Disney is continuing to implement health and safety procedures as the pandemic continues.
Cinderella Castle
That have recently updated their mask and social distancing policies, and clarified that guests will still have to wear a mask once they receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Now, Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, has shared a further update.
With the vaccine rolling out throughout the United States, many have wondered when social distancing and mask requirements will be loosened in the parks. But Chapek confirmed that the expectation is to have some level of mask wearing and social distancing through the end of this year.
Distancing Markers
This is expected to apply to all of Disney’s parks, whether they are reopening or increasing capacity.
Face Mask Sign
Chapek did state that “a game changer would be if everyone who wants a vaccine can get a vaccine in April,” in response to more vaccines potentially being available by this time.
In an interview given with Good Morning America, Dr. Fauci said that he refers to “open season” as the time when anybody could get a vaccine — not just those in the priority groups. Fauci said that “when you have enough vaccines to do that, then you’re gonna see a great surge in the number of people who get vaccinated, and that’s what’s gonna happen as we go from April to May to June.” Fauci noted that hopefully by the time we get to July we’ll be at the point where we have enough vaccines for virtually everyone. So, while more individuals may be able to get the vaccine in April, it seems like it will be late July before everyone is really able to be vaccinated.
Plexiglass on Flight of Passage
Additionally, Chapek clarified Disney does not expect to be at the same level of social distancing and mask-wearing in 2022. But for the remainder of 2021, if you’re planning a trip to the parks, expect to abide by Disney’s current mask and social distancing policies. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news and updates.
Read Disney’s Newest Mask and Social Distancing Update
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Are you planning a trip to Disney in 2021? Let us know in the comments.
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I’m supposed to be going to WDW in early September from the UK
REALLY hoping that my holiday will still go ahead!!
Can always move it if the worst comes to worst but would really rather not 💔💔💔
So no trip to WDW this year.
We rescheduled our trip from last July to this July. I have no intention of going though if we have to wear masks in the heat. I also want pictures and I am not paying for pictures of us in masks or having an album full of us not smiling. The best part of remembering the trip is all the great pictures of us as a family we don’t normally get.
I am not happy. One of the joys of going to the parks was t on see the smiling faces. Even those on my kids. We had cancels our extended family vacation last December due to the mask and probably will not do it this year. Our starting budge for the family, tickets and rooms tipped $13,000. To bad.
We are DVC members from the U K . We have booked a month in August at WDW . It’s a very big ???? 🤞🤞Will we be able to fly to Orlando ? We’ve booked flights in hope . Our trip last August was cancelled and our Xmas at Eurodisney , so we have hope although slight that we can make it this year !
Disgusting. So sick of this garbage.
Our family is planning a WDW vacation for January 2022 BUT not if the restrictions are still in effect. While we hope this all ends soon, we cannot believe that the restrictions will “magically” end December 31, 2021, and beginning 1/1/2022, all will be back to normal. We thank Disney for being concerned about our health but there is no way we are spending that kind of money, +$10,000, for the six of us to not enjoy the full WDW experience like shows, fireworks, meal plans, transportation, etc. Let’s all pray or do what we can to get this over with for good.
BTW, we hope the Magical Express comes back at least in some form. We would have no problem adding a few dollars to our reservations to pay for it!
Sooo upsetting! I cannot at all wear a mask for medical reasons, so now I don’t get to go to my favorite place in the world, for at least another year.
Good bye Disney for 2021 then. Absolutely ridiculous.
I’ve been in Disney for the last nine days. No issues wearing a mask this whole time. The cast members have been great and my 4 year old is having the time of his life. If you decide to cancel because your incapable of wearing a mask, then honestly, shame on you.
We planned a WDW September 2020 vacation which we canceled due to COVID. We booked another vacation for September 2021, but will probably cancel again if masks are still required. I feel I’m disappointing my kids each time we cancel.
I work full time in a pharmacy and we’ve worn masks since last March. Each and every day for the full 8 hours. We only remove them to drink and eat. All our staff have abided by all the strict lockdown rules too.
If only everyone had done this the world wouldn’t have been closed for this long.
