Disney drops mask mandate for vaccinated

Starting Thursday, vaccinated guests visiting Walt Disney World will be able to go maskless at indoor locations at the resort, including attractions, shops and restaurants.

Regardless of vaccination status, all visitors age 2 or older still have to mask up inside the resort’s enclosed transportation, including the monorail, Skyliner and buses.

The resort is still asking unvaccinated visitors to continue to wear face coverings indoors.

Disney announced the change to its mask requirements Tuesday, marking the first time it has updated its face-covering policy in nearly seven months.

The current rules, which require visitors of all vaccination statuses to mask up when indoors, are still in place Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the resort. Disney’s full face covering policy can be found on its website.

The resort said the changing rules were in response to “recent trends and regulatory guidance,” and it encourages vaccination for all.

Orange County is still considered to have high community COVID-19 transmission by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency recommends people in areas of high transmission keep wearing masks in public, indoor areas.

Disney’s announcement comes four days after Universal dropped its face mask rule for vaccinated guests, reversing a policy the latter implemented in late December amid the omicron variant’s surge.

Fully vaccinated guests at Universal can forgo face coverings indoors, while Universal similarly encourages unvaccinated guests to continue to mask up.

Disney’s face mask rules have shifted along with the COVID-19 pandemic’s different stages since Disney World reopened in July 2020. Disney has consistently had the strictest COVID-19 safety measures of Orlando’s theme parks.

Last May, Disney relaxed its rules alongside Universal Orlando and SeaWorld so visitors did not have to don masks outdoors. The next month, the resort said fully vaccinated visitors could opt to not wear masks indoors, except on transportation systems.

As the delta variant emerged, Disney reinstated the indoor mask requirement for all visitors in July, a rule that has been in place since.

BURBANK/ORLANDO SENTINEL JOE Guests arrive during the daily opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, with cold weather heading to Central Florida on Jan. 28. Temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing in northern counties both Saturday and Sunday morning.