Florida & California Requiring Face Masks
We’ve discussed Walt Disney World’s mask requirement in the parks and around resorts at great length (with hundreds of you offering your feedback). Likewise, Disneyland recently confirmed that it would mandate face coverings for guests and Cast Members despite its Orange County rescinding an order requiring masks.
Now, Governor Gavin Newsom issued new guidance in conjunction with the California Department of Public Health requiring that face coverings be worn in common and public indoor spaces and outdoors when distancing is not possible, with limited exceptions. This is being done to limit the release of infected droplets when talking, coughing, and/or sneezing, as well as to reinforce physical distancing.
This comes a couple of days after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings issued a public plea for Floridians people to wear masks, and said he was considering whether to write an executive order requiring people to do so to avoid a second shutdown. In this post, we’ll share further details on the latest developments in California and Florida, plus the potential impact on Walt Disney World and Disneyland…
California’s new mask requirement comes as the state further relaxes stay-at-home restrictions, with more businesses slated to reopen this Friday. The number of confirmed infections in California continues to hit new highs, with 4,291 new cases on Wednesday, a new single-day record and the first time the state has broken the 4,000 barrier since the pandemic began, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In a statement, Newsom said that California is “seeing too many people with faces uncovered – putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease.” Per Newsom, “California’s strategy to restart the economy and get people back to work will only be successful if people act safely and follow health recommendations. That means wearing a face covering, washing your hands and practicing physical distancing.”
Meanwhile in Florida, Orange County has set new single-day records for cases six of the last seven days, as numbers have steadily increased. Central Florida has now surpassed 10,000 cases, and Florida as a whole reported an additional 3,207 coronavirus cases Thursday, by far the largest daily increase yet and hundreds more infections than the previous record.
According to a new model by scientists at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, Florida has “all of the markings of the next large epicenter of coronavirus transmission.” While Florida is seeing a record-high seven-day average, it’s not all bad news–hospitalizations in Orange County remain low (once you get past the headline), and although they have experienced a “slight uptick” in the number of patients, local hospitals report no alarming numbers so far.
While not alarming, all of this is definitely concerning as Florida continues the process of reopening, and remains largely devoid of tourists. Central Florida leaders are not the only ones concerned with the growing caseload and how that could stymie efforts to reopen the economy.
In a potential preview of what could be in store for other tourist destinations, the Florida Keys will now require masks until June 2021, with a civil fine of $500 for those who violate the ordinance. Of course, that could be rescinded before next year, but it’s nonetheless a sign that you might not want to get your hopes up about Disney rolling back the mask rule by this fall or winter.
UPDATE: About 10 minutes after this post was published, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings held a press conference at which he issued an executive order requiring every person in the county to wear a mask, an effort to try to stem a second wave. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said the county order will cover the city as well, and urged residents to wear masks even in the Florida heat and humidity.
This order will go into effect on June 20, 2020 and remain in place indefinitely–Demings stated “we’re buying time with this measure…until a vaccine or cure for the virus is found.” Masks must be worn in public places, but people are permitted to take off the mask while eating or drinking. Employees of businesses must wear a face covering at all times. There will not be any criminal sanctions for violations at this time, but those could be added if Floridians don’t comply with the order.
Orange County’s new order has minimal impact on Walt Disney World, as masks are already required at Disney Springs and will soon extend that rule to apply to its theme parks and resorts. Even in the absence of such an order, it’s the company’s prerogative to enact rules beyond what’s required by law as a private business.
It’s the same idea behind a convenience store, gas station, or even a theme park having a “no shirt, no shoes, no service” sign even though the government doesn’t make you cover your feet. Outside of the Imagination Lounge (which is basically the wild west), no one seems bothered by the footwear requirement in the parks.
Walt Disney World and Disneyland proactively made these rules at the behest of local public health expert guidance and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest guidance. This strongly encourages cloth face coverings or masks in public, at events or gatherings.
Per the CDC, cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms. These are not surgical masks or respirators—they’re not personal protective equipment. Cloth face coverings are for the benefit of others, and are mutually beneficial when worn by both parties to an interaction.
In accordance with the CDC and other health experts, the rules at Disneyland and Walt Disney World apply to all guests ages 2 and older. However, the parks plans to offer “relaxation zones” where guests will be able to remove their face masks for relief from the summer heat, away from crowds and foot traffic.