As much as I absolutely adore WDW and have been enjoying the parks for 30+ years, I will not return until experiences go back to normal. And that most definitely includes being required to prove vaccination. Far too much money to spend on a sub-par vacation.
We rescheduled from Aug 2020 to Aug 2021. No surprise here that the masks would still be required. 2022 for us now…hopefully.
Well , we will not go in 2021 either. Disney sucks.
We’re also hoping to go in August from the UK having had to cancel last August. We are currently booked to stay at CBR but if we have to cancel this year and rebook for next year I think we’ll be staying off site because with no Magical Express no extra magic hours etc it doesn’t seem worth paying the extra for Disney hotel.
UGH, terrible to learn masks thru 2021, We had cancelled 2020, rebooked to May 2021 and looks like we are cancelling that as well. We will not return till MASK FREE !
We have visited WDW every year for the last 10 years, we will not go back until mask are Not required. Bad decision on WDW…
Just planned our honeymoon for December that we had to cancel last year due to closings. It will be my husband’s first visit.
Guess I’m canceling this year just like last year. Disney needs to wake up and realize people will return in droves if returned to 2019, open everything up and get rid of the mask!!
Our family is supposed to have a trip this September. Although the masks are not ideal and we will miss interacting with the characters I still think it will be great! I don’t want to continue to put life on hold.
Phew I dodged the bullet there then. We were supposed to be going to WDW in April 2020 but it was cancelled due to the pandemic, I was offered the choice of a refund or re-book, luckily I took the refund because there’s no way I would want to go to any theme park if I have to wear a mask the whole time.
My family numbered 7 people from me 83, down to my youngest grandson age 9. This was not my first trip but probably one of the best. We wore our masks (I had made 150). We socially distanced, all of us rode everything multiple times, me too, from tower of Terror to small world. We ate everything offered at all 4 parks. Loved mobil ordering. Stayed 9 days, went to each park twice. Really, really enjoyed our trip. Wish I had the money for us to go again. Masks, distancing, mobil ordering? – so what – it’s all DW. In fact it’s part of what made our trip so very different and wonderful and unforgettable.
My family vacation to WDW was booked for November 2020 & then was pushed up to November 2021 due to the health guidelines. I am more than willing to reschedule our vacation for a second time to be mask free at WDW! We will go… eventually!
Our holiday to Disney World was booked last May 2020 for August 2021, little imagining Covid-19 would still be infecting the world to this extent. We certainly wouldn’t want to visit the Parks having to wear masks and it’s unlikely there will be flights across to Florida in any case without the difficulties of proving vaccinations and being permitted entry. Just wanted to add my voice but of course we’re fortunate to have through so far unscathed. Millions now haven’t been so lucky. Stay well everyone.
Why?? It’s time for the board to make a leadership change. Maybe they can recruit leadership from Universal Studios.
It’s not so bad! Currently on trip #3 since mask mandate and it isn’t a big deal. August was rough with the heat, but we just switched them out regularly.
I understand the adults, but WHY require kids under 10 to wear masks when we know there is almost NO CHANCE of them infecting others and that they are at such an absurdly low risk themselves?
We have a trip booked end of May and are DVC members from the U.K. I think this has made my mind up about cancelling yet another trip. I have points that are going to run out, so will have to sell them.
Wearing a mask in the heat and not getting enough oxygen all day is not for me and not a safe option for my family.
I refuse to wear one here and we only have to put them on whilst inside.
Yes our family is planning to be at WDW in June. We were to be there last year. We have our masks !😷😷
With the vaccinations and the cases continually going down, I don’t see how they can predict what it is going to be like once everybody gets the chance to have the vaccinations so why would they continue to require masks the remainder of this year. I think they are jumping the gun and meanwhile people are canceling their vacations yet again as we probably will if masks are continued to be required. Those of you who don’t think masks are a big deal seem to have visited Disney several times. For us it’s a once in a lifetime chance so yes wearing a mask is a big deal and we don’t want to look at half covered faces in our photographs or get half of the experience if things are still shut down. Not going to happen. I hope Disney continues to give those who don’t want to go with masks the opportunity to opt out for another year.
