The last face mask mandate in any part of Central Florida’s theme parks is now gone.
On Tuesday, Walt Disney World lifted its requirement for guests to wear face masks on monorails and buses. The change came a day after a federal judge in Florida declared that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had overstepped its authority by requiring masks on public transportation.
Disney World updated its policy to state, “Face coverings are optional for Guests in both outdoor and indoor locations, as well as Disney transportation. It is recommended Guests who are not fully vaccinated continue wearing face coverings in all indoor locations, including indoor attractions and theaters and on enclosed transportation.”
Face masks were required in all parts of Disney World property up until last May, when Disney began rolling back those mandates by first allowing guests to go unmasked outdoors. The indoor mask requirement was ditched a few weeks later, only to be reinstated that July by Disney amid Florida’s COVID-19 surge fueled by the delta variant. Guests have been able to go maskless indoors since February.
Most Florida parks have been largely maskless since late spring 2021. The only exception is Universal Orlando, which did restore its indoor mask mandate from December to February as the more-transmissible omicron variant became widespread.