The Strange Rule Disney World Just Enacted To Promote Face Mask Wearing

As we are all well aware by now, the only way we'll be able to continue to enjoy going out to restaurants, movie theaters, and theme parks is if we follow what the CDC not only recommends but strongly urges: to wear face masks at all times. While most of us seem resigned to having to wear masks while shopping, working, and riding public transportation, it's more of a chore to wear them during leisure activities, as they do tend to spoil the fun. Yes, we all know that they are absolutely vital for preserving everyone's health and safety, but that doesn't make them any less uncomfortable to wear, particularly over the course of a day-long outing.

Disney World and its associated resorts included mandatory face masks as well as required reservations and limited numbers of visitors as part of the extensive safety plans they put in place prior to reopening. Even so, the theme park has faced criticism from those who feel Disney is not doing enough to ensure the safety of guests and workers, as Florida continues to see new cases of COVID-19 infection. The face mask policy, in particular, creates difficulties when it comes to ensuring compliance, but the Disney World's new rule is intended to close up one loophole that many used as an excuse to remove their masks while walking around the park.

In order to be effective, face masks must be kept in place any time you're within the airspace of others. The fact is, though, there are certain instances — such as when eating or drinking — that make it impossible to keep a covering over the lower half of your face. It is this logistical difficulty that Disney World is seeking to address with a new policy. According to Disney's website, visitors will no longer be able to eat or drink while walking around the theme park. Yes, you can still enjoy the park's delicious Dole Whips, churros, and grilled cheese sandwiches, but you won't be able to do so on the hoof. Instead, as Disney specifies: "You may remove your face covering while actively eating or drinking, but you should be stationary and maintain appropriate physical distancing."

Kind of a bummer if you want to try the "Disney Diet" that consists of trekking nonstop around the park while noshing on just a single snack, but then, while walking may be beneficial for your health, coming down with a deadly virus most certainly isn't. As an epidemiologist told Variety upon Disney World's reopening, here's hoping it doesn't become "the happiest place on Earth... for the coronavirus."