Masks no longer required outdoors at WDW

[LSUmiss]

That has nothing to do with what I was talking about. I would also say that I cannot ever remember, in my entire life, being out and about and seeing someone else that made me think “wow, that person looks sick.” Now if people want to wear masks to avoid colds, flu, etc., that makes sense to me - my husband and I were pleased with the lack of random illness this past year. Of course I was also homeschooling, and most of our sickness comes from kids bringing it home, not us catching it when out in the grocery store - because catching something - anything! - from a random passerby is extremely unlikely.

The only place I’ve experienced this is the work place. It drives my absolutely insane! But, I suspect it won’t change anytime soon since a lot of work places don’t have very lenient sick leave policies.

 

[NicholeB630]

Yes...this exactly. The CDC guidance does NOT say that no one should be wearing a mask outside. The new guidance says FULLY VACCINATED people are very safe not to wear a mask outside in all situations, but unvaccinated people should still be wearing masks to be safe outdoors if they are at a small gathering with mixed company (some vaxed and some not). Unvaccinated people, even wearing a mask, are “least safe” if they “attend a crowded, outdoor event, like a live performance, parade, or sports event”, which is exactly what outdoors at WDW can be like, especially during shows, parade, fireworks, etc. Even just trying to walk from attraction to attraction I would call a “crowded outdoor event” during many times of the year.

Current CDC guidance for outdoor activities for vaccinated and unvaccinated people: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/participate-in-activities.html

So I also understand why people might not be happy with these current changes....they don’t actually follow the latest CDC guidance. I understand why Disney is doing it. I’m sure they’re getting a lot of pressure to do it, and no one enjoys wearing a mask outside in heat and humidity of a Florida summer, but they are being way more lax than the new CDC guidance. You can’t equate a small outdoor gathering with only fully vaccinated family and friends with visiting WDW at even the least crowded time of year, but that, or being outdoors with your only immediate household, are the only two outdoor scenarios the CDC is advising unvaxed people not wear masks.

Why should Unvaccinated people still have to wear a mask? I’m assuming at this point in time if you’re an adult and you have not been vaccinated it’s because that’s your choice and you’re going to the assume the risk of getting Covid, and you were no longer a threat to all the people that are vaccinated because isn’t that the whole point in getting the vaccine so you feel protected? What happened to personal responsibility, it’s not everybody’s job to keep the entire world safe and healthy. If people are choosing to not get the vaccine and that’s a risk that they should be allowed to take and they are no longer a threat to the people that are vaccinated. This agenda that everyone is a threat to the public is a joke

 

[Runnsally]

Yes...FastPass needs to return ASAP. Disney also needs to get the EPCOT monorail up and going....like now!

Totally agree. WDW can set whatever pandemic policies that they want to and each us can determine if we want to go or not, but I think we can all agree that if WDW is returning to normal and charging for it, they need to focus more on the guest experience (I’d also include things like daily housekeeping on this list).

 

[canyoncam]

I feel pretty confident that Disney will be very flexible with their cancellation policy for anyone who wants to cancel or postpone based on updated Covid policies.

I would hope. Fortunately for me it was announced after I’d exited my last park. If I still had a park day left I would have expected that ticket back. I made the personal choice to go based on the mask requirements. I truly am glad the people who want to go maskless can I just am not ready for that myself yet. I wouldn’t want to be around so many. I also just found out two more people I knew died from Covid Friday. So yes, my perspective is skewed a bit. I know it’s still rare to actually die. This just puts the number I’ve personally know up into the dozens.

 

[LSUmiss]

Other people NOT wearing a mask doesn’t have to endanger yours either. Wear a better mask - they do exist. This is such a tired and pointless argument.

And these are some of the same ppl who called others entitled & selfish. Many made the argument then that those ppl were being just as selfish b/c they didn’t support the mask policies for the good of mankind (like they claimed), but rather b/c it made them feel more comfortable. Sure seems like that mighta been true. I complied 100% with mask-mandates everywhere I went. I supported them as necessary in the time they were mandated based on cdc guidelines. Well, guess what, that’s changed, and now I welcome the new policy. Time to move on. If you (collective) don’t feel comfortable doing that, then buy n95 masks or stay home.

