Masks at WDW in 2021

[Betty Rohrer]

Thats so sad to me that a child assumes a mask is normal. I’m sorry but I don’t want that for my child, especially at a young age when they don’t understand.

yet does your young child understand why she has to wear shoes when she leaves the house? my youngest grandchild does not understand why she has to wear a mask to ride her favorite train but knows it is what she has to do if she wants to ride. her choice mask on or no ride. the thing most is likely she will not remember this as she gets older and looks at the pictures and wonder why she is wearing a mask

 

[Jhondy]

Thats so sad to me that a child assumes a mask is normal. I’m sorry but I don’t want that for my child, especially at a young age when they don’t understand.

100% agree with this!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

100% agree with this!

a year after masks are not required child will not remember. worked with toddlers in daycare for years and we just went thru daylight savings time change today. come this fall the Monday after change back will one of hardest days as far as pick up goes. they do not remember it getting dark early and the ones now going home after dark are sure mom has forgotten them. but as far as time goes it is same time as normal to go home. and we do this to young kids every year. which is more sad child thinking masks normal or a child sure mom is not coming for them just asking

 

[Jhondy]

a year after masks are not required child will not remember. worked with toddlers in daycare for years and we just went thru daylight savings time change today. come this fall the Monday after change back will one of hardest days as far as pick up goes. they do not remember it getting dark early and the ones now going home after dark are sure mom has forgotten them. but as far as time goes it is same time as normal to go home. and we do this to young kids every year. which is more sad child thinking masks normal or a child sure mom is not coming for them just asking

My kid may not remember the mask but it doesn’t mean it won’t have some effect on her. The she won’t remember logic is flawed cause while kids have no actual memory, children can still develop behaviors because of things that happened while they were very young. You can’t guarantee me that having something covering her face as she is learning to talk won’t effect her ability to talk or having everyone around her in a mask won’t effect her learning her words or how to read facial expressions. And it may very well not but I want to give her the best environment to learn and in my opinion that is without a mask on.

You can do what you think is best for the kids in your life and I will do what is best for mine. While I will not “teach” her to wear a mask at 2, we also won’t be breaking any masks rules because we won’t be going anywhere that 2 year olds are required to wear masks (the state we live in is 5 and over have to wear a mask). We already cancelled an October WDW trip for a trip to local tourist area because she will be 2 by then. I also know my kid is stubborn as hell and super smart so if she doesn’t want to wear a mask, she won’t. She has other things to work on and learn that a mask is not anywhere in my view of priorities for her. Also, both me and her father have had covid and she has been exposed to it. I’m vaccinated already and my DH will get his first vaccine at the end of the month. So, those things also factor into my choice on how to parent my child in the way I believe is best for her.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

yet does your young child understand why she has to wear shoes when she leaves the house? my youngest grandchild does not understand why she has to wear a mask to ride her favorite train but knows it is what she has to do if she wants to ride. her choice mask on or no ride. the thing most is likely she will not remember this as she gets older and looks at the pictures and wonder why she is wearing a mask

Agree little kids probably won’t remember the mask wearing (my 11 yo on the other hand will) but either way wearing shoes and a covid face mask is not the same thing. Yes, it’s become our temporary normal, but it really is not for children to wear them for hours on end... so the point that was being made (I think) that it’s sad little kids just see it as “normal”.
Like I said though kids that are younger than 5 likely will not remember this at all and I don’t think mask wearing is hurting them long term.
Let’s hope anyway.
Edited to add: I would not mask a 2 year old either. Maybe 3-5 if I had to, but overall against it for toddlers. If my baby was 2 now I’d be waiting to go to Disney world.
Hopefully by next year this will all be a not so pleasant memory.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

My kid may not remember the mask but it doesn’t mean it won’t have some effect on her. The she won’t remember logic is flawed cause while kids have no actual memory, children can still develop behaviors because of things that happened while they were very young. You can’t guarantee me that having something covering her face as she is learning to talk won’t effect her ability to talk or having everyone around her in a mask won’t effect her learning her words or how to read facial expressions. And it may very well not but I want to give her the best environment to learn and in my opinion that is without a mask on.