It’s complteley unfair they force disabled people that can’t wear masks to wear them so they discrimate against disabled how now can’t go.
Awful some disabled can’t go….feel like second class once again!
Going in a couple of weeks! So excited to enjoy all Disney has to offer! Do I want to wear a mask? No! Do I want to have some FUN? YES!!! Here my husband and I come!!! Plus, less crowds😊
I’ve gone twice since reopening. I did ok worth the masks, but hubby didn’t. He has said he won’t go back till the masks go away. With all the restrictions we felt like we were paying big bucks to be part of a controlled environment where we even felt shamed when we couldn’t get mobile orders to work right. It’s too expensive to be that limited.
We went in October and the masks were SO uncomfortable–with the heat and sweating. Worse–don’t let it drop below your nose or have it off too long while drinking water and they’ll scold you. Then, very little open, little entertainment, masked pictures iand long lines. Disney is being ideological at this point and not “trying to keep people safe.” If they truly felt the disease would kill any cast members or guests, they would close the parks. It was not a magical experience. We’ve already canceled a trip and don’t know when we’ll be back. Disney didn’t ask for the pandemic, but it matters how you handle problems thrown to you. They get a thumbs down in my opinion for how they have handled this pandemic by not adjusting to “the science.”
Who wants to buy our time share it’s terrible at Disney with masks. We went last year when the parks opened. It was not hot and was still nearly unbearable and the staff are like prison guards all over u. I’m so done with this.
There may be hope and persuasion in lifting the mask mandate if a majority of the US is vaccinated. I still have hope, esp if the FL mayor lifts the mask mandate by mid summer. Chapek may be persuaded to lift as well. Especially since the 50th is in October. By then most of the US will be vaccinated
We were thinking of going this Thanksgiving, but definitely will not if masks are still required. It’s ridiculous. There is no way our young toddler will keep one on either on a plane or at the parks. Our budget is approximately $10,000 for a Disney vacation, but we will use those funds elsewhere this year, as we did the last. No Disney for us until the mask nonsense is gone.
I’ll deal with the mask. No problem since they can come off for pictures now. What I’d like is some of the ride plexi to be removed so the visual experience is not hindered.
Going down to the Orlando area next week. Will not be going to the Disney parks even though I would like to. The required mask is not for me. I wouldn’t go the the park wearing a mask if they paid me the entrance fee! Whatever I will just visit friends and family.
Although things are slowly starting to return to normal, the amount of people who are bashing Disney because of their mandates astound me. You don’t want to wear a mask? Then lets make it simple, don’t go. Tell me though, why waste the effort complaining about it here? Why tell us you refuse to visit Disney? If that’s your opinion, then Bye Felicia. One less mouth breather to deal with.
To Tony, It’s actually not that simple, we bought an annual pass in 2020 that we barely got to use in normal times. So, we’ve pushed off a trip until the last week of our annual pass (last week of May) so that it could be normal and at least maskless outside. We went in October and canceled our trip in November. As you can see even the government doesn’t think masks are a big deal now. President Biden thought they were more than necessary–even outside–now it’s fine to go maskless inside if you are vaccinated.
By the way, it doesn’t help to mean and call people names.
“But for the remainder of 2021, if you’re planning a trip to the parks, expect to abide by Disney’s current mask and social distancing policies.”
And that’s not true anymore – masks are officially optional outdoors at WDW.
KC, I think the author meant the policies current during a person’s visit. It’s possible mask policies could fluctuate, so we would all need to be aware of the policies while we’re onsite.
I will be glad when younger kids can get vaccinated. Then I can breathe again knowing my who family is safe. Once masks are optional for fully vaccinated people, those who refused will just lie about it.
*whole family
We just were at Disney World with our grandchildren. We all wore masks an did not have a problem with it. For pictures you can take it off for a minute an get your pictures. Same with when you are eating, it is not a big deal. Grandkids had no problem with it, they were so excited to be there as we were to have gone a year ago. If we were getting warm we would take a ride or two an ithat would cool us off even with the masks on. Then we would continue on our way visiting all of Disney World’s parks. We all had a very enjoyable time. Thank you Disney World!!!