In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was running rampant around the country and the world, eventually forcing Disney Parks to shut their gates. For residents in the United States, they had never seen a Disney Park closed for more than a day or two, and you can count on one hand the number of times that has happened. However, this time was different. Walt Disney World Resort was closed for months and Disneyland Resort was closed for a whopping 412-days. When The Happiest Place on Earth finally reopened, there were massive changes, including strict capacity numbers, social distancing, and Guests were required to wear face masks at all times.
While it took a while, Guests and Cast Members were able to get vaccinated, and case numbers began to decline sharply. As COVID numbers went down, health and safety regulations at the Parks were relaxed — capacity was increased, social distancing guidelines were removed, and, eventually, face masks were no longer required to be worn. Everything was moving in the right direction and things were returning to the pre-pandemic normal. Unfortunately, things are taking a turn back and COVID cases are again on the rise.
Cases are drastically on the ride in California, with a number of counties in the “red zone”, meaning they have a high transmission level. Los Angeles County is seeing such a high increase in cases that an indoor face mask mandate is expected to return in the next week or so. Orange County, California — where Disneyland is located — is also in the red zone. Cases are rising at such a drastic rate because of the new Omicron sub-variants that are extremely transmissible, and health officials are continuing to encourage residents to receive their vaccination and/or booster shot.
While Los Angeles County is not waiting for state health officials to make any moves towards a mask mandate, at this time, Orange County is not moving in that direction. Residents are encouraged to wear masks in any public location or any time they wish to feel safer, but a mask mandate will most likely not come unless the state says so.
However, should cases continue to climb, Disneyland officials could decide to bring back an indoor mandate to Disneyland Park and , as well as the Downtown Disney District. In previous instances, Disney’s mask mandate has outlasted the one in Orange County. Disney has not said anything about a mask mandate at this time, but here is what the Disneyland Resort website says about its current mask policy:
The State of California strongly recommends that all Guests be fully vaccinated or obtain a negative COVID-19 test prior to entering the Disneyland Resort. It is strongly recommended that Guests wear face coverings when indoors and in enclosed transportation. Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and older), regardless of vaccination status, in certain indoor health settings, such as in First Aid. Face coverings are optional for Guests in outdoor areas.
Even though Disney is keeping quiet on potential mask mandates, that does not mean they are not keeping a careful watch on how many new cases are reported daily. Disney Dining will keep an eye out and let readers know should Disneyland Resort’s mask mandate change.