ORLANDO, Fla. — Face coverings are no longer required for Disney World guests regardless of where they are or what they may be riding, park officials announced Tuesday.
What You Need To Know
- Face masks are now optional for Disney's methods of transportation
- The decision comes a day after a federal judge in Florida struck down a mask mandate covering airplanes and other forms of public transportation
- Uber and Lyft also updated their face mask requirements
Masks were already optional for fully vaccinated attendees, but remained a requirement for Disney transportation, such as buses and monorails. The decision comes a day after a federal judge in Florida struck down a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mask mandate that covered airplanes and other forms of public transportation.
JUST IN: Disney World has updated its face mask policy to make masks optional for all guests in all locations, including Disney transportation. pic.twitter.com/oKS0qzTkVZ
— Ashley Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) April 19, 2022
Other transportation companies, such as Uber and Lyft, also dropped their mask requirements shortly after the ruling.
The mask mandate was originally set to expire on April 18, but was recently extended to May 3 in order to monitor "the spread of the Omicron variant, especially the BA.2 subvariant that now makes up more than 85% of U.S. cases," the CDC said in an April 13 statement.
Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice say they are still deciding whether to appeal to ruling.
While masks are now optional, Disney World officials continued to recommend that unvaccinated guests wear them in certain situations.
"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," the company said in a statement.