Disney World will soon allow parkgoers to take outdoor photos without masks on
Disney has made a big change to its COVID-19 safety guidelines at its Orlando, Florida, theme park.
According to WDW News Today, Disney World updated its website on Tuesday to say that parkgoers will now be allowed to remove their masks to take outdoor photos within its theme parks.
The change will be effective starting April 8, according to the Disney World website.
When masks are removed to take photos, eat, or drink, parkgoers must remain stationary, according to Disney World's website. As a result, Disney World will seemingly not allow parkgoers to remove their masks for on-ride photos.
The theme park will also continue to require all parkgoers and employees — including those who have received COVID-19 vaccines — to wear two-layered face masks that "fully cover the nose and mouth" throughout the parks.
Face coverings must fit tightly under the chin and be "secured with ties or ear loops" to enter the parks. Bandanas, neck gaiters, and other less protective face coverings are prohibited.
Infectious disease experts recently told Insider that it's relatively safe to visit theme parks like Disney World once you're fully vaccinated.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told Insider that "the more that vaccinated people go to the theme parks, the safer the theme parks become."
"This is the reason why people should get vaccinated — so they can get back to their lives," he said.
Still, masks will continue to play an important role in keeping travelers safe and healthy.
Dr. Abraar Karan, an internal medicine and global health physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, pointed out that vaccines "don't eliminate" COVID-19 altogether.
"This matters because it means you can carry and still spread the virus to others — and that's a problem if those other people are not vaccinated," Karan told Insider. "For those who aren't vaccinated, the risk is still there."
That being said, Disney World parkgoers will need to decide for themselves whether or not they feel comfortable taking maskless photos at the theme park.
Do you have a story you'd like to share about visiting a Disney theme park or working at one? We would love to hear from you. Reach us at akrause@insider.com.
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