Experiences with masks in heat

[dreynolds1982]

I could be wrong, but I thought I read on another Disney site that neck gaitors are not allowed at WDW. Don't know about Universal though. Not sure, been wrong before, but you might check with Universal before your trips. These neck gaitors sound great, IMO.

Disney has gone anti-gaiter but UO allows them. I think I'm going to start with a gaiter but bring a blue disposable one as well and see how it goes. Also that way if one gets wet from sweat or on a water ride, I have another to fall back on.

 

[MichiganScott]

The disposable masks seem to be the most comfortable to me because of the greater air flow, especially if you don't tighten the metal strip against the bridge of your nose. Cloth masks that hug your face were...ugh...hell in the heat.

 

[Elle :)]

Have you tried the park masks yet? Are they comfortable? We'll be down there soon and I'm gathering all our masks so we have a variety but I'm sure the kids will want UO specific ones, too.

I tried one of that park masks yesterday. I found it pretty comfortable. Overall, I had very few problems breathing in it. It left a small pocket around my nose/mouth and I feel that makes it more wearable. I will say that I had a little difficulty breathing after riding the Jurassic Park water ride. My mask was dry but my face got wet and you have to put the mask back on before you get off the boat. For me, personally, that extra dampness made it a smidge harder to breath. Overall though, they are great / lightweight masks.

Something to note: they come in different sizes so you want to make sure you don’t just grab one and go. I did but thankfully I grabbed an adult medium.

 

[mialovesart]

We purchased Ravenclaw & Gryffindor masks sold in the park. My husband had a difficult time with the size being too small, but we purchased adult mediums Definitely pay attention to the sizes when purchasing.

Comfort-wise, they were great. The ear loops are the most comfortable that I have experienced. They did not allow as much airflow as my masks with the plastic vents, but Universal no longer allows the plastic vent style.

 

[dreynolds1982]

Seems UO has gone the no gaiter route now (there's some confusion as I've heard some staff telling guests they aren't allowed at all, while others are saying they are allowed but only if they are pulled up over ears and two-ply). Re: the disposable masks, has anyone had a problem carrying a couple of extras in their pocket? Figured that'd be the way to go in case one gets wet on a ride or something.

 

[jerseygal]

Summers are hot in Orlando as you know. We wear the disposable surgical masks in and out of grocery stores, but by the time we are done with say a 45 minute to 1 hour shopping trip, then walking outside in the heat to the car, when at times, heat index is say 106, its hot, my face is sweating by the time we reach the air conditioned car. Many do say that the air flow is better on the disposable ones, versus cloth.
I have read and watched medical professionals on the news speak about not pulling masks down on the neck, like a gaitor type mask, since there are bacteria on your neck. September is still hot here.

 

[andieb0602]

We just got back from 3 full days and 2 partial days in the parks. We used several types of masks including homemade ones consisting of 2 layers of cotton with a layer of poly satin in between, some fabric masks I picked up from Target, the masks available at UO, and disposable surgical masks. All of them worked well but, like the others have said, the ones from UO were the most comfortable. We all preferred those. After the first 10 minutes or so of wearing the mask you do become accustomed to it. At one point I felt a little "smothered" by the mask so I switched to a disposable and it did help with airflow. We found that we had to be purposeful in stopping to eat or drink (preferably in a/c) so we could get 10-15 minutes of mask-free time a couple of times a day. All in all, though, it was completely worth it and we had a blast on the trip.

Something to keep in mind if you're going: we noticed that, as the day wore on, there were more and more people wearing masks incorrectly (i.e. under the chin or with the nose exposed). At Citywalk there were multiple people not wearing masks once it became dark. We chose to avoid leaving the parks close to closing time and left Citywalk before dark to avoid the situation. The TMs did a good job of reminding people but they can only be in so many places at once.

 

[puffkin]

Here now. It’s been pretty brutal with the heat the last two afternoons, but we are doing ok with the masks. You do kind of get used to them believe it or not. The Universal masks are the most comfortable. My kids like those the best. The blue disposable seem to be the coolest, but my ears get pretty sore as the day goes on. The Universsl ones feel like a tshirt and are a bit warmer but very comfortable.