Otherwise, guests must wear masks at all times, with limited exceptions for eating and drinking or swimming. Face coverings must even be worn in pool areas and while entering and exiting restaurants.
While California’s new guidance allows medical exemptions, Walt Disney World and Disneyland have not yet addressed whether guests with disabilities, medical, or mental health conditions will be required to wear masks. Universal is allowing limited exemptions, and it seems likely that Disney will follow suit and allow modified face masks to the extent feasible (think face shields).
However, it’s worth noting here that the ADA requires no “reasonable accommodation” for face masks, as doing so would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others. This comes directly from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The basis for this is that cloth face coverings protect other people from a wearer who is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms. Meaning that these masks are not PPE, but rather for the benefit of others, and are mutually beneficial when worn by both parties to an interaction—which means that guests wearing masks help protect Cast Members.
This is the problem with simply allowing people to choose whether or not to wear masks. The person making the decision is not the one who will suffer the consequences of their action. (Which is why Cast Member unions fought for masks in the first place–to protect employees.)
Recent research by the University of Cambridge shows that even homemade masks can prove 90% effective at preventing transmission, and a policy of total face mask adoption can still prevent a second wave.
Moreover, both Hong Kong and Japan adopted near-universal masking on their own–and didn’t do much else in terms of prophylactic measures–and have fared much better than the United States. Even with the denser populations, congested mass transit, and relatively lax restrictions, both have seen far fewer cases and hospitalizations than other nations.
Ultimately, this development out of California (and potential change in Orange County, Florida) has minimal impact right now since Walt Disney World and Disneyland both already planned on requiring masks. However, it could be more significant down the road as it means the mask requirement will remain in effect at last as long as mandated by local law even if the rule is unpopular with Disney’s guests.
State or county mandates could also have the effect of normalizing mask-wearing in Florida and California (doubtful) or at least shielding Disney from guest blame and making the practice more accepted as the temporary abnormal. There’s no sugarcoating the reality that wearing a mask all-day, every-day in the summer heat and humidity of Florida during a lengthy Walt Disney World trip is going to be unpleasant. However, if that’s the difference between the parks opening or not–or worse yet, another lockdown or not–we say bring on the masks.
If you have questions about the closure, including policy changes and what we know thus far, please consult our Walt Disney World Reopening FAQ & Info, which should answer most inquiries. See our other WDW Closure & Reopening Updates for the latest news. If you’re planning a Walt Disney World trip, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you concerned about a second wave in Orange County (Florida or California) potentially causing another shutdown? Willing to wear a face mask if that’s what it takes to reduce the risk? Do you have plans to visit Walt Disney World this summer or fall, will you avoid the parks while these temporary rules are in effect? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I’m not a fan of masks, but we did go ahead and book a 5 day trip to Universal in early August. I’m tired of sitting at home, and since it looks like it will be going on for a long time, no sense in postponing. We will probably hit the pool and Volcano Bay pretty heavily with a few hours in the parks. I would do the same at Disney, except we can’t make reservations, and haven’t heard anything about the water parks. But we are planning to back again in late September at Riviera Resort, depending on how things go, since we already have a reservation there.
I’m glad to have some answers about MNSSHP and Food & Wine as my clients make their plans for fall!
I just ordered a box of 50 paper masks and a pack of cooling neck gaiters as options for us. The thick homemade cloth masks are a bit too stifling in my opinion (even tho I can sew and i’ve made hundreds for nurses).
Did you make any out of very thin fabric. This was my first thought.
I just got back from an 8-night vacation split between the Universal area DoubleTree) and the Disney Springs area (Wyndham Garden). It was fantastic, both resorts are easy walking distance from the places I wanted to eat and drink.
Mask compliance was very strong within City Walk & Disney Springs, as well as the Universal Resorts. I found it pretty easy to wear the mask, especially considering I was stopping often for drinks & food. However, I did especially appreciate Volcano Bay because you really only had to wear a mask when entering & departing. (sidenote- that water park is amazing! Definitely on a par, or better than Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach. I never expected to feel that way)
What was also surprising was how few people wore masks outside of Universal or Disney property. I’d say less than 10% of people at my 2 hotels were wearing them. And it’s probably even lower than that.
