Walt Disney World has been working hard to adjust to the changing face of the global pandemic while still remaining open for guests willing and able to visit the most magical place on earth. The health and safety guidelines have been continually updated as medical professionals determine best practices, and so we've seen the rules change, and even be relaxed, when it was determined that doing so would not cause any additional risks to guests. However, one rule won't be changing anytime soon. Facemasks will still be required inside Walt Disney World, even by those who have been vaccinated. This has resulted in a couple of different responses from fans. Those that seem shocked that masks are still being required for those with vaccines, and those that are shocked that people are shocked that such a thing needed to be stated out loud.
Health and safety guidelines were recently updated to clarify that even people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine must still wear masks while at Walt Disney World. The reasons for this are considerable. None of the vaccines are 100% effective to start with. Beyond that, One can still carry and transmit the virus to others, even if the vaccine is keeping them clear of symptoms. Add to that the fact that Walt Disney World certainly isn't going to be able to manage who has been truly vaccinated and who has not, and there's every reason for the mask rule to eliminate exceptions.
The vast majority of the responses to this rule clarification fall into the "well, duh" category, but there are still some who were perhaps hoping the vaccine would finally free them of the various restrictions in place due to the pandemic...
Of course, while the whole situation might not be entirely obvious to some, it is to others. At the same time, many are of the opinion that, because this might not be perfectly obvious to everybody involved, spelling it all out to potential guests is necessary. At the end of the day, Walt Disney World would rather have any altercations with angry guests on social media and not at the front gate to Magic Kingdom.
The fact is that nobody likes the fact that these measures need to be taken, but the fact is that either we deal with all this, or we don't get to visit Walt Disney World at all. To be sure, there are many that think that should be the case. However, at the very least most seem to be in agreement that, if the parks are open, everybody inside them should be following all the rules.
It's certainly true that some number of people are avoiding Walt Disney World while things like mask mandates are in effect. There's a feeling that the "Disney Magic" may be missing if one is reminded of the pandemic at every turn. That's understandable to be sure. For any who were hoping that the vaccine would fix those issues, the answer is that, it will, eventually. For the foreseeable future everybody will still need to take necessary precautions. If everybody does, we'll get to a place where we don't these steps that much faster.
Rules will continue to change and be updated, and at some point masks won't be required anymore, but when that will happen is anybody's guess.
