Since Disney World reopened about a year ago, a LOT has changed regarding health and safety measures in the parks.
Mickey Face Mask
For a while, there were tons of different policies to keep up with, but since the COVID-19 vaccine has rolled out across the country, health and safety measures have started to dwindle down. We’ve seen the removal of temperature checks, physical distancing markers, and face masks outdoors, but there’s a new policy starting today — Disney World guests no longer need to wear masks in most locations.
Disney made the announcement last week, and as of June 15th, masks are no longer required indoors or on rides for fully vaccinated guests. (However, Disney will not be asking for proof of vaccination.). Face masks are still required for ALL guests on Disney transportation.
©Disney
And we’re in the parks today to check out what Disney World looks like after such a BIG change!
Magic Kingdom
We started our day traveling from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Magic Kingdom. The only form of transportation exempt from the new mask rule is the ferry boat, because it’s outdoors. However, we opted for the monorail, where face coverings are required for all guests.
You’ll notice that the monorail cabins now permit standing.
Standing Room in the Monorail
There are still social distancing stickers on the ground outside the monorail and in each cabin itself, but they’re being filled a bit more than before. There are now 2 assigned “numbers” per cabin. We sat in 23 with 4 others, while group 24 had 6 others.
2 stickers will be directed into each cabin!
You can see how social distancing stickers are now directing guests to stand. You’ll also notice that the plexiglass had been removed from our cabin.
Social Distancing Stickers Remain Inside
Once we arrived at Magic Kingdom, we were off transportation and masks were no longer required indoors for fully vaccinated guests. We first visited the Emporium and saw a mix of guests with and without face coverings.
Emporium
Safety reminders directing all guests to wear masks inside have not yet been removed.
Old Safety Signs Are Still Up
In Main Street Bakery, many guests chose to go without their masks. We also noticed that social distancing had been largely relaxed, in accordance to Disney’s latest policy update.
Main Street Bakery
Then, we headed over to Adventureland to ride the Jungle Cruise. Again, social distancing was almost nonexistent in the queue, and plexiglass had been removed. But we did notice that, once onboard their boat, guests remained socially distanced from their skipper.
Jungle Cruise Queue
Again, many people chose to ride maskless. Guests are also now being seated in the middle row of benches on the boat.
Time to head into the Jungle!
On Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, most guests were maskless as well.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Over in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we noticed a very similar situation. Many guests chose not to wear masks inside stores like Tower Hotel Gifts…
Tower Hotel Gifts
…and Beverly Sunset.
New mask policy in action
Inside Walt Disney Presents, a Cast Member was reminding guests of the new policy. Some guests chose to keep their face coverings on, while others went without.
Walt Disney Present
Disney World is constantly changing, so we’ll continue to keep you updated on the latest policy changes. We will also keep updating this post as the day continues and we get a better feel for this new policy in action. In the meantime, this is what you can expect Disney World to look like if you are visiting soon!
Click to read the new mask policy in full!
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No one under 12 is vaccinated so this is pretty bad for virus transmission.
What about young kids? Like they aren’t vaccinated at all right now.
Does it mean that parents can get their mask of but not their kids?
Mandi, in theory that would be so, but our reporters tell me that they’re generally not seeing kids wearing masks if their parents are not wearing masks. On the flip side, the kids they’re seeing with masks on generally have parents who are still wearing masks.
I have a friend who is there now. He said most people are not wearing masks on buses and that drivers are not addressing it.
The SCIENCE has PROVEN that children, for the most part, are mostly NOT susceptible to C19, and do NOT transmit it to adults.
If vaccinations work, then why do you need a mask on transportation? Furthermore, you can be packed in the parks with lots of other people, but need to mask on transportation (even when vaccinated)? Someone please explain the SCIENCE behind this. While you’re at it, please explain how plexiglass will stop airborne particles from going under, over, or around the plexiglass.
Sorry just read the story again and can see that no proof is needed which makes me nervous if social distancing is as relaxed as it appears to be in your pictures of the Bakery and Jungle Cruise queue! 🙁
I was wondering the same thing. Technically EVERY SINGLE kid should still be wearing a mask. Which is complete garbage. How do you explain to a child why I can remove my mask but you can’t. Disney didn’t really think about that did they?
I assume since you didn’t mention it in the article, CMs are ignoring the mask less children?
As they should. Cause at this point it’s only a formality anyway.
Yup, if they ask that is a vaccine passport situation and asking for that in Florida is a $5000 fine. Each instance. Party of 8 gets expensive . All day long!
Here in the uk kids under eleven do not have to wear masks as the affects so we are told are very mild. If the majority have all been vaccinated then it shouldn’t be an issue however if someone is choosing not to wear a mask when they haven’t been fully vaccinated then that is down to them.
It’s almost as if the people that are actually terrified of COVID are NOT GOING TO DISNEY. Interesting.
With only 47% of the US population fully vaccinated seems like there are a lot of untruthful people at Disney. Well, time will tell and the virus is still out there and still just as deadly to those not vaccinated.
I wish they had waited until kids could be vaccinated. Disney is meant for kids to enjoy with their parents. 3 more months of masks indoors would have been so easy. And so much safer.
Almost no one is wearing a mask given a choice. It’s nice to have a choice and people who are afraid of the virus should continue to wear if it makes them feel better. Kids have a very low chance of catching or transmitting the virus. If a person has been vaccinated you have nothing to worry about. If you have not been vaccinated you should get the vaccine or stay home.
Any word on when the Epcot monorail will reopen?