 

[LSUmiss]

You’ve put this so, so well and somehow half the people who read it are going to come away thinking “this masker wants to take away my freedoms to be scared forever”when that’s not what anyone was saying.

And constant replies of ‘well don’t like it , don’t go’ and comparisons of ‘well we didn’t like the old policy so now it’s your sides turn to not like a policy’ are doing nothing for the conversation.

The very best part of all this eventually being over is we can just go back to arguing over stuff that matters - like re-themes of classic rides and the return of FP+.

But I’m sure you can see the frustration with ppl being told by some of the very same ppl to go with current policies or don’t go & now that the shoe is on the other foot, that’s not ok to say. Wearing an n95 masks protects the wearer so someone who concerned can still wear this type of mask & be completely safe. Other ppl & Disney do not have any responsibility to make ppl “feel” safer if they are not legitimately any safer. That’s a personal issue. You are safe if you’re vaccinated, if you’re outdoors and especially if you’re wearing an n95 mask. So it’s up to the individual now to do what makes them “feel” safe if they no longer trust the science.

 

[JoJoGirl]

I would hope. Fortunately for me it was announced after I’d exited my last park. If I still had a park day left I would have expected that ticket back. I made the personal choice to go based on the mask requirements. I truly am glad the people who want to go maskless can I just am not ready for that myself yet. I wouldn’t want to be around so many. I also just found out two more people I knew died from Covid Friday. So yes, my perspective is skewed a bit. I know it’s still rare to actually die. This just puts the number I’ve personally know up into the dozens.

I’m so sorry for your losses. Statistics and probabilities thrown aside, it’s going to take a long time for people to recover from the psychological wounds of Covid. Glad you got to finish your trip in a way that was comfortable for you.

 

[DisneyTarheel]

Time to move on. If you (collective) don’t feel comfortable doing that, then buy n95 masks or stay home.

Similarly, as certain countries, cruise lines, etc., insist on proof of vaccination to enter or board, if you (collectively) don’t feel comfortable doing that, then get the vaccine or stay home.

 

[robinb]

I would hope. Fortunately for me it was announced after I’d exited my last park. If I still had a park day left I would have expected that ticket back. I made the personal choice to go based on the mask requirements. I truly am glad the people who want to go maskless can I just am not ready for that myself yet. I wouldn’t want to be around so many. I also just found out two more people I knew died from Covid Friday. So yes, my perspective is skewed a bit. I know it’s still rare to actually die. This just puts the number I’ve personally know up into the dozens.

I also made the choice to go based on masking, distancing and park capacity. I followed the "Here Now and Just Back" thread for months, followed bloggers on social media and talked to a friend who's been a number of times. That's all been thrown out the window a week before I arrive. We are all vaccinated so we're still going but it will be a different vacation than I was planning in both positive and negative ways. We will muddle through, though we'll be standing in line longer than I had anticipated. However, I would be thinking twice if I had an unvaccinated child. I don't know if I would cancel, but I would be concerned about possible transmission of Covid from a sick person who is not masked up even if my child was masked. We have all be through so much in the past 14+ months it would be sad to catch Covid while on vacation at WDW because so many restrictions were lifted all at once.

 

[wideeyedwonder]

are the only two outdoor scenarios the CDC is advising unvaxed people not wear masks.

Yes. So the answer seems simple...? Follow the CDC guidelines.

if you are in the United States, and are fully vaccinated, you can stop wearing a mask in most situations, especially outdoors.

if you or a family member are *not* vaccinated (child?), have them continue to wear a mask around others; it is at least as good as being vaccinated with the J&J vaccine, according to studies.

if you want even more protection, wear or have them wear a double or triple mask, or well-fitting N95 mask.

