Mask mandate doubled down--keep them on while dining?

[Mr. X]

So the way I interpret it: you must be wearing a mask until you receive your beverages and food, then must put your mask back on when your server returns to the table, unless you've got a mouthful of food. If you have drinks in front of you and are waiting for your food, you must have your mask on, unless taking a sip of your drink.

Exactly why they need to clarify. Depending on how strict this gets it may very well lead me to not do any in-person dining during our stay.

I'm sure we'll get live reports as the week unfolds.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Most of the people complaining weren't going to WDW anyways. This is just another opportunity for them to complain about mask policies.

Since the original comment was directed at me - I'll answer and say I am and still planning on going to Disney World in December. If this new mask restriction is still present, it may cause me to seriously alter my trip, spending less time in the Disney restaurants and going to a place with a more relaxed mask restriction. Contrary to what was called out, a majority of restaurants are not like this. They only require masks to be worn when you leave your table—which in and of itself is ridiculous. Oh, I can catch COVID walking around the restaurant, but not sitting. Got it.

At this point in the pandemic, we need to stop shaming people as "anti-maskers" or "complainers" just because they're unhappy with Disney increasing restrictions as most states and places are easing back. It's a private company—100%—that people choose to go to. It's also a place that people pay a lot of money to go to. I'm not saying Disney should drop mask restrictions tomorrow. I've always followed the rules with masks. But believe me, this isn't an outspoken minority. Many people, not just 'anti-maskers" or conspiracy theorists are questioning the validity of this being a thing into 2022 and are laughing at Disney doubling down on masks.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Just keep your mask on until you’ve got a plate of food in front of you and then put it back on when you’re finished eating.

I really think common sense will prevail here. This was done, probably to a) give servers a little more protection and b) to stop people from lingering in the restaurants and using them as a mask-free zone when there are other such areas available in the park. I suspect there has been some stretching/abuse of the mask policy in restaurants which necessitated this tightening of the rules. There isn’t going to be some spy server swooping in to every table to make people put masks on in between every bite.

I worry a little bit about humanity when we can’t use our (collective) brains and understand what this rule change means. If they went through every single stipulation of when you can or cannot remove your mask, the sign would be 20 feet long. They’re depending on customers to use inference to do the right thing.

 

[Mr. X]

Just keep your mask on until you’ve got a plate of food in front of you and then put it back on when you’re finished eating.

I really think common sense will prevail here. This was done, probably to a) give servers a little more protection and b) to stop people from lingering in the restaurants and using them as a mask-free zone when there are other such areas available in the park. I suspect there has been some stretching/abuse of the mask policy in restaurants which necessitated this tightening of the rules. There isn’t going to be some spy server swooping in to every table to make people put masks on in between every bite.

I worry a little bit about humanity when we can’t use our (collective) brains and understand what this rule change means. If they went through every single stipulation of when you can or cannot remove your mask, the sign would be 20 feet long. They’re depending on customers to use inference to do the right thing.

I hope you are right.

 

[yaya74]

They only require masks to be worn when you leave your table—which in and of itself is ridiculous. Oh, I can catch COVID walking around the restaurant, but not sitting. Got it.

The reason why Disney allows people to remove while seated but ask them to put on masks upon leaving the table is because of the physical distance! While people are seated, there is a pre-measured distance. Distance is the protective cushion in preventing the spread of virus. But once people leave the table and start walking around freely, the distance is gone! So for the sake of everyone in the restaurant, Disney enforces this policy.

Please someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I hope you are right.

I mean...not to sound pompous (and I know tone doesn’t translate well on the internet), but, why wouldn’t I be? People going out to eat all over my city have this figured out. It’s quite puzzling to me why people are making this into a way bigger deal than it actually is. It’s just not a big deal and I’m astonished at the absurdity going on in this thread. But maybe I shouldn’t be, considering the general absurdity that goes on in this country every single day.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

But once people leave the table and start walking around freely, the distance is gone! So for the sake of everyone in the restaurant, Disney enforces this policy.

Normal restaurants enforce this policy. Disney is asking people to wear their mask at the table unless eating or drinking.

