Mask Mandate Dropped at Universal Orlando

May 28, 2021, 1:14 PM · The Universal Orlando Resort will no longer require visitors to wear masks at its theme parks, the resort announced today. Instead, Universal is switching to an honor system that many parks across the country have adopted - asking non-vaccinated guests continue to wear masks while allowing vaccinated guests to go without masks both indoors and outside. The new policy goes into effect tomorrow.

Universal is not requiring proof of vaccination to go without masks, so there's nothing stopping an unvaccinated person from visiting while not wearing a mask, though Universal states that "we do expect our guests to comply with this revised policy."

Universal Orlando team members will continue to be required to wear face coverings while onstage, both indoor and outdoors, "out of an abundance of caution," according to a memo sent this morning to employees. Full vaccinated team members will be allowed to go without masks in certain backstage areas, however. Non-vaccinated team members will continue to be required to wear masks. Universal will be requiring team members to complete a workplace safety acknowledgement in the coming days, the memo said.

Note that this policy applies only to Universal Orlando in Florida. Masks continue to be required for all visitors at Universal Studios Hollywood in California, where more restrictive pandemic rules remain in effect until June 15. Elsewhere in Orlando, the Walt Disney World Resort continues to require masks for all guests while indoors and on attractions and transportation.

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Replies (15)

May 28, 2021 at 1:49 PM

This must be a sad day for you and the colonel, clinging to the nonsense that masks and social distancing help prevent the spread of disease, and having to only to look to New York and California as shining examples of containing the spread. Living on Fantasy Land must be true bliss for the two of you. Continue to prosper!

May 28, 2021 at 2:26 PM

600,000 people dead and this idiot purportedly can't understand an obvious fact known to uneducated Americans 100 years ago during the Spanish Flu, and that is proven true every minute in every hospital around the country: masks stop the spread of disease.

Rupert Murdoch, you have truly brainwashed a huge segment of American society into disbelieving science, kudos to your evil genius, sir!

As for the article, this:

"Universal states that 'we do expect our guests to comply with this revised policy.'"

Clearly they haven't met a bad-faith Fox News zombie like the fool directly above. If only the virus spread was limited to people equally deluded.

May 28, 2021 at 3:22 PM

@thecolonel - Well said. (Rupert Murdoch is a dangerous man.)

May 28, 2021 at 4:26 PM

“Universal is not requiring proof of vaccination to go without masks, so there's nothing stopping an unvaccinated person from visiting while not wearing a mask, though Universal states that "we do expect our guests to comply with this revised policy."

Hahaha...what!? Well, if there’s one thing you can trust in a forward thinking state like Florida, it’s their citizens following rules.

May 28, 2021 at 5:01 PM

?? And my faith in humanity continues to diminish

May 28, 2021 at 8:13 PM

@ProgressiveMusicLover:

I forgot about your comedic troll account. I forget who you really are- Andy Kaufman, Tupac, Elvis? Surely your secret is safe with us!

May 29, 2021 at 2:21 AM

Having no proof of vaccination protocol is my only gripe with this. I hope the Hollywood park implements this when June 15th nears.

May 29, 2021 at 7:25 AM

As the parent of a child who has not yet been able to get vaccinated, this 100% assures that we won't be visiting until he can get a vaccine. A theme park visit is not a necessary part of everyday life. Not risking exposure based on the honor system. My kids need to go to school and do activities that keep them engaged. Theme parks can wait.

May 29, 2021 at 6:42 PM

There’s very little wrong with this policy. For starters, you’re outside, so the risk of transmission is low to begin with. For vaccinated people there’s no reason at all to wear a mask - fear mongerers be damned. And if you’re unvaccinated and not complying with the honor policy, who are you hurting other than other unvaccinated people? If you’re vaccinated you don’t and shouldn’t care either way and if you’re unvaccinated and worried about catching it from someone then don’t go

May 30, 2021 at 1:34 AM

The debates about masks, social disntcing, etc are pointless and a waste of time. Most people opinions are set in stone, and that’s part of the problem. If you’re unwilling to listen to others and have a constructive debate, there’s no reason to argue to change someone’s opinion when your not open to reconsider your own.

May 30, 2021 at 11:36 AM

"And if you’re unvaccinated and not complying with the honor policy, who are you hurting other than other unvaccinated people?"

Exactly, kids. If you're unvaccinated and not complying, you're putting all unvaccinated people at risk, including ALL kids. When did Americans become so self-righteous and willfully idiotic that they'd purposefully risk the health of children? The MAGA nation, we love you.

May 31, 2021 at 6:25 AM

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S.Gupta

May 31, 2021 at 6:58 PM

No matter what side of the argument your on, not having polio is a good thing. Not having small pox, also a good thing. All those eradications came about because of vaccines.

Vaccines are NOT a solution for everything. But the CDC used to be regarded as the gold standard because it was contact trace, isolate those ill, let the disease run its course and burn it out in short order....not vaccinate. There will be a disease that science will not be able to work faster than the spread.

When you simply decide that your not going to play by those rules... well you then have COVID. Funny how other countries are adopting CDC methodologies while in parallel we abandon them. Great briefs from Vox on how we got rid of small pox and how the CDC after decades turned it's back on the most effective tools for mitigating a pandemic.

Check out Ezra Kline's May 11th podcast. It strips out the politics and if you listen carefully, you see the how things really unfolded the way they did. You will be shocked that it has nothing to do with politics.

May 31, 2021 at 8:30 PM

@TheColonel guess who’s at a very low risk of long term effects from the virus, assuming that they get it while masked outside in the first place? Kids! If you’re uncomfortable then stay home. We’re moving forward with or without you

June 1, 2021 at 3:51 PM

It concerns me that I continue to see a lot of politically slanted comments when the apolitical comments would not only be more constructive but at least honest.

When are we least at risk to each other? When not vaccinated? Do we need to vaccinate? Yes, but not everyone can and not everyone should if it could pose a risk to them. But to say we are in the clear is a fallacy beyond measure. You get vaccinated as a measure to also protect those who may never able get vaccinated. When you have an estimated 328 million Americans and only 167 million are vaccinated, you are no where near the goal line.

"We're moving forward without you" Who's the we? Is it "We the people"? Are you suddenly the "We"? (Because you don't speak for me) Last time I checked, that's an autocracy NOT an adhocracy. Institutions are there to demonstrate to us what is best and safest practice irrespective of whether we deem that relevant information to our person or values.

Follow it, don't follow it ...because that is a choice. (That's "We")

If your uncomfortable, there's always Russia, they work in autocracy.

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