I’ll be very interested to see if these new requirements change things that much.
It’s easy to see why Florida is considered a possible new epicenter for the virus. Locals repeatedly laughed when I asked about the commonality of wearing masks.
For the record, I was no better than them. Outside Universal, Disney, & the Airport, I joined the crowd and went maskless.
“What was also surprising was how few people wore masks outside of Universal or Disney property. I’d say less than 10% of people at my 2 hotels were wearing them. And it’s probably even lower than that.”
It has gotten noticeably worse around here in the last 2 weeks. We don’t go many places outside of CityWalk and Disney Springs–pretty much just the grocery store, but even we have noticed. Our last trip to Publix was especially bad. Universal and Disney, by contrast, have been great.
We are going at the end of August and we will wear masks. I’ll admit I’d rather not wear masks, but life is short, and I’m tired of rescheduling…
I’m all for masks. Really has worked to keep the numbers down here in NYC. There’s a reason we’re not visiting WDW in the hot humid summer months this year though!
On another note did everyone see what the Disney Parks blog just posted about Food and Wine and MNSSHP? Very interesting!
We will gladly wait until masks are not required. The directive from the top has changed so many times that it really is unclear to a lot of people what the proper mask etiquette actually is. Here in crazy Seattle, our county has had to issue an official statement not to harass anyone who is not wearing a mask because there could be a valid reason they are not. And we still have witnessed people getting into arguments out in public with strangers over non-mask wearing. I definitely don’t want to deal with that on vacation. Another problem with across the board mask wearing is that many of us, at least in Washington, have had the virus already. It isn’t clear that masking is necessary if you fall into this category.
When we were all in lockdown it was made clear we were flattening the curve so as not to overwhelm the hospitals. The virus was not expected to simply disappear. The timeline was spread out. So now things are loosening up, there are more positives. This was expected we were told. The hospitalizations are not overwhelming. So, we are not concerned about a second wave or additional shutdowns.
I must admit, I find it very hard to intuitively accept the idea of wearing a mask in most situations outdoors. My hope is that if this intuitive sense is borne out by the science, which already identifies outdoor interactions as being of significantly lower risk, we may be able to refine the circumstances under which mask wearing is socially expected. I note that outdoor mask wearing is not fully controlled by the new legislation which imposes a lack of distancing necessity – even on busy days, I was rarely within a metre or so of another guest for any sustained period – so this is a policy that Disney could, if desired, loosen further.
The latest modeling would certainly suggest that outdoors is significantly lower risk, so it would seem that you’re likely right.
In general, it appears as if health experts are trying to convey simple messaging rather than accurate and nuanced policies. One of the major early failures, in my view, was public health experts and agencies saying people didn’t need to wear masks–statements at best inaccurate and at worst intentionally misleading to reduce hoarding.
There have been a lot of unforced errors throughout this, but that still stands out to me.
Ummm, Memorial Day weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri…..they were outdoors, in the water, and people got sick. Sorry, masks for me, please!
I’m happy to wear a mask at Disney. I will probably be wearing a mask for the foreseeable future even after they are no longer required. Until this pandemic is no longer a threat, mask it or don’t go.
Do face shields alone meet the requirements to wear a mask?
I have a trip to Disney World scheduled for July and I’m so thankful for the steps Disney is taking to keep us safe. I will happily wear a mask and get a truly unique Disney Experience that will (I hope) never happen again.
Thankfully, I also got a ‘Buff’ mask like what fishermen wear when out on the water, which has cooling technology in addition to covering my mouth. I’m ready and excited and hoping for super-low crowds, and already stoked that I got a good deal on a Savanna-view room from the DVC rental store. Thanks so much for the continued updates, it’s made this vacation possible~
If it’s necessary to wear a mask to prevent a second wave, then I will do it. I’m in upstate NY and our numbers have been going way down, thanks to social distancing and required mask wearing.
So let me get this straight. If I wear a mask it does not protect me. But if you and I were masks, it protects both of us. So simple! It’s incredible that so many people in this country do not understand this.
If fairness, the messaging has been all over the place on masks in the United States and it’s hard to fault some people for genuinely not understanding this. I think a decent number of people are being deliberately obtuse or pushing back in bad faith, but there’s a good amount of sincere (and understandable) confusion.