But like a few people have pointed out, this is a preventive measure to keep guests from taking advantage of the policy...which is fine. I personally just find the timing strange and I'm mentally over it. I know me being mentally over it doesn't mean COVID is gonna go away but it's frustrating to see them continue to add restrictions when, if anything, they should be eventually removing them with added vaccines and numbers going down. But that's a discussion for another day.

 

[Ariel620]

I really feel like the reason they implemented this change NOW after months of being open, is so they can have more confidence when they increase capacity. FL rules allow 100% occupancy at restaurants, but Disney is still only filling 50%. ADRs are really hard to find, so customers want more capacity and I'm sure Disney wants more $. So they want increased capacity, and if they operate with these new protocols, then they can increase capacity.

 

[TeresaNJ]

I really feel like the reason they implemented this change NOW after months of being open, is so they can have more confidence when they increase capacity. FL rules allow 100% occupancy at restaurants, but Disney is still only filling 50%. ADRs are really hard to find, so customers want more capacity and I'm sure Disney wants more $. So they want increased capacity, and if they operate with these new protocols, then they can increase capacity.

That makes sense.

 

[CalSea12]

Since the original comment was directed at me - I'll answer and say I am and still planning on going to Disney World in December. If this new mask restriction is still present, it may cause me to seriously alter my trip, spending less time in the Disney restaurants and going to a place with a more relaxed mask restriction. Contrary to what was called out, a majority of restaurants are not like this. They only require masks to be worn when you leave your table—which in and of itself is ridiculous. Oh, I can catch COVID walking around the restaurant, but not sitting. Got it.

At this point in the pandemic, we need to stop shaming people as "anti-maskers" or "complainers" just because they're unhappy with Disney increasing restrictions as most states and places are easing back. It's a private company—100%—that people choose to go to. It's also a place that people pay a lot of money to go to. I'm not saying Disney should drop mask restrictions tomorrow. I've always followed the rules with masks. But believe me, this isn't an outspoken minority. Many people, not just 'anti-maskers" or conspiracy theorists are questioning the validity of this being a thing into 2022 and are laughing at Disney doubling down on masks.

I 100 percent agree! The restaurants in my state never required anything so restrictive. We were one of the last to get a mask mandate and one of the first to be actively trying to get rid of it.

 

[Judique]

Normal restaurants enforce this policy. Disney is asking people to wear their mask at the table unless eating or drinking.

But like a few people have pointed out, this is a preventive measure to keep guests from taking advantage of the policy...which is fine. I personally just find the timing strange and I'm mentally over it. I know me being mentally over it doesn't mean COVID is gonna go away but it's frustrating to see them continue to add restrictions when, if anything, they should be eventually removing them with added vaccines and numbers going down. But that's a discussion for another day.

I think a lot of us are mentally over it. I was just looking at some numbers. Looks to me like there's more of a rise in Florida as a whole than there was. That's more concerning to me. I thought they were doing better. Disney may be responding to the actual metrics. Still hoping I get to go in November.....

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

For the love of churros......they are NOT saying to remove and replace your mask between bites and drinks.
Some people like to take any announcement to an extreme.

I think you are not correctly interpreting the policy. If it's the same as where I live, you keep it on if you are out of your seat and while seated until your meal/drinks arrive. You put it back on when you are done your meal/drinks or chose to get up.

Disney does not say anywhere that you need to put your mask on in between bites. People are overblowing this update and jumping to that conclusion.

For the 100th time, you take your mask off while actively eating and drinking. So, that means not ripping it off the minute you sit down at the table. Keep it on until your drinks/food arrive. Put it back on when you are done with your meal. Don’t sit and gab for 30 minutes after the plates are cleared without a mask on.

They only want people to be unmasked while they have food or drink. This is so not a big deal.

So the way I interpret it: you must be wearing a mask until you receive your beverages and food, then must put your mask back on when your server returns to the table, unless you've got a mouthful of food. If you have drinks in front of you and are waiting for your food, you must have your mask on, unless taking a sip of your drink.

Exactly why they need to clarify. Depending on how strict this gets it may very well lead me to not do any in-person dining during our stay.

I'm sure we'll get live reports as the week unfolds.

