Disney’s amusement parks in Orlando, Florida will no longer require masks for people who are fully vaccinated. The new measures are to apply as of February 17th. The company updated its website on Tuesday February 15th stating that as of Thursday, face masks would be optional, both indoors and outdoors, for those 2 years of age and older who are fully vaccinated.
“We expect visitors who are not fully vaccinated to continue to wear face coverings in all indoor locations, including attractions and theaters,” reads Disney’s website. This change will not apply to Disney’s enclosed transportation, including buses, monorails and the Disney skyliner cable car, where guests must continue to wear masks.
With this decision, Disney is following the lead of Universal’s Orlando parks, which on Saturday February 12th eased requirements for visitors who have a full Covid-19 vaccination guideline. Universal had previously allowed not wearing masks, but two months ago had to bring back the measure after a spike in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.
In parallel, the Disneyland parks in the state of California announced the end of the mandatory use of face masks for visitors also as of February 17th. According to local media, both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will stop requiring the use of masks for all vaccinated visitors. Some general measures to control potential spread of Covid-19 will however remain in place.
It should be noted that the company will require face masks for visitors who have not been fully vaccinated, while those who already have at least two doses are exempted from this requirement. CNN reports that Universal Hollywood is still requiring guests to wear face coverings at all times, both indoors and outdoors, regardless of vaccination status. This is in accordance with a Los Angeles County face covering mandate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the positive rate in the state has dropped by half in recent weeks and, according to the latest data, is 14.9%, when at the beginning of last January it exceeded 30%, in a trend similar to that registered in the rest of the country.