What if you are around some people that *may not* be vaccinated, and are not wearing masks? It doesn’t matter. You *still* *don’t have to* wear a mask in most situations (especially outside) if you are vaccinated, and *still should wear a mask* if you are unvaccinated.

that is all.

and yes, people may have been hypocritical in the past, they may be being hypocritical now, and, surprise, people will be hypocritical in the future. Can we move on a little? Be happy with the progress we in the US have been making, and hope/help the rest of the world do the same.

the CDC guidelines are good news, let’s remember that.

 

[wideeyedwonder]

We need to make it not have a negative reaction to it. Who cares if someone wears a mask all the time it's there face.

I agree, but there is a point I’d like to make, and I hope it doesn’t come across as snarky: let’s get to a point where, if we are doing the right thing for ourselves, we don’t care if we get a negative reaction from someone, be it a snarky comment, or a weird look. Ultimately, we can’t control others, and things will turn out much better if you ignore the “microagression” of a weird look if you are doing what you feel is right, and it only effects yourself (wearing a mask in public).

 

[magik]

Why should Unvaccinated people still have to wear a mask? I’m assuming at this point in time if you’re an adult and you have not been vaccinated it’s because that’s your choice and you’re going to the assume the risk of getting Covid, and you were no longer a threat to all the people that are vaccinated because isn’t that the whole point in getting the vaccine so you feel protected? What happened to personal responsibility, it’s not everybody’s job to keep the entire world safe and healthy. If people are choosing to not get the vaccine and that’s a risk that they should be allowed to take and they are no longer a threat to the people that are vaccinated. This agenda that everyone is a threat to the public is a joke

In the case of an easily transmissible airborne virus during a global pandemic, unvaccinated people who choose not to follow safety measures can be putting vaccinated people at risk by being an easy potential host for the virus to mutate in. If the virus wasn’t mutating and there was high confidence that the current vaccines would remain effective going forward and that the only people at risk at this point are unvaccinated people, your argument makes sense. I still think even in that case we should have waited until children also have the opportunity to be vaccinated.

Unfortunately for us, viruses mutate, this one specifically. The more hosts a virus infects (whether the host personally gets extremely sick or not), the more likely it is to mutate. The more it mutates, the more likely we are to get a variant for which the current vaccines do not protect against. In order for the current vaccines to remain effective protection against the virus, we need it to stop mutating. The best way for that to happen is for everyone to work together to starve the virus of hosts. The best way to starve the virus of hosts is to either get vaccinated or to continue using covid safety precautions of masking and distancing (even outdoors if in crowds, like WDW) until community transmission numbers get to low levels, which while trending downwards, which is great, aren’t “low” yet.

 

[magik]

Yes. So the answer seems simple...? Follow the CDC guidelines.

if you are in the United States, and are fully vaccinated, you can stop wearing a mask in most situations, especially outdoors.

if you or a family member (child?), have them continue to wear a mask around others; it is at least as good as being vaccinated with the J&J vacune, according to studies.

if you want even more protection, wear or have them wear a double or triple mask, or we’ll fitting N95 mask.

What if you are around some people that *may not* be vaccinated, and *may not* be vaccinated? It doesn’t matter. You *still* *don’t have to* wear a mask in most situations (especially outside), and *still should wear a mask* if you are unvaccinated.

that is all.

Of course people can and should continue to follow the CDC safety guidance despite the fact that new WDW rules are way more relaxed than that guidance. In the real world, we know that unless the WDW rules require it and they enforce those rules, many people won’t follow the CDC guidance there.

I don’t think this discussion would be the same if the new WDW rules matched the CDC guidance. Insread of asking why WDW isn’t following CDC guidance or asking if they should be following CDC guidance, the discussion would have been around how are they going to enforce it (they wouldn’t be able to, especially since FL made it illegal for businesses to ask for proof of vaccination, so the end result would be the same - unvaccinated people not wearing masks in crowded outdoor spaces despite CDC guidance still listing that as unsafe). I’m sure not being able to enforce CDC guidelines is why they decided to just say no masks needed for anyone outdoors. Better to have a rule you can enforce (masks for everyone indoors but not outdoors) than one you can’t (no masks anywhere for vaccinated but masks still needed for unvaccinated everywhere).

