CDC New Guidelines

New CDC Mask Guidelines May Be VERY Good News for Travel

The CDC advised today that Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus may stop wearing masks or maintaining social distance in most indoor and outdoor settings, regardless of size. This is big news for everyone in general and for Disney theme parks in particular. Disney had already announced late last week that they would be lifting some of their protocols such as temperature screenings, but will these new guidelines bring us even more change toward normalcy? We think so.

What Does Bob Say?

Disney CEO

Disney CEO Bob Chapek said today on the company’s second-quarter earnings call that he “think[s] you’re going to see an immediate increase in the number of folks that we’re able to admit into our parks.”

He also called today’s announcement by the CDC “very big news for us,” and a Disney spokesperson confirmed in a statement the parks would issue updated guidelines “as soon as is practical.”

Chapek hinted its parks’ mask mandates could be lifted by the summer, saying not having to wear masks would be a “bigger catalyst for growth in attendance” and “make for an even more pleasant experience.” He referred to wearing masks during the summer as “daunting”- an understatement for sure. 

So what does all of this mean?

Face masks Disney
This MousekeMom dares to wager that this extraordinarily good news suggests that we will see more normalcy returning to the parks as early as the Fourth of July! Since early April, Disney has been inching toward less stringent restrictions as more and more people around the country continue to get vaccinated and the number of deaths, hospitalizations and cases of COVID have been on the decline. First, Disney announced that guests would be permitted to temporarily remove masks for outdoor photos. Then they announced that temperature checks would be discontinued. They also announced that they would be phasing out social distancing. All signs are pointing to a more normal park experience, and this latest change in recommendation by the CDC solidifies that. 

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