Even the article about this that Deni posted this morning states that the wording of this policy "leads one to think that guests must now, even when seated at a table for a meal, wear a face covering if not eating or drinking at that moment." [emphasis added]

So I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that it's not entirely clear how strict they intend this to be. Until food arrives at the table? Until drinks arrive? Only if sipping your drink? Between courses? Between bites? Time will tell what the expectation is.

 

[shu24]

To me, it sounds like Disney is planning on filling restaurants more. When there was 6ft between tables the rules were more relaxed, I would expect less blocked off tables. Less about safety, more about bottom line.

 

[boop0524]

I really feel like the reason they implemented this change NOW after months of being open, is so they can have more confidence when they increase capacity. FL rules allow 100% occupancy at restaurants, but Disney is still only filling 50%. ADRs are really hard to find, so customers want more capacity and I'm sure Disney wants more $. So they want increased capacity, and if they operate with these new protocols, then they can increase capacity.

I was wondering this as well. We were just down there last weekend. At our in park table service dining reservations, the restaurants were half empty and immediately upon sitting down they told us we could feel free to remove our masks. Every time. On the flip side, in Disney Springs, every table was filled. Capacity seemed like a different ballgame there. This is rolling out just in time for spring break, Easter and summer so I wondered if they planned to go more the route of DS and increase capacity. But who knows, just my (meaningless) observations

 

[SarahC97]

Here's the clarification being offered by CMs at MK today:

Upon being seated at your table, you must leave your face covering on while not actively eating or drinking. You DO NOT need to pull your face covering/mask up between bites as that is considered “actively eating.” Upon completion of your meal, your mask will need to be pulled back up if no longer eating or drinking.

Rule of Thumb: When dining at a Quick-Service or Table-Service location, you can take down your mask upon being served your food and drink. That is our understanding.

This IS being enforced at all Table-Service locations as of today. It is not yet being enforced at all Quick-Service locations, but “it is coming.”

Please note that this is new to Guests AND Cast Members. Some information may be misconstrued or not equal at all places right away, but the info above is what were advised by multiple team leaders.

 

[Olaf Myfrenzargay]

This is so laughably stupid that it makes me wonder about the intelligence level of the average person. I suppose that interim period when our mouths are open to chew, sip and swallow, the virus hibernates in Cloud Cuckooland. And as if the sweat filled mask, drenched from a full day in Florida heat is somehow impenetrable.

I get the optics here, but it’s Very simple. Either have restaurants open or don’t. But this is just nonsensical.

 

[RealBlast3]

What is going to be considered "actively eating or drinking"? As long as you have a beverage ON YOUR TABLE, is that considered "actively eating or drinking"?

Because I would like to be able to remove my mask once I have a beverage on my table while I am waiting for my apps/entre to arrive. Even if I am not "actively drinking" it every second.

And, yes, I know some felt I was exaggerating, but sometimes it does take a while from sit-down until you get your first beverage. Especially, if you are not ordering like simple things like fountain sodas or the regular waters, which I don't get - I order sparkling water like Perrier or Pellegrino and cocktails - and that can take longer.

I feel if I have given my order to the waiter and he leaves me for awhile, I should be able to take off the mask while I am alone at my table, and I don't understand what the big deal is if I am alone at my table while I await my first beverages to arrive.

Maybe I will also have them bring me the free tap/ice water, too, (even though I think it tastes like disgusting seaweed swamp water) first since that will probably arrive at my table faster than the other drinks, if it means I can at least take my mask off if now requires a food or beverage to be at my table for that to be allowed.

So ridiculous!

 

[misonrisa]

To those of you with upcoming trips in March lets us know how this new guideline/rule pans out. Hoping Disney reconsiders and backs away from this one. The whole idea of sitting down to eat at their not so inexpensive restaurants was to chill and to take a break from wearing a mask!

 

[Mr. X]

They’ve totally made something that should be simple overly complicated and frankly has nothing to do w/ science.

1) walking to table or eating = leave mask on
2) sitting at table = mask off
3) eating/drinking at table = mask off
4) getting up to use bathroom or leave = mask on

 

[SarahC97]

I really don't think it has much to do with virus transmission. It's just about turning over tables faster. They want you to eat and go, not linger.