You can do what you think is best for the kids in your life and I will do what is best for mine. While I will not “teach” her to wear a mask at 2, we also won’t be breaking any masks rules because we won’t be going anywhere that 2 year olds are required to wear masks (the state we live in is 5 and over have to wear a mask). We already cancelled an October WDW trip for a trip to local tourist area because she will be 2 by then. I also know my kid is stubborn as hell and super smart so if she doesn’t want to wear a mask, she won’t. She has other things to work on and learn that a mask is not anywhere in my view of priorities for her. Also, both me and her father have had covid and she has been exposed to it. I’m vaccinated already and my DH will get his first vaccine at the end of the month. So, those things also factor into my choice on how to parent my child in the way I believe is best for her.

at most restaurants in my area you would have been asked to put back on and not in bag. daughter one trip forgot to bring shoes for her just turned one year old to a local park and was told he could not ride anything without shoes even sitting on her lap

 

[Jhondy]

at most restaurants in my area you would have been asked to put back on and not in bag. daughter one trip forgot to bring shoes for her just turned one year old to a local park and was told he could not ride anything without shoes even sitting on her lap

i didn’t mean to post that part but regardless, that has not been my experience with her but she is only 19 months right now. So, maybe that’s why. She is generally good with shoes cause she loves shoes but she has her moments and I’ve never had a restaurant or a store say anything to us (maybe cause she still has socks on or maybe cause she isn’t on the ground running around)

I don’t see shoes and masks as the same thing. One is much moe restrictive than the other. I love shoes and I hate masks. I take my mask off the moment that I am allowed to. I have first hand experience of negative impacts masks have had on life because of negative impacts it has had in my job field. However, I wear them though because I’m told to (even if there is actually zero enforcement around here because all the police agencies said they weren’t enforcing mask violations).

whether I choose to wear a mask or not or teach my child to or not is really not a concern of yours or anyone else’s because it doesn’t affect anyone else. As I said, we still follow the rules and don’t go anywhere she has to wear a mask. You can have your opinion that it doesn’t matter cause she is so young (and by that logic, I can do whatever I want to her cause who cares she won’t remember...except her development is higher now than any other time in life so what we do now will affect her) and I can have mine.

 

[nancipants]

Annnnnyway...

masks are now in WDW commercials and they have been increasing signage regarding approved masks, so I don’t see it ending anytime soon.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

Annnnnyway...

masks are now in WDW commercials and they have been increasing signage regarding approved masks, so I don’t see it ending anytime soon.

No, not anytime soon I agree. By 2022 most likely. It’s only March 2021 so yeah... not for a while still

 

[maxiesmom]

Thats so sad to me that a child assumes a mask is normal. I’m sorry but I don’t want that for my child, especially at a young age when they don’t understand.

I wouldn't have chose this for anyone.

 

[Missingmypooh]

For those holding out regarding masks.
I encourage you to watch the Dr. Fauci senate interview from this week.

now, dr. Fauci isn’t the CDC (he’s NIH) however, he is adamant masks are here to stay because of *checks notes* concerns regarding variants even in those with prior infection or vaccinated. (Again, please watch the interview for your own understanding)

People got optimistic over the July 4th statement, but it could be that the CDCs default message is to mask up which means Disney would likely follow this as long as they had it (including into 2022).

 

[Makmak]

I think that when dropping masks becomes a trend that the big issue is that with organizations and companies with reputations for safety “nobody wants to go first.” I’m seeing this with every policy in our area that, for example with distancing and returning to classes k-12 has been directed to return by the government so they have that to fall back on if there’s an outbreak. I’m in higher Ed, and the colleges are sort of engaged in a game of chicken where each wants to “appear safest” so nobody wants to be first going back to campus in case something happens like an outbreak. Nobody wants that on their record. I think Disney will be among the very last places to drop masks based on these trends because they want to maintain their reputation of safety. I think they will stay through 2021.
Regarding the impact of masks and distancing and isolation on children, our psychology professors are already having a field day researching speech delays, emotional delays, problems with social skills and increased anxiety in what was considered “normal” social situations pre-pandemic. Socialization has been impacted greatly worldwide for young children. As always there are some that say the results will be terrible and others believe that children are resilient and will adjust to normalcy just fine. Time will tell.

