Disneyland and Walt Disney World have indicated that, starting Thursday, they will no longer require masks for fully-vaccinated guests in the parks, whether indoors or outdoors. Guests who are not fully vaccinated are required to continue wearing masks indoors (including on indoor rides).
“We expect Guests who are not fully vaccinated to continue wearing face coverings in all indoor locations,” reads a statement on the park’s we site, “including indoor attractions and theaters. Face coverings will still be required by all Guests (ages 2 and up) on enclosed Disney transportation, including Disney buses, monorails, and Disney Skyliner.”
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Interesting that the very carefully-worded statements from each park differ slightly in that the text from Disney World explicitly mentions that “face coverings will be optional for fully vaccinated Guests,” while the Disneyland statement omits mention of fully-vaccinated guests, instead addressing only the status of unvaccinated guests. Of course, California will lift its indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people tomorrow which means that, given Disneyland’s non-statement, the park will also lift those requirements.
Deadline reached out to Walt Disney World about its approach to vaccination verification, but did not hear back.
Disneyland:
Beginning February 17, 2022, face coverings are required for unvaccinated Guests (ages 2 and older) in all indoor locations, including throughout indoor attractions and indoor queues. Face coverings are required for all Guests, regardless of vaccination status, in certain indoor settings including Disney shuttles and in health settings, such as in First Aid. Face coverings are optional for Guests in outdoor areas.
Walt Disney World:
Beginning February 17, 2022, Face coverings will be optional for fully vaccinated Guests in both outdoor and indoor locations. We expect Guests who are not fully vaccinated to continue wearing face coverings in all indoor locations, including indoor attractions and theaters. Face coverings will still be required by all Guests (ages 2 and up) on enclosed Disney transportation, including Disney buses, monorails, and Disney Skyliner.
It also should be noted that there are no protocols at either park for determining who is and who is not vaccinated, so vaccination-related mask compliance among guests is on the honor system. Disneyland’s site says “The State of California strongly recommends that all Guests be fully vaccinated or obtain a negative COVID-19 test prior to entering the Disneyland Resort” and “We encourage people to get vaccinated.”
The Anaheim park had previously asked guests to “self-attest that they are in compliance” with California’s recommendations, which include either full vaccination or a recent negative test before entry.
Prior to Thursday, the parks required face coverings for “all Guests (ages 2 and up) in all indoor locations, regardless of vaccination status.”
Disneyland, for its part, informed all salaried and non-union cast members in July that they would need to be fully vaccinated. Since then, according to a Disneyland official, the company has been negotiating with unions representing many remaining workers under collective bargaining agreements. Members covered by those agreements must now complete vaccination protocols by March 28, per the park official.
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