When the Parks reopened, Guests had to wear their face coverings at all times unless in the designated eating or drinking area. Then things began to relax to just needing to be stationary. We eventually saw mask mandates removed while outdoors; then indoor mandates were removed for those who are fully vaccinated (honor system). After COVID-19 cases continued to spike in Florida and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings recommended that indoor mask mandates return, Disney complied.
Credit: ITM
A few weeks ago, Mayor Jerry Demings lifted the state of emergency in Orange Country and now has placed Orange Country in the “moderate” tier with a reported positive case found of around 550 per day. In the moderate tier, the CDC no longer recommends that all individuals wear a face-covering indoors regardless of vaccination status, which means that Disney could lift their indoor mask mandates and still be in compliance with the CDC. The new recommendation from the CDC at this level is for non-vaccinated individuals to keep their masks on while indoors.
Additionally, masks are required for unvaccinated individuals in indoor public settings and businesses (examples: retail, restaurants, theaters, family entertainment centers, meetings, state, and local government offices serving the public).
All of this being said, Disney World is a private company and is able to put in whatever rules and regulations that they see fit, as CDC guidelines are solely recommendations, and the state of Florida no longer has a mask mandate in place. At the moment, Disney World has not changed its mask mandate, and Guests are still required to wear masks while indoors.
Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) in all indoor locations, regardless of vaccination status. This includes upon entering and throughout all indoor attractions and indoor queues and in Disney buses, monorail and Disney Skyliner, regardless of vaccination status. Face coverings are optional for Guests in outdoor areas.
Credit: Disney Cruise Line
The decision to lift face-covering mandates, if made, would be an interesting one as we have heard both Guests who love that there is a mandate in place and others who are against it. With crowds coming in and one of the busiest seasons beginning, making a major change like this could have various effects in terms of Guest count increasing or decreasing.
If Disney World does change its mask mandate in any way at any point, Inside the Magic will be sure to give you the full update, so be sure to stay tuned!
Would you like to see face-covering mandates lifted at Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!
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Credit: ITM