 

[DCLMP]

And these are some of the same ppl who called others entitled & selfish. Many made the argument then that those ppl were being just as selfish b/c they didn’t support the mask policies for the good of mankind (like they claimed), but rather b/c it made them feel more comfortable. Sure seems like that mighta been true. I complied 100% with mask-mandates everywhere I went. I supported them as necessary in the time they were mandated based on cdc guidelines. Well, guess what, that’s changed, and now I welcome the new policy. Time to move on. If you (collective) don’t feel comfortable doing that, then buy n95 masks or stay home.

I am as anti-mask as you can get. I also think the way the CDC handled this pandemic is a complete joke. That being said I've been to WDW three times and complied with all the rules. I wore my mask like a pro in the heat and humidity last Summer. Over the last year, I've complied every where I was asked to wear a mask, but as soon as my city dropped the mask indoor mask mandate I was done. This week has been the icing on the cake. I couldn't be happier about the changes.

I find it funny that the same people that have praised the CDC and scolded everyone that didn't need the CDC to tell them what was safe and what was not are now upset with the CDC. Maybe at some point, people will see the CDC for what it is really is.

 

[DCLMP]

Similarly, as certain countries, cruise lines, etc., insist on proof of vaccination to enter or board, if you (collectively) don’t feel comfortable doing that, then get the vaccine or stay home.

Most countries are requiring a vaccine or negative covid test. Cruising has not resumed in the U.S.

 

[wideeyedwonder]

...unvaccinated people who choose not to follow safety measures can be putting vaccinated people at risk...
...If the virus wasn’t mutating and there was high confidence that the current vaccines would remain effective going forward...
...viruses mutate, this one specifically. The more hosts a virus infects (whether the host personally gets extremely sick or not), the more likely it is to mutate...
...until community transmission numbers get to low levels...

The new guidances take all of this into account. I can understand your hesitancy, but all of this was taken into account when the United States CDC released their guidelines, based on the current science.

it is not my place to tell you what to feel safety-wise. Given that, it is true that the CDC took all of the above into account, using data and science to come up with their recommendation. Let that give you a little comfort.

 

[wideeyedwonder]

why WDW isn’t following CDC guidance or asking if they should be following CDC guidance, the discussion would have been around how are they going to enforce it (they wouldn’t be able to, especially since FL made it illegal for businesses to ask for proof of vaccination

That’s because, as far as I’ve read, *enforcement* is not part of the guidance.

The reason for this is that, if *you* follow the guidelines, *you* are protected, and we are not expecting a resurgence, even without actual *enforcement*.

Lacking enforcement, the CDC’s guidance is that, if you are vaccinated, you can go without a mask in most situations, and if you are not, you should wear a mask. Dr. Fauci has basically said this.

You may not know if an unmasked person is vaccinated, but as long as *you* follow the guidelines, *you* are (statistically) safe.

As far as I’ve read, *enforcement* is not part of the guidelines, nor is it needed or even expected, for the guidelines to apply to *you*.

 

[jordan13402]

Why should Unvaccinated people still have to wear a mask? I’m assuming at this point in time if you’re an adult and you have not been vaccinated it’s because that’s your choice and you’re going to the assume the risk of getting Covid, and you were no longer a threat to all the people that are vaccinated because isn’t that the whole point in getting the vaccine so you feel protected? What happened to personal responsibility, it’s not everybody’s job to keep the entire world safe and healthy. If people are choosing to not get the vaccine and that’s a risk that they should be allowed to take and they are no longer a threat to the people that are vaccinated. This agenda that everyone is a threat to the public is a joke

How about kids who can’t get vaccinated?

 

[AndreaA]

How about kids who can’t get vaccinated?

Kids are incredibly unlikely to become seriously ill from Covid. In fact they are far more likely to die from the common flu, yet no one wore masks for that.

 

[Runnsally]

Kids are incredibly unlikely to become seriously ill from Covid. In fact they are far more likely to die from the common flu, yet no one wore masks for that.

I guess an obvious difference is that kids can currently get vaccinated for influenza? I suspect people will feel much more comfortable once that is the case for Covid.