Orlando theme parks: No more outdoor masks…finally!

There is nothing worse than hot Florida sun at an Orlando theme parks with a mask on but now, you won’t have to wear it anymore.

It appears that things are starting to return to some semblance of normal. Nothing has been the same in the United States since March 2020 and at theme parks like Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld, it’s been a horrible nightmare of social distancing and mask-wearing.

Now, you don’t have to wear those masks outdoors but things are not completely normal just yet.

At Disney and at Universal, masks no longer need to be worn outside while you are walking or while you are exploring the parks but if you enter a ride queue you will need to put on your mask. If you enter a shop or store, you have to put on your mask. Once you sit down to eat in a restaurant you can remove the mask.

That may still seem like a lot but given the circumstances surrounding the last year, it is a big step forward. Not having to have a mask on but instead tucked into your pocket for most of your day is incredibly a big deal.

Universal lifted the requirements on Thursday and Disney followed on Friday. SeaWorld hasn’t made a statement yet but they are likely to follow the guidelines set by the two bigger parks in the Orlando area.

Social distancing has also been reduced from six feet to three feet. That may not sound like a big deal but lines will move quicker and rides will begin filling to fuller capacities which will, initially, mean shorter wait times. Of course, that won’t last as parks will also start to expand capacity limited as well over the course of the next couple of months.

For now, we can at least rejoice in the fact that we can walk the parks without a mask on…finally.