Finally, we have a few officials being the adults in the room. I live in rural Okeechobee. I was disheartened to notice of three Aldi employees one with mask on neck, not face, and another with nose exposed. When I questioned the behavior to the one wearing a mask properly, I was reminded that it’s not a legal requirement for them to wear a mask. I used to do about 80% of my shopping there. I’ll worry a little less about my son in the 32822 zip code– heretofore the highest # of cases in Orange County being superceded by 32824. We wore masks at what felt like a very safe Universal. It’s hot and humid, and masks are not fun. We support wearing masks in all public areas but do stay at home for the most part.
Nope! Would not do Disney in a mask, I don’t think. Unless it was relatively empty and I had nothing to do. But that doesn’t mean I blame them at this point, and I say for those who are goid with it, go for it! As for the rest of FL and CA, I’m peaved the same social distancing rules apparently don’t apply to everybody, or we probably wouldn’t be here again. If masks are now required to lower numbers again, it is what it is.
I guess we will be going to Europe and the Caribbean from now on…im not wearing masks n or are my grandchildren….i will not be forced…sorry….
It will get better. In the meantime, do what makes you happiest.
Then please, out of respect and concern for others, stay home.
Pooch, why do you (and everyone else) feel the need to respond with this snotty comment? She is entitled to her express her opinion and choose not to go to WDW. Mind your manners and your business.
That research you linked is a model that makes a lot of assumptions, not actually a study done to confirm those assumptions. Those studies would be unethical and so we’re stuck with guesses and just like when people wore masks to help stop the spread of the spanish flu and which they were able later to look back on it and say yeah, that didn’t work… we’re throwing things against the wall and hoping they stick.
While obviously not a controlled study, I think the real world results of Japan, Hong Kong, and other Asian nations are certainly instructive. Those countries are denser, older, and didn’t have strict lockdowns. I’m not sure what outcome-determinative differences they’d have other than mask-wearing culture and lower obesity rates.
There is a theory out there that asian-pacific countries have a lower death rate due to exposure to less lethal coronaviruses, but it’s all just guesses. In 50 years we might have more answers.
We are happy to wear a mask when we return to the parks. It’s a simple thing to do, and makes a difference in how quickly the virus spreads. I always have my face mask on me when I leave the house.
Now, getting my 2 year old to wear one might be a different story!
My small town in the panhandle currently has the most hospitalizations for covid that’s it’s seen since this all started. Unfortunately where I live is also a large part of the “this is fake” or “this goes against my constitutional rights” crowd. I’m pregnant and pretty worried. We do all we can and are still locked down pretty much at our house but we still have to get out. We were just discussing if WDW would follow through with their opening with the increase in cases. I said absolutely, but I just hope, especially for the sake of cast members, that masks are required.
I’m happy to wear a mask, especially if it prevents another lockdown. I don’t think we’re looking at a second wave–I think the first one hasn’t finished. I am really hoping for a vaccine relatively soon. Even if it’s only partially effective, it would still help so much.
I’ll be interested in seeing how mask requirements are affected when a vaccine is finally released. Several are in Phase 3 trials now. In addition to vaccines, there are also antibody treatments in development which (if the vendor claims hold true) can both heal an infected person, and prevent a healthy person from becoming infected. Granted, vaccines can range from highly effective, to simply preventing “serious” symptoms or disease if one does become infected. (Yes, there is a difference between infection, and the disease itself– disease being the manifestation of the infection *if* the patient is not asymptomatic or has mild symptoms only.)
So how would that look? If you get the antibody therapy, or a vaccine that’s proven highly effective, will you get some type of mask-exemption card? Will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Agreed. I think they are putting the dates out to 2021 as a worse case scenario. I think once we get the vaccine (hopefully by the end of the year) and it’s effective that will be a pivoting point and I do think once it’s distributed to the general public things will get back to normal. Everything I have been reading on the vaccine and the drug treatment sounds promising to succeed. Fingers crossed it works the way they are thinking it will
We are going in July and are happy to wear the mask to get back to Disney. Also, cast members do so much to make our trip amazing. They’re wearing a mask all day and they’re not on vacation so it’s the least we can do. We have a family trip in Sept but thought it best to keep it adults only in July until we learn the ropes! As always, thanks for the info!