If you’re planning a trip to Disney in the immediate future, you may have worried about what it will be like to wearing a mask at Disney all day in the Florida sunshine. I have just returned from a visit to the surface of the sun, I mean Orlando, and I’m here to spill the tea!
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Let’s start with the rules. All guests ages 2 and up, and employees at Walt Disney World, are required to wear face coverings. Here is the official policy as it reads in the Know Before You Go section of the Disney website:
- All face coverings (whether disposable or reusable) must:
- Be made with at least 2 layers of breathable material
- Fully cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin
- Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
- Be secured with ties or ear loops and allow the Guest to remain hands-free
At this time, based on guidance from health authorities, neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas and face coverings containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind are not acceptable face coverings.
Other than inside your hotel room, you will be wearing a mask pretty much all the time. The exceptions are at the pool (when swimming or on the pool deck), and when actively eating or drinking. When you are actively eating or drinking, you must also be stationary and socially distanced. In other words, this means you cannot remove your mask and walk around munching on popcorn or leisurely sipping a Dole Whip Float. You need to find a spot to “pull over” and stand to the side or sit away from others.
Relaxation Stations
The other exception to the mask rule is at the “Mask Relaxation Stations” scattered about the parks. These designated areas in the parks are places where you can sit down, socially distanced from other guests, and take a break from wearing your mask. There is at least one indoor and one outdoor Mask Relaxation Station in each park. My favorite was at the Tomorrowland Terrace in Magic Kingdom. It’s centrally located, and outside (which feels a little safer), yet under cover from sun and well ventilated. It actually feels like they pump air conditioning through the space.
Locations
Magic Kingdom
- Tomorrowland Terrace (outdoor, covered)
- Pete’s Silly Sideshow (indoors)
- Golden Oak Outpost (outdoors)
Epcot
- Test Track Plaza (outdoors)
- Akershus (indoors)
- UK Pavilion (outdoors)
Hollywood Studios
- Star Wars Launch Bay (indoors)
- Galaxy’s Edge, near Rise of the Resistance (outdoors)
Animal Kingdom
- Pizzafari (indoors)
- Upcountry Landing (outdoors, covered)
Masks
Let’s talk about the masks themselves. This spring, there wasn’t a mask to be found in the stores, and fabric shops were running out of elastic. In the months since, a thriving mask industry has sprung up and you can find an infinite number of styles and patterns. Disney does not allow neck gaiters or anything open on the bottom (like a scarf or bandanna) so that eliminates some options. In addition, they also require masks to be double layer and have no holes, mesh or breathing valves.
How Many Masks are Enough?
Chances are you already have a handful of masks for wearing around town. But you may not have enough for a vacation. Some masks get sweatier than others, and you may want to change them out during the day. The first couple days I brought 4 with me each day, however I found I usually only switched once. Two a day was enough for me.
You may want to wash your masks each day after visiting the parks. Unless you have a washer and dryer in your accommodations, they probably won’t be dry the next day. Therefore, I’d suggest a minimum of 4 masks per person if you are bringing reusable cloth masks. I brought 12, because I wanted to try out various styles to see what was most comfortable. If you’re bringing disposable masks, I’d suggest at least 3-4 per day, because the straps are prone to breakage.
If you do break or lose a mask, there are disposable paper masks as well as Disney branded cloth masks for sale in the shops.
Mask Styles
I brought five different styles of masks, and one was a clear winner. The masks I’d been using the most at home, a set of cotton masks I’d ordered online from Anthropologie, seemed to get sweaty very quickly. The cute polka dotted one bothered my ears. I ended up mostly wearing the masks I’d made myself out of cooling towels. They seemed to wick the sweat away the quickest and were the most comfortable.
Keeping Cool
I was admittedly worried about handling the heat at Disney in August wearing a mask. And I won’t sugar coat it – wearing one wasn’t pleasant. But it also wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It didn’t take long to get used to it. Furthermore, I don’t think it made me feel appreciably hotter or more uncomfortable than I would have been without it.
But because of this concern, I did bring some extra items to help us cool down. I knew that due to the need to spread the lines out for social distancing, we might be spending more time standing in the blazing sun than usual (spoiler: this turned out to be very true). I also figured we’d be spending less time in stores or shows (also true).
A few things I brought made a big difference in my comfort level. Number 1, and my whole family will agree with this – neck fans. Yes, they look ridiculous. No, I didn’t care. These neck fans were a game changer. They worked so well, I started to feel sorry for the guests that didn’t have them. I will never travel to Disney in the summer without one. Do yourself a favor and buy one for each family member now.
Secondly, face wipes. Now, you can bring whatever brand you like, but I am pretty particular. I really like these ones from Sephora as they didn’t leave my face feeling sticky. And I found them in tiny travel size packs. I probably used 3 or 4 wipes a day. Instantly refreshed!
My third recommendation was very controversial in my family. A UV umbrella. We’ve always been a poncho family, and never used umbrellas at Disney before. They can be a bit of a hassle in crowded places. And sometimes the rain is so hard it blows sideways. An umbrella isn’t much help then.
But I decided to order one anyway, and boy am I glad I did. Like I said, many of the ride queues have been stretched way outside the ride buildings. I swear it felt 20 degrees cooler under that umbrella. Sadly, I lost it about halfway through our trip – but it was great while it lasted. And I used it during a few lighter rain storms too. It was actually nice not to have to peel off a sweaty poncho. I’ll definitely be buying another one of these.
Some other helpful items: my trusty Frogg Togg mini neck cooler, Evian face spray (didn’t use this as much as I thought, but it was refreshing to use occasionally), AND a teeny dab of eucalyptus oil on my mask. Be careful with this, it’s easy to use too much, but just a drop gives a really nice cooling effect.
And probably the MOST important thing: Hydro Flask water bottles. You MUST stay hydrated. I’m not a big drinker, but my husband is, and he had to constantly remind me to drink. We normally leave the Hydro Flasks at home, since they’re heavy. My husband usually just carries one plastic water bottle and we all share it, and supplement (or refill the bottle) with free ice water.
This time however, we all brought our own, and we brought the good ones. Yes, they’re heavy, but they keep the water so cold. And because there are many snack stands and quick service restaurants that are currently closed, it isn’t as easy to walk up and grab free ice water as it used to be. Because we all had our own bottles, this wasn’t an issue.
I also decided to forgo the usual Disney tops and Mouse Ears and dress for comfort. I brought hats but ended up wearing a visor most days, as it felt cooler on my head. And I also found these lightweight, wrinkle-resistant dresses from Columbia that are made from fabric with “advanced cooling technology.” They are seriously amazing!
Is all of this overkill? No way! I had multiple people ask me about our neck fans. Did we look like tacky tourists? Yes! But who cares – we were (relatively) comfortable, and nobody had heat stroke. What have you done to make wearing a mask at Disney more bearable? Share your ideas in the comments below!
And as always, if you’d like to plan a vacation, my expert services are always free to clients who book through me. Contact me for a free quote or to get started planning today!
