Masks will be required for everyone over the age of three when Walt Disney World begins reopening its theme parks on July 11. That requirement has already been in place since Disney Springs reopened earlier this month, but questions have continued to pop up regarding Disney’s planned enforcement of the regulation.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently spoke with CNN and covered a variety of topics about the reopening of the parks. After saying that capacity would be determined internally based on what Disney believes needs to happen to maintain at least six feet between all of their guests, Chapek was asked about guests wearing masks in the hot Florida heat.
CNN: Obviously Central Florida is incredibly hot during the summer. How do you plan to enforce people wearing masks inside of the parks since it’s a mandatory guideline?
Chapek: “Well, so far our experience has been that the guests have been very cooperative when it comes to wearing the masks. And I think that’s really going to be part of the contract of coming to Walt Disney World in any capacity. We’re going to enforce that rule. It’s for everybody’s safety. We’ve had a great experience in Shanghai. And so far the experience at Disney Springs, after only a short week, is that guests are willing to wear the masks because they know that it’s for everyone’s good… You know I’ve had this mask on pretty much the whole day, and you just forget about it after a while, and I think that’s going to be a part of maintaining the magic.”
Summarized, masks are required if you want to come to Walt Disney World (no matter how hot it is) and Disney plans to enforce that regulation. What lengths they will go to enforce the mask policy was not discussed.
Guest compliance with Disney’s regulations will ultimately determine the success of the reopenings and what will need to happen to move forward. So far, Disney Springs has been a bit of a mixed bag with many guests following the mask requirement and others taking advantage of the food and drink policy to avoid wearing a mask. Disney’s reputation of keeping guests happy can at times be a double-edged sword as it makes rule enforcement a bit spotty.
Will you visit Walt Disney World while the mask policy is required for all guests?
