For the first time since March 2020, guests are permitted to walk around Walt Disney World’s theme parks without a face covering, per a shocking late night change in rules that have stood at the Orlando theme parks since their July 2020 reopening. WDWNT reporters were on the scene at the Magic Kingdom today to be the first to bring you a look at this historic moment in time as Guests strolled down Main Street, U.S.A. without face coverings.
Although some Guests chose to retain their face coverings, a fair majority of visiting Guests had their masks either pulled down around their chin or removed entirely. Most chose the former, keeping their masks at the ready for whenever entry to a shop or attraction is required.
Signs remain in place on Walt Disney World trash cans informing Guests of the old requirements, presumably to be changed in the coming days.
With the abrupt and somewhat unexpected loosening of face covering rules yesterday evening, the above photos are a bit of a shock to those of us who visited the parks for months under the former regulations. Prior to yesterday, it was certainly expected that there would be more time between the announcement and execution of such a change, but here we are today.
Face coverings are still required within indoor settings as well as in queues both inside and out, so Guests are highly encouraged to keep their face masks handy throughout their visit to Walt Disney World.
Stay tuned to WDW News Today for the latest news surrounding COVID-19 measures at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Really amazing. Florida is only about 35% vaccinated. The guideline is outdoor mask wearing is not required for vaccinated individuals. How lucky that all these parks are getting only vaccinated guests!
Hey Dave, don’t like it? Don’t go.
Yay!!! Great first step Now get rid of them ASAP in lines, on rides, walking into restaurants, walking into stores etc Florida is covid mandate free as of July 1st no more mask inside or outside, no social sustaining, all over with!!!
Private businesses can mandate masks indefinitely wherever they choose on their property. Florida’s state government has no jurisdiction in that regard.
Follow the science. End the total mask mandate
The science says masks are still needed for unvaccinated people.
You got most of that sentence right. Replace science with government and you’re there. Go check out MITs study saying that the mask doesn’t work as assumed, even indoors. Now there’s some researched science. Fauci has just been putting knee-jerk orders in place because it sounds good.
Hmm, negative votes. Must have struck a nerve, because there’s no one out there who can refute what I’m saying. Cognitive dissonance is a tough thing.
I think the authors of the study could refute what you’re saying. Maybe negative votes came from people who actually did go check it out as you suggested and saw that it clearly says transmission indoors is “dramatically reduced by the use of face masks.” You don’t even have to read the full study. That’s in their statement of significance. Trying to figure out how you got “the mask doesn’t work as assumed” from this study is the only thing giving me cognitive dissonance.
Nah, you just wanted to keep talking.
At long last, Disney got smart about the mask issue. This is the smartest, most rational approach I have seen or imagined. Well done.
Amazing times!! The start towards normal times!
Awesome!
Best news ever. I am going in November, so can’t wait