Realistically, when do think Disney will no longer require masks?

[mattpeto]

I don't know why people keep asking this, Bob Chapek has publicly stated that he expects the mask policy to remain in place throughout 2021 and *hopefully* ease up in 2022

a vaccination is not a magic cure all to making this pandemic go away, yes it will sure help but no one has any idea on the long term efficacy of the vaccine or how well it works against all of the emerging variants.

Not a chance. It has already been said that masks will be here through the end of the year, possibly into early 2022.

I agree with both of you, but I’ll add the fine print...

Chapek expects masks and social distancing to be gone in 2022. He said the vaccines could be game changers IIRC.

If we go Israel route, even delayed a month or two, we might not need masks. It’s still somewhat possible for 2021.

The variant talk has been vastly overrated. Vaccinated and recovered natural infection folks aren’t developing serious conditions and/or dying. It doesn’t mean, it can’t change, but so far so good...

I know people felt that Disney needs to be altrustic, but mask wearing guidelines aren’t good for business.

ETA: mask wearing is absolutely necessary right now. No question about it.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Make it optional by the fall if this trend continues.

 

[mshanson3121]

I agree with both of you, but I’ll add the fine print...

Chapek expects masks and social distancing to be gone in 2022. He said the vaccines could be game changers IIRC.

If we go Israel route, even delayed a month or two, we might not need masks. It’s still somewhat possible for 2021.

The variant talk has been vastly overrated. Vaccinated and recovered natural infection folks aren’t developing serious conditions and/or dying. It doesn’t mean, it can’t change, but so far so good...

I know people felt that Disney needs to be altrustic, but mask wearing guidelines aren’t good for business.

ETA: mask wearing is absolutely necessary right now. No question about it.

Recovered people unfortunately have caught Covid again and ended up with serious conditions (sadly, I see them regularly in one of the health groups I'm in). And to be fair, it's way too soon to be able to say "vaccinated people aren't developing" etc... There's really absolutely no way to know yet what the effect the variants are going to have on vaccinated people - partly because the variant is just starting to ramp up, and of course also just because we don't have enough people fully vaccinated, with enough exposure to know.

Now while I acknowledge that we're behind in vaccinations, here in Canada, the variant is a big problem: 1. it's hitting young people harder than the original strain (in Alberta, 65% of people with active infections are under 65 and 90% of people in ICU with Covid are under 65) 2. it's proving more serious (bigger spike in ICU admissions) and 3. it's spreading far more rapidly. Great example is a community near us. During the first couple waves, during "spikes" the case load doubled every 3-4 days. Now, with the UK variant, the case load is doubling every 24 hours. And of course, the US isn't exempt from this, either. Despite your accelerating vaccination program, your cases are starting to climb again, too. You're on the cusp of a 4th wave if you (collectively) aren't careful.

We're all sick and tired of this. We're all fatigued. We all want it to be over. We all want normal. But honestly? We're not close to being "out of this" yet. Not with the variant. Not with the global issues in vaccine delay. Not with places opening back up faster despite the rising cases again. We're getting there, but we're just not there yet, and if we blow this now, we're all going to end up paying for mistakes made out of fatigue even longer than if we just held the course a bit longer.

Because for all of ^^^ that, the light is still on the horizon. I do agree with you that vaccines could be a game changer, if we can just keep it together long enough for them to have a chance - aka, keep restrictions and cautions in place. If we can do that, if we can get our populations vaccinated, if we can get to summer without another major spike, then I think that in another 6 months, by fall, we will be in a much better place. We will be in a place where we can safely start loosening restrictions, maybe even masks. We just have to not blow it now.

ETA: please know my semi-rant wasn't directed at you... more just frustration talking, because I agree with you - vaccines could be the mask game changer, if they get the chance.

 

[abs1978]

Recovered people unfortunately have caught Covid again and ended up with serious conditions (sadly, I see them regularly in one of the health groups I'm in). And to be fair, it's way too soon to be able to say "vaccinated people aren't developing" etc... There's really absolutely no way to know yet what the effect the variants are going to have on vaccinated people - partly because the variant is just starting to ramp up, and of course also just because we don't have enough people fully vaccinated, with enough exposure to know.

Now while I acknowledge that we're behind in vaccinations, here in Canada, the variant is a big problem: 1. it's hitting young people harder than the original strain (in Alberta, 65% of people with active infections are under 65 and 90% of people in ICU with Covid are under 65) 2. it's proving more serious (bigger spike in ICU admissions) and 3. it's spreading far more rapidly. Great example is a community near us. During the first couple waves, during "spikes" the case load doubled every 3-4 days. Now, with the UK variant, the case load is doubling every 24 hours. And of course, the US isn't exempt from this, either. Despite your accelerating vaccination program, your cases are starting to climb again, too. You're on the cusp of a 4th wave if you (collectively) aren't careful.

We're all sick and tired of this. We're all fatigued. We all want it to be over. We all want normal. But honestly? We're not close to being "out of this" yet. Not with the variant. Not with the global issues in vaccine delay. Not with places opening back up faster despite the rising cases again. We're getting there, but we're just not there yet, and if we blow this now, we're all going to end up paying for mistakes made out of fatigue even longer than if we just held the course a bit longer.

