Disney announced yesterday that its mask policies at Disney World and Disneyland are once again changing. All guests 2 and over will be required to wear face masks indoors (including all attractions), and in Disney buses, monorail and Disney Skyliner, regardless of vaccination status. This new policy will take effect at Disney World in Orlando, FL and Disneyland in Anaheim, CA tomorrow, July 30.
Face coverings remain optional for all guests in outdoor areas.
Previously, masks were not required indoors for fully vaccinated guests at Disney World and Disneyland. Like most establishments around the country, Disney instituted an honor policy, but it resulted in most guests not wearing masks. This new mask policy follows the CDC’s recent updated mask guidance that says vaccinated people should go back to wearing masks indoors in public in areas where COVID-19 is spreading. The New York Times is reporting that this new guidance is based off of data that shows that fully-vaccinated people still may be able to spread the Delta variant of the virus.
People with so-called breakthrough infections — cases that occur despite full vaccination — of the Delta variant may be just as contagious as unvaccinated people, even if they have no symptoms.
That means fully immunized people with young children, aging parents, or friends and family with weak immune systems will need to renew vigilance, particularly in high-transmission communities. Vaccinated Americans may need to wear masks not just to protect themselves, but everyone in their orbit.
This is a blow for everyone who was hoping life and a Disney Parks trip were returning to normal. For weeks, shopDisney had drastically reduced prices for its face masks. Several people noted that Disney removed the discount right before this announcement, but as of writing this post, Disney masks are back to being deeply discounted. So get your discounted Disney masks while you can, I guess.
This is not the news I think anyone was hoping for, but with the recent rapid increase in cases, increasing crowds at the parks, and an honor system that too many people were taking advantage of, this is sadly the right call. Hopefully we’ll be able to go back to seeing smiling faces on rides soon, but only when it’s safe to do so.
If you’re able to get vaccinated, please do so we can protect each other and get life back to normal as soon as possible.
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James Grosch
James is a lifelong Disney Parks fan. While at the parks, he loves finding new details, learning more about Disney World history, and taking pictures. His favorite WDW attractions include Rise of the Resistance, Spaceship Earth, and Tower of Terror.
James is a filmmaker and writer based in Atlanta, GA.