Universal Orlando Resort Drops Mask Requirements for Fully Vaccinated Guests, Could Disney World Be Next?

Universal Studios Orlando recently announced that its indoor mask/face covering requirement will end for Guests who are fully vaccinated beginning this Saturday, February 12, 2022. What does this change mean for the resort’s neighbor, Walt Disney World?

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Universal Orlando Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort, and really most other theme parks and attractions followed very similar health and safety guidelines. For the most part, when one park or resort added new guidelines or enhanced current ones, or alternatively, dropped guidance, the others would follow suit. This changed about halfway through 2021, however, when at the same time many smaller area theme parks dropped their COVID safety guidance altogether, while Disney World and Universal Studios kept a select number of guidelines for specific instances.

Now, Universal Orlando is dropping its indoor mask requirement for all Guests. After tomorrow, the resort’s new policy will be that masks are not required but are recommended for those visitors who are unvaccinated. Universal Orlando, like most domestic theme parks including Walt Disney World, does not require proof of vaccination, though the resort does ask Guests to confirm that they are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms before they arrive at the parks.

As for Walt Disney World, we imagine the indoor face mask requirement will remain in place a little while longer (though we will be sure to update you if anything changes!) This February is a very busy month for Walt Disney World between school vacation weeks, holidays, cheerleading competitions, and the Princess Half Marathon. As a result, we would not be surprised if Disney’s policies stayed the way they currently are until March.

It should also be noted that in the past Disney had briefly dropped its indoor mask requirement as well, however, masks were still required in select instances, including while onboard Disney transportation, including buses, boats, monorails, and the Disney Skyliner. If Disney does decide to drop the indoor requirement, we believe we will still see masks required on transportation for some time, following the lead of many state and local governments across the country.