Because for all of ^^^ that, the light is still on the horizon. I do agree with you that vaccines could be a game changer, if we can just keep it together long enough for them to have a chance - aka, keep restrictions and cautions in place. If we can do that, if we can get our populations vaccinated, if we can get to summer without another major spike, then I think that in another 6 months, by fall, we will be in a much better place. We will be in a place where we can safely start loosening restrictions, maybe even masks. We just have to not blow it now.

ETA: please know my semi-rant wasn't directed at you... more just frustration talking, because I agree with you - vaccines could be the mask game changer, if they get the chance.

Yes the global issue is being overlooked in this conversation for sure. The US is going to end up with a huge supply of vaccine. I know Biden has a plan to give some to Mexico and Canada which will help but there is more pieces of this to unravel for sure.

 

[DebbieB]

Haha, Florida never had a statewide mask mandate. They also would have let Disney open up at full capacity in the summer. The party ruling the state doesn't care.

It’s managed on a county level. Masks are required in Orange Co.

 

[Minniesgal]

I'm not sure. If enough adults get vaccinated and the transmission rates drop significantly we could see some easing by this summer. Kids won't be eligible to receive the vaccine until at least next fall though so who knows. We could see them in places like theme parks and ball parks and other high density places much longer than we want.

When more places start dropping the mask mandate Disney will, too, but it won't be this summer. We personally changed our trip from June to November. I don't mind masks but masks in the summer are truly terrible. I already deal with it at home in Texas....no thanks to on vacation as well!

As long as schools are open and kinds are unvaccinated transmission rates will continue to b high in my opinion.

 

[jlwhitney]

As long as schools are open and kinds are unvaccinated transmission rates will continue to b high in my opinion.

not for sure though. Kids can spread but they have been proven to not spread as easily as adults. 13-15 are on track for mid to late summer, under 13 will be hard to vaccinate even if approved anyway since a lot of parents are very unsure of it for their kids.

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

Crossing my fingers that it the mandate will be gone by October or at least partially gone. Maybe only have to wear them indoors. I really don’t want to cancel a 3rd trip. But if I have to, so be it.

Anybody remember when they said do not wear masks, they won’t help. Save them for the doctors.

 

[Jeskova26]

Best case scenario will be for the holidays but I don’t see it until early 2022.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Anybody remember when they said do not wear masks, they won’t help.

It was a novel virus. And as such, when evidence showed that Covid’s primary form of transmission was airborne AND that people could transmit while asymptomatic, they recommended everyone wear masks.

This thread is headed way off the rails ...

 

[luv2cheer92]

Crossing my fingers that it the mandate will be gone by October or at least partially gone. Maybe only have to wear them indoors. I really don’t want to cancel a 3rd trip. But if I have to, so be it.

Anybody remember when they said do not wear masks, they won’t help. Save them for the doctors.

I can't believe there are people that are still saying that, a year later...

Anyway, I agree with the majority here. I think it should be expected at least through the summer, and likely through the fall.

 

[Eric Smith]

Crossing my fingers that it the mandate will be gone by October or at least partially gone. Maybe only have to wear them indoors. I really don’t want to cancel a 3rd trip. But if I have to, so be it.

Anybody remember when they said do not wear masks, they won’t help. Save them for the doctors.

Situations change. As situations change, the update the guidance. That's how science works.

 

[chasgeese]

I honesty think masks will be the absolute last piece of pandemic restrictions we see leave the parks. My, completely uneducated, guess is they will continue to increase capacity in the parks, in restaurants, and on rides. But they will keep the mask policy in place while the do this because it's not costing them in money to do so and it can only have a positive outcome(for them).

I agree. Disney is going to increase capacity and cut back on social distancing before they lift the mask requirements. Social distancing and the capacity constraints that requires are far more harmful to their bottom line than losing guests that simply don’t want to wear masks (and I don’t judge, I would not want to go in the FL summer with mask requirements in place, I’m not anti-mask, but that would be unpleasant for me and Disney is not cheap).

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Masks are only 3rd and up in my county for schools and even then many teachers give masks breaks or just don't strictly enforce when they slip. Neighboring county does the plexi glass at desks so then they remove, another county near buy has no mask requirement for students only teachers.

But yes many kids are socializing like normal with no masks.

in my area masks are required in daycares and prek classes and up in schools

 

[Jellybass]

Just curious, what is the mask situation/requirements around Disney and in Orlando generally?

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I know people felt that Disney needs to be altrustic, but mask wearing guidelines aren’t good for business.

Allowing people to go maskless anytime soon would be worse for business. It has nothing to do with altruism.

 

[mattpeto]

Allowing people to go maskless anytime soon would be worse for business. It has nothing to do with altruism.

Soon would be a disaster.

I am just hoping things will be different in a few months to a least have a discussion about a change. Far off still.

 

[Virginiafan]

Haha, Florida never had a statewide mask mandate. They also would have let Disney open up at full capacity in the summer. The party ruling the state doesn't care.

Thank goodness. New York went the other direction, lockdowns, masking, .... Their results speaks for itself. Even now NY has higher rates of Covid, even after all the lockdowns.

 

[Eric Smith]

Thank goodness. New York went the other direction, lockdowns, masking, .... Their results speaks for itself. Even now NY has higher rates of Covid, even after all the lockdowns.

 

[mshanson3121]

NM