Welcome to planDisney, Holly.
It's a truly