A guest takes a selfie at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort on July 11, 2020.
(Photo by Olga Thompson/Walt Disney World Resort via Getty Images)
Disney has amended the mask policy at its U.S.-based theme parks in the wake of new guidance from health and government officials.
Starting Friday, the company will require all guests, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings in indoor locations at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and the Disneyland Resort in California. Children under the age of two are exempt from this mandate.
The policy change comes as Covid cases continue to surge in the U.S. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course and recommended that fully vaccinated people begin wearing masks indoors again in places with high Covid transmission rates. These hot spots include states like California and Florida.
Disney has updated its safety policies in accordance with local health regulations both domestically and internationally since the pandemic began. Most recently, the company began requiring proof of a Covid vaccination or a negative Covid test prior to entry at its Paris-based theme park based on French guidelines.