(PresidentialInsider.com)- For the first time in more than two years, Walt Disney World has dropped the last remains of its long-standing mask restriction, enabling park guests to enter the Disney World parks in Florida without a mask.
Following a public outcry, Disney announced a new policy on Tuesday that will allow unvaccinated visitors to the company’s famous Florida theme parks to participate in rides and attractions without wearing a mask.
It effectively ends the last vestiges of a mask policy sustained by corporate stubbornness long after state mandates had expired.
In a statement on the Walt Disney World website, it is said that “Face coverings are optional for Guests in both outdoor and interior settings and Disney transportation.” Visitors who have not completed their vaccinations are advised to wear facial covers in all indoor areas, including indoor attractions and theaters and enclosed transportation.
Even though Florida legislation has remained loosened on mandates for the last year, the Disney World parks have been reluctant to keep up with the state’s mask requirements.
When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order remitting fines for individuals and businesses related to virus restrictions on March 10, 2021, the state’s indoor mask mandate was officially repealed. However, the rule had been de facto repealed since March 10, when DeSantis issued an executive order remitting fines for individuals and businesses. The governor has now prevented municipalities and public schools from enforcing their mask regulations on students and staff.
Although the state has continuously loosened its prohibitions on masks, Disney parks have opted to retain stringent enforcement of mask rules and regulations, which is frequently difficult to do. Until last February, all visitors to Disney World parks were required to wear an interior mask, which was strictly enforced. However, the business withdrew the rule for those who had received vaccinations, with some exceptions for First Aid stations and shuttles.
The announcement comes amid a broader relaxing of mask regulations in the United States, as the consensus shifts to reflect the increasingly endemic nature of the Coronavirus.
On Monday, a federal judge in Florida struck down the federal mandate to wear masks on public transportation nationwide, a mandate which has been repeatedly extended since its establishment.
Simultaneously, many businesses which have persisted in enforcing mask compliance have begun to relax their policies.
