That works be the smart choice imo, but I also know they are under tremendous pressure to start being profitable again.
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but you can end distancing but still have the mask, canât they? Thus removing the âprofitabilityâ problem?
That was always everyoneâs (at least on this site, from what I saw) anticipation, anyway: Masks stay while everything else goes first.
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Yeah. Exactly. Why not remove everything EXCEPT masksâŚbasically 100% normal, but with indoor masks? Profits should return fully.
One hindrance they are facing toward profitability and full normalcy right now is getting full staffed back up. But that isnât related to mask usage, so againâŚwhy not keep the masks for a while longer?
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Mostly.
There are still a good number of people who have firmly stated they will not return until masks are gone.
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But perhaps a similar number to those who would cancel if masks are gone entirely? I have no idea. I suppose they may have some idea from all the surveys theyâve sent out. When given the chance, I responded that masks and distancing made me more likely to return but that was after my January trip.
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Iâd forgotten about that. Good point.
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Bingo. Most here are entirely fine wearing masks and will be willing to do it even when not required or providing much of a benefit, but that is not representative of all Disney goers. Itâs a big deal to not have to have a mask on to a LOT of people.
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How dare they be inconvenienced longer than they feel it is necessary.
(thatâs not a directed dig at you, @Tall_Paul1, just an overall comment to their mentality.)
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This is trueâŚbut I donât think they are having trouble getting people to come, so those who choose not to I donât think are impacting their bottom line at this point.
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If I were running a business and trying to please a group of people who said they would not be back unless mask requirements were lifted and a group of people who said they would not be back unless mask requirements remained, I would probably come to the solution that people who donât want to wear masks can come without one, satisfying that group, and people who want to wear masks can still wear them, satisfying that group. I donât think Disney can continuously hold a position that follows one group of people setting safety standards for the entire group when the same level of safety is available to all of the public. (I know they can legally, Iâm speaking in context of PR.)
That being said,
I think this is spot on. Just speculation on my part though.
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I think one thing you have to keep in mind when it comes to these policies is labor. Right now there is a significant labor shortage and if you are having to dedicate hundreds of employees to mask enforcement, and you donât have the ability to hire more people because there simply arenât enough workers, then the only real option you have is to stop enforcing mask policies so you can move those employees to other areas.
I think these policies have more to do with that than health and safety.
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Washington post did an article earlier this week showing when you check covid cases with vaccination rates, most states are seeing just as many cases now as in the fall in unvaccinated people. So, itâs still spreading widely. FL hasnât reached 50% for people receiving their first dose yet. Kids will be at risk.
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I think youâre purposely ignoring the point that people who want masks wonât feel safe around unmasked people, thus only one group is satisfied. I get that you may not feel this way, but the people who want the masks inside to continue probably do.
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Meanwhile I think Disney has done everything on the basis of health and safety. Sometimes that is based on facts (distancing and masks, particularly at the reopening almost a year ago). Sometimes that is based on giving guests the sense of safety (temp checks)
I think labor is the lowest factor - to my knowledge there have not been any CM positions specifically for mask enforcement.
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I keep seeing these particular comments on Disney forums and elsewhere about âKids are more at risk from the flu!!!â And âkids are HIGHLY UNLIKELY to die from COVIDâ and my reaction to that is âSo?â. The thing with COVID isnât all about who dies. Thereâs also who survives with ongoing complications - young previously healthy people who have strokes, myocarditis in athletes, kids with that Kawasaki-type syndrome, people with long COVID problems for months, etc.
And how would you (general you, not specific to anybody here) feel if one of those rare cases was YOUR kid? Is that when youâd care? If youâre an adult and you donât want to get vaccinated or do at least the bare minimum of wearing a mask in places where you are asked thatâs your prerogative (unless youâre violating rules or the law like on a airplane) but, wow, is it selfish and inconsiderate to others.
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remember when USO dropped the outdoor masks⌠WDW didnât do any press release they just quietly changed their written mask policies online in the dark of night.
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Well, people that are worried to be around unmasked people can protect themselves with an N95 mask. If they are still uncomfortable they can postpone. Their reservations will be snapped up.
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I was there when they changed the outdoor mask rules, and let me tell you, that was a VERY strange 12 hours - leave park, get to hotel, see CDC announcement, wake up, go to park, see SO MANY FACES. Whiplash. It happened so fast and I was reflexively anxious and uncomfortable, after over a year of feeling comforted by only seeing eyes.
But, it did seem that people were a whole lot less grumpy about having to wear masks in the indoor parts of the queues since they got a break while they were outside. However, distancing? HA. Wasnât happening before, didnât happen after.
I did see lots of people still wearing masks outside, and I continued to do so about half the time, unless too many people were just too frickinâ close. Sometimes it was just out of habit - Iâm from Boston and mask-wearing here has been extremely consistent since the beginning, so Iâm just used to having it on my face all the time. Being fully vaccinated, I started to get less antsy about being maskless outdoors, but indoors? I will not be showing my nose and mouth for quite some time.
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I have to say Iâm planted right in the middle. One, I donât have a lot of interest in wearing a mask on vacation. I wear at home when I go out, no problem see they are useful here. But all day on vacation doesnât interest us. I also have little kids, so the easing up on masks has caused us to pull back in what we do. I wasnât going until next year and I am fine with waiting. Masks will be gone and hopefully less of a worry about my kids. I am happy to see the world reopening and we will slowly be joining in!
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Walt Disney World is not going anywhere. It will still be there next year. Hopefully better than now.
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