I don’t man… I don’t think with all the new knowledge about just how gross people are that I’ll ever be super stoked to take my mask off… I don’t need to breathe in anyone’s breath.
This is looking awesome! Things are finally looking back to normal. Thank you Ron Desantis!
Bet you some of those maskless people aren’t vaccinated.
The Indian variant is now in the USA and is up to 60% more transmissible so a spike is inevitable imho.
I wish Disney would hold back on removing everything at once. If masks are not required, fine, but why remove plexiglass, or why not maintain some distancing. I’m wondering if guests are allowed to ask others to distance from them in queues. They should make slow changes and monitor the effects and then make another change, etc.
That was going to be my comment as well. Children aren’t vaccinated so they should all still have masks on inside.
Regarding earlier comments…virus transmission is mostly an issue with the dishonest folks (taking the masks off with no vaccinations). Love the “honor system “. Fortunately the most vulnerable people have been vaccinated so not to be threatened by the dishonest people who might acquire virus from the kids.
Masks still required on transpiration does not make sense, why are they required, but no where else ??? close distancing is everywhere at Disney.
I agree, if kids under 12 aren’t vaccinated, it’s not a good idea for them to not be wearing a mask.
Thanks DFB Sarah for mentioning kids(notably mostly absent from the photos). As I expected it seems Disney will go with “Don’t ask don’t tell”. We are arriving this weekend and with 3 kids ages 9,6, and 5. They cannot be vaccinated, but since my wife and I have been fully vaccinated, we will have to decide whether to flout the rules and have them go maskless(they are very good about wearing masks) with us, or do we wear masks to set the good example for them and others. The funny thing is that probably most of the people wearing masks are fully vaccinated people who do not trust the honor system.
Harold, that’s a challenging decision. I hope whatever you decide, you have a wonderful trip.
Forrest, still no info from Disney on this.
If you are vaccinated, then you can’t get it, so what is the problem with unvaccinated people? I don’t understand this hysteria from vaccinated people. If you’re scared, then wear a mask, but don’t tell me to.
Disney World has done a very good job of handling this whole thing. Masks and distancing aren’t really needed anymore. Someone above said only 47% of the people have been vaccinated, but of the other half, most will have antibodies which means they have had it and didn’t know it. Since the vaccine is not FDA approved, and they are finding that young men and boys are at great risk for serious risk of heart problems from taking the vaccine, caution is warranted. If you are afraid don’t go! But don’t tell me I have to do to make YOU feel safe. I have both had the virus and the vaccine, I’m not going to wear a mask to make you feel better.
Children DO spread the virus its just that their symptons are not severe, With the Indian variant they can spread it to the vulnerable even if they have been vaccinated. The vulnerable may or may not require hospitilisation but some will possibly die!!!
Thanks DFB Sarah. I happen to work at a research institute with where the CEO was one of the lead people in Singapore’s response to the first SARS outbreak. So I have very good information(much better than some of the internet doctors commenting. LOL) We have plenty of masks packed and they do not bother my wife and I or our kids to wear. The harder part will be other family members and their kids and how my kids react to them wearing or not.
@RAY, and that Indian variant has been causing illness in children which is very alarming. A friend of mine had to return to India to get her visa renewed just before the worst of the last spike. She said that it was horrific.
Hello Harold,
i feel less alone on that subject,
actually my trip is in novembber (if borders reopen and we are allowed to travel there) so it may change A LOT until then, but my daugther is 2 and all us 7 adults with her will be fully vaccinated (already are actually) so it seems complicated to have her wearing a mask….
Hi Mandi,
With most things, I feel Disney is one of the safest PO aces on Earth, but with the pandemic, the US in general , I do not know about other countries, has shown a “rights over right” attitude.
My kids are healthy with no known pre-existing condition. I have some lung issues(thanks smoking Dad in the 79s and 80s) my wife and I are fully vaccinated, so not sure what we will do. The risk is low but not zero. People who have been vaccinated can get infected, but the risk of transmission and severity of the infection should be much less. We are not saying the sky is falling, nor are we burying our heads in the sand(or somewhere else) and saying the virus is nothing to worry about.
To elaborate on my comment about, where I work we have people who do research on COVID 19. In fact, art of our non profit created a rapid test. Still, when you see the honor system applied to masks and you know certain people have not been vaccinated, but cheering as they take their mask off you realize when the next pandemic comes there could be a lot less of us around. Think Thanos with a cough instead of a snap.
Anyway, I got stop hijacking DFBs post . Just happy they post great info on here to help us make the best decision we can.
Have a great trip and stay safe.
@ Randi Briggs, if you have been vaccinated you don’t have to wear a mask… not sure why you feel you do. Also technically, the vaccine does not prevent you from catching the virus, it provides your body with instructions to make antibodies that will fight off the virus when to do come in contact with it Lessening symptoms greatly and preventing DEATH. You may still catch it and may even get some symptoms and potentially even spread it although all of those will be greatly reduced.
If you have been vaccinated I really don’t understand why anyone would be bothered if someone else was wearing a mask or not. Wasn’t the mask there to protect others in case you had the virus but the vaccine is to protect yourself so if someone had a mask on or not wouldn’t matter! The hysteria is crazy not there is a vaccine! If you have had the vaccine and still scared why don’t you just stay home so the rest of us can get back to living our one and only life!
@Gavin I do not have enough crayons on my vacation to explain the science of herd immunity and why it is important that everyone who can get vaccinated does. It goes beyond just being one person. Enjoy your bliss.