Earlier today, Florida governor Ron DeSantis announced that he will be using his executive orders to lift all COVID related emergency orders in the state of Florida, including city and county mask mandates, effective July 1, 2021. And while this would pave the way for Orange County businesses like Walt Disney World (which is mostly in Orange County) to drop mask mandates, Disney has released an official statement saying that for now, the resort’s face covering requirement will stay in place, releasing the following through my Disney Experience:
We are aware of the state of Florida’s plans announced today to modify COVID-19 guidelines. We will evaluate this latest guideline and maintain our current health and safety measures at this time, including face covering requirements.We will continue to make thoughtful adjustments to our policy. As COVID-19 vaccines become available, we encourage people to get vaccinated.
Though there is no timeline for when any kind of adjustments may occur, Disney recently changed their policy regarding mask usage during photos, and some recent signage changes suggest that social distancing in queues may be shortened soon from 6 feet to 3 feet. Still, when it comes to masks in the theme parks, many are assuming that Disney will keep mask mandates through the end of the year unless vaccination rates pick up dramatically in the near future.
While we don’t see Disney dropping mask mandates any time soon, this new executive order could pave the way for further changes to official policy, especially when it comes to mask-wearing in outdoor areas.
