A Guide To Wearing Face Coverings While Visiting Disney World

Jennifer — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 12:54:40 +0000

While many of us are used to wearing face masks these days, there are some unique things to keep in mind while wearing face masks at Disney World. Today, we’re going to share all of the current rules regarding face coverings at Disney World and some Tips for Wearing Face Masks at DisneyWorld to make the experience a little more enjoyable.

Current Disney World Face Mask Rules

The current Disney regulations around face coverings are specific to age and vaccination status.

Masks are not required for vaccinated park guests except for on shared transportation.

Unvaccinated guests are expected to wear double-layer facial coverings (“neck gaiters, open-chin, triangle bandanas and face coverings containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind are not acceptable face coverings”) during indoor experiences including dining and rides. They are not required to wear them outdoors.

Children under the age of 2 are not required to wear face coverings at any time.

All face coverings should:

Fully cover an individual’s nose and mouth and allow the Guest to remain hands-free
Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
Be secured with ties or ear loops
Be made of breathable material, either disposable or reusable
Costume masks are not considered appropriate and are prohibited from being worn as face coverings.

In addition to the park requirements, many hotels and businesses in the Disney area may have different face mask policies compared to what you’re experiencing at home. For example, some hotels are still requiring them on pool decks or while ordering from pool bars/restaurants. Call your resort and know their policies before you book if this will be an issue for you.

If you plan to visit Disney Springs or frequent other businesses in the Orlando area, bring a mask just in case that store or restaurant requires it.

Tips for Wearing Face Masks in Florida

We have two fully dedicated posts about the heat in Florida – All About the Temperature at DisneyWorld and 10 Tips to Beat the Summer Heat at DisneyWorld. This is not a drill!

Wearing face coverings in the Florida heat adds some unique challenges, but there are a few ways to make it a bit more bearable:

WEAR YOUR HAIR UP – If you have any length to your hair, you will find having it up in a ponytail will make wearing the mask a little more comfortable. Wear some Mickey Ears if you want to look cute!
PUT ON SUNSCREEN
BRING EYE GLASS CLOTH OR WIPES – If you have to wear glasses or plan on wearing sunglasses, you will want to be sure to have some glass wipes/cloths on hand. Your glasses will fog up. It is quite annoying, but keeping them cleaned throughout the day will help a lot.
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER– Florida is already hot enough but adding the mask only increases the heat. So make sure to stay hydrated. Bring your own water bottles to refill throughout the day or make sure to stop at any quick service location and ask for cups of ice water (THEY ARE FREE). Staying hydrated is important anytime you are in the parks. Wearing a mask that we are not used to only increases the heat and makes staying hydrated even more important.
TAKE A BREAK– There are going to be times you are not required to wear your mask. Take advantage of these times when you can throughout the day, as this helps!

Kids wearing face masks at DisneyWorld (Disney)

Do Kids Need to Wear Face Masks at Disney?

Children under the age of 2 and fully vaccinated children do not have to wear face coverings except on shared Disney transportation.

Unvaccinated children over the age of 2 will still need to wear face coverings indoors – for example, indoor dining, on rides, in shops, etc.

While many of our children are used to masks by now – for many of them, they have been allowed to go without for several months. One nice thing about the current regulations is that kids no longer have to wear masks outdoors, which was particularly uncomfortable in the Florida heat.

(I’m not saying your children shouldn’t still wear a mask outdoors – that’s your personal decision – but it is nice that they can take breaks from the masks when they get too unbearable.)

Dressed up with a face mask (Disney)

Tips to Get Kids to Wear a Mask at a Disney Park

For the little ones, (throw-away) disposable masks may not be the best option for them since the elastic ear loops may start bothering the back of their ears. A better option may be the small cloth Disney masks with the cloth ear loops.
If you do opt for disposable masks, bring extras as they can start to disintegrate and smell as the day wears on.
Plan for plenty of snack or water breaks so children can remove their masks and have a bit of a breather.
Let your child pick out a fun Disney-themed mask that is special just for wearing at Disney.
Experiment with different mask types. While Disney no longer allows gaitor-style masks or bandanas, there are still so many options available to find one that your child finds comfortable.

I hope this guide helps you with a bit of your Walt Disney World vacation planning in knowing how to handle wearing masks in the Florida heat and knowing when you will be expected to wear a mask.

If you have any tips that we didn’t mention, I’d love to hear them! Join us over at Disney Express Lane, on Facebook to share your experiences and tips.