 

[jenjen212]

My daughter is now 4, had just turned 3 when the pandemic started in 2020. We rarely took her out anywhere in the beginning to keep her safe at home. Sometime around July / August 2020 we started going for walks with her wearing a mask to introduce it to her because she was going to go to PreK part time in September. I got her many masks all different with her favorite characters on them. I also wore some with characters. To her, it became like a "dress up" activity. That is how she got used to wearing one. Then, she wanted to coordinate them with her clothes. lol Wearing a Minnie Mouse mask with her Minnie Mouse shirt, or Elsa mask with her Elsa shirt, etc. Now she thinks it is part of playing dress up. But, she keeps them on all day when she is in school. She only goes 3 days a week though.

When we go to the store, she wears her mask without a problem. I explained to her that the reason that we have to wear them is that some people are sick, sometimes they don't know it yet. We wear our masks so that we won't catch the germs, and so we won't get sick too. Obviously, she doesn't understand the depth of how bad things are or were, but she sees that everyone around her at school, and when we go to the store, everyone is all wearing a mask. Then, when some comment on how cute her character mask is, she wants to show it off more. Like the way she was pre-pandemic where she would have pride when someone says something nice to her about how she looked when she wore her princess dress in public.

Every kid is different, and will be affected by it differently depending on their circumstances. So, only you will know how best to help your child. I think most kids are going to be resilient.

We are going to bring her in August 2021 to Disney, I think that we will use our discretion in doing park time in moderation, going back to the resort to enjoy relaxing time there. Not sure how things will be in August though.

 

[jenjen212]

yet does your young child understand why she has to wear shoes when she leaves the house? my youngest grandchild does not understand why she has to wear a mask to ride her favorite train but knows it is what she has to do if she wants to ride. her choice mask on or no ride. the thing most is likely she will not remember this as she gets older and looks at the pictures and wonder why she is wearing a mask

I agree

 

[Carolrita]

I’m booked for late August and I’m praying they relax the mask rules by then. I am vaccinated, but still careful. I understand masks at the park, but keeping them on my entire vacation (u less I’m in my room or in the pool) is too much. Since the beginning, the CDC has suggested masks outside only when social distancing isn’t possible. The resorts are so big, I feel it’s really extreme to require masks while walking around the resorts (while not in the crowded areas, I.e. poolside). I’m certainly not careless. My family and friends call me paranoid with this virus, but this is too much even for me.

 

[Lsyves]

They’ll probably have a hard time enforcing masks once it gets stifling hot in the summer. Anyone know how it went last summer?(I can’t remember if they were open/closed/limited and when. Exhausted by all the timelines and losing my mind!)

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

They’ll probably have a hard time enforcing masks once it gets stifling hot in the summer. Anyone know how it went last summer?(I can’t remember if they were open/closed/limited and when. Exhausted by all the timelines and losing my mind!)

The difference is last summer there were very few people in the parks. This summer is going to be much busier with longer lines. I'm hoping they relax the mask policy even further by then to not require them outdoors. We aren't going to WDW, but we have a DVC trip planned for HHI and we will cancel if we have to wear masks outside in July. It's just too hot!

 

[maxiesmom]

The difference is last summer there were very few people in the parks. This summer is going to be much busier with longer lines. I'm hoping they relax the mask policy even further by then to not require them outdoors. We aren't going to WDW, but we have a DVC trip planned for HHI and we will cancel if we have to wear masks outside in July. It's just too hot!

I wouldn't think that would happen very soon. Being in a crowd outside isn't exactly safe either. You have to keep social distancing for a while.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I wouldn't think that would happen very soon. Being in a crowd outside isn't exactly safe either. You have to keep social distancing for a while.

True, but heat stroke isn't very safe either. I just can't imagine standing in 90-minute lines with a mask on in the middle of summer at WDW. We aren't going back to WDW until the masks are gone. (I know this is off-topic from the thread, but what makes me sad is if HHI DVC still requires mask outside this summer when there aren't crowds there. If you've been there, you know how small the resort is. My family likes to fish from the pier. Right now to do that, masks are required. But if we were at the pool area (which my family doesn't spend time at pools), we can have our masks off. Just doesn't make a lot of sense.)

 

[bigbadbuff]

I am seeing on other boards that you are now allowed to remove masks at Disney for stationary pictures outdoors.