 

[macraven]

Are the UO masks in most of the shops?

I have a couple of different plain masks but plan to buy a UO mask when in the parks this fall.

 

[andieb0602]

Are the UO masks in most of the shops?

I have a couple of different plain masks but plan to buy a UO mask when in the parks this fall.

The big Universal stores at the front of both parks and in Citywalk had the best selection of prints and sizes but I think the smaller shops had them, too. The only place I don't remember seeing them was the shops in the HP areas but I also wasn't looking for them. It's tough to social distance in the smaller shops so we tended to walk through those quickly.

 

[dclpluto]

A lot of it has to do with how good of shape your in. Do you smoke? Out of shape? Where I work we have to take a pft every year. Pulmonary function test. To see your ability if you can wear a mask. The ones who score low will of course have a hard time wearing a mask all day in the heat. Try it yourself while you are at home try wearing one for hours outside in the heat and see how you do.

 

[SPSRAS]

We just got the surgical wrap fabric masks from Suay as recommended by a couple of bloggers.
Our trip isn’t for a couple of weeks but trying them out at home I can say they are great!

 

[puffkin]

Are the UO masks in most of the shops?

I have a couple of different plain masks but plan to buy a UO mask when in the parks this fall.

Yes, almost every shop has a few styles near the registers. The bigger shops have more. The are $6 or 4 for $20.

 

[Matty2655]

It wasn’t too bad!!

 

[Monykalyn]

Still prefer the disposable ones as I can change out when gets too sweaty.
The difference from our June trip to this one is huge! THis heat is brutal with a mask! Make sure to stay hydrated which is much much harder with a mask. It’s not always possible to sit down somewhere everytime you need a drink. I tend to take smaller frequent sips vs one huge fill up as I feel queasy when doing the large fill up.
September is still super hot so make sure staying hydrated is a priority.

 

[LSUfan4444]

It’s not always possible to sit down somewhere everytime you need a drink. I tend to take smaller frequent sips vs one huge fill up as I feel queasy when doing the large fill up.

So whats the deal with needing to stop and sit...can you literally not walk and drink? We have to stop and pull to the side of the walkway or find a bench/table and sit down then remove the masks and then drink?

 

[LSUfan4444]

I think I'm going to start with a gaiter but bring a blue disposable one as well and see how it goes. Also that way if one gets wet from sweat or on a water ride, I have another to fall back on.

One of the big benefits of the gaiter is intentionally keeping it wet. If you've got a dri-fit shirt on wetting the gaiter throughout the day can really help keep you cool.

We've ordered these that I have been using to coach softball in and they at least stay put when I'm talking.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089GXXLTT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[puffkin]

So whats the deal with needing to stop and sit...can you literally not walk and drink? We have to stop and pull to the side of the walkway or find a bench/table and sit down then remove the masks and then drink?

They will say something if you pull your mask down while walking. We just pulled to the side of a walkway took our drinks, then moved on. I think people are making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. It takes 2 seconds to stop off the side of a walkway, take your sips, then move on. No need to find a bench/table and sit every time. Just show effort that you are moving out of the stream of traffic. For longer things like an adult beverage at epcot or our morning iced coffee, we usually found a place to sit and enjoy before moving on.

 

[LSUfan4444]

I think people are making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. It takes 2 seconds to stop off the side of a walkway, take your sips, then move on.

First, it takes more than 2 seconds but not everyone is going to view every inconvenience with the same level of importance.
For example...if they ran out of soft drinks for 7 days I wouldn't care one bit. But yeah, for someone who easily drinks two liters a day just while in the parks, stopping every time I want a sip of water is a PIA.

 

[puffkin]

First, it takes more than 2 seconds but not everyone is going to view every inconvenience with the same level of importance.
For example...if they ran out of soft drinks for 7 days I wouldn't care one bit. But yeah, for someone who easily drinks two liters a day just while in the parks, stopping every time I want a sip of water is a PIA.

Then it probably isn't the best time to visit, if you view this as an inconvenience. It really is a complete non issue. Just step to the side, drink, step back into pathway and move on. No need to make a mountain out of a mole hill.