency', many guests are wondering when will Disney World drop the indoor mask mandate. That remains to be seen.
Since Disney's #1 stated core-value is safety, it's understandable that they've been so strict about masks, and other safety measures at the parks. It's certainly better that they're demonstrating extreme caution than having a disregard for safety, right?
