To ensure we are equipping our readers with all the information they need, we will continue to report on all travel, safety, and COVID-related news that could impact a Disney Parks visit.

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This Post Was Last Updated On: September 29th, 2022 and will no longer be updated. For the latest updates, click the link above to see our post which is continuously updated with details about travel to Disney World and Disneyland.

Many restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have eased, both in the world and specifically in the Disney parks. Mask requirements, physical distancing, and other measures seem to be a thing of the past. But the situation with COVID-19 variants continues to change.

We previously reported on the BA.2 COVID-19 variant, and the BA.2.12.1 variant, which are subsets of the Omicron variant. Then, experts moved on to focus on the BA.4 and BA.5 variants, both of which became more prominent in America. Here’s what you need to know about the variants and how they could impact your upcoming Disney World trip.

What Is the BA.5 COVID-19 Variant?

The BA.5 COVID-19 variant is another subvariant of Omicron. According to The New York Times, experts previously determined that it was the dominant strain of the coronavirus in the world.

It, along with the BA.4 subvariant, had been “fueling an outbreak of cases and hospitalizations.”

How Is It Different from Past Variants?

Although the CDC has stated that there is currently no evidence that these subvariants are “inherently more severe than other Omicron subvariants,” they may be more transmissible than previous strains.

The Times reported that both variants have “mutations in their spike proteins,” which may allow them to evade immunity and infect people who have antibodies from previous variants.

In fact, scientists suspect that BA.5 will be the most transmissible variant yet in the United States.

According to some studies cited by Reuters, reinfections and more severe outcomes could be more common with the BA.5 variant. Compared to BA.2, BA.5 seems to be linked to a higher likelihood of causing another COVID-19 infection regardless of vaccination status. There also seems to be an indication that there is a reduction in protection granted from a previous COVID-19 infection when it comes to BA.5.

When it comes to reducing the risk of severe illness and hospitalization, one study said that “Among those infected with BA.5, booster vaccination was associated with 77% and 88% reduction in risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and death, respectively, while higher risk reduction was found for BA.2 cases, with 93% and 94%, respectively.”

What’s Going On in the U.S. and the World?

The United States — which has a lower vaccination rate than some other countries — had been experiencing a wave of the BA.5 and BA.4 variants. Positive COVID-19 tests had been on the rise, and the CDC previously indicated that the rate of infection could grow to be higher than during most other waves of COVID-19 variants.

Experts warned that the risk of infection from these variants was increasing. A professor who has studied BA.5 said, “I think there’s an underappreciation of what it’s going to do to the country, and it already is exerting its effect” (New York Times).

As of September 29th, 2022, however, the 7-day average was 50,505. That marks a reduction in case numbers compared to some recent weeks.

As of late September 2022, BA.5 made up over 80% of cases while BA.4.6 made up just over 11% of cases in the U.S.

As of late September 2022, however, cases and deaths were on the decline globally, related to COVID-19.

In July of 2022, the New York Times reported that the U.S. was in the middle of a COVID-19 surge, due to the BA.5 subvariant. The variant appears to be the most transmissible version of the COVID-19 virus (so far) and has been reinfecting individuals who have already gotten COVID-19 with other variants once or twice.

For a while, we did see COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations increasing in the United States. As of late September 2022, however, case numbers and deaths in the US had seen a decrease in terms of the 14-day change.

Also, in August of 2022, the FDA authorized bivalent COVID-19 vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna to be used as a booster dose. These include an mRNA component from the original strain and an mRNA component in common between the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 to provide “better protection” against COVID-19 which is caused by omicron. These updated boosters can now be obtained.

How Is the BA.5 Variant Affecting Florida?

Specifically in Florida, the Orlando Sentinel previously reported that the BA.5 variant “represents a majority of COVID-19 cases in the state.” This shift happened quickly, as Helix (which is a program that determines the prevalence of COVID-19 variants) reported that the BA.5 variant “represented 12% of specimens collected from infected Floridians on June 5, but only three weeks later on June 26 it represented 51%.”

As of Thursday, July 7th, the BA.5 variant was “the most common COVID-19 mutation detected in multiple wastewater systems across Orange and Seminole counties” (Orlando Sentinel). The wastewater was tested for several different omicron subvariants. The results indicated a 37% increase in COVID-19 cases from the last sample taken previously.

This means that Florida residents are more likely to catch the BA.5 variant, even if they’ve already had COVID or have been vaccinated. An expert said that “vaccine immunity will likely reduce but not eliminate the chance of severe outcomes from infection with the new omicron subvariants.”

As of September 2022, the New York Times shows that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Florida have actually dropped compared to 2 weeks ago.

The CDC has categorized Orange County, Florida in the “low” level in terms of community infections, while Osceola County, Florida is in the “medium” category.

COVID-19 and Disney World

Heading to Disney World soon and wondering what’s going on there and how the subvariant could impact things? Mask rules have changed this year, so you’ll want to know what the updated requirements are.

Right now, face masks are OPTIONAL for guests in outdoor and indoor locations, as well as Disney transportation. The only exception is First Aid stations, which may still require face masks inside. Disney continues to recommend, however, that guests who are not fully vaccinated wear masks in all indoor spots.

Disney World has not announced any changes to the current health and safety policies.

Disney is continuing to reopen attractions, restaurants, and events in its parks. Character dining has returned to some restaurants, and the popular Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue reopened has reopened. More character meet-and-greets have also returned to the parks.

We’ll continue to update this post as we learn more about the most recent COVID-19 subvariant, so stay tuned with DFB.

Click here to learn more about how COVID-19 is impacting Disney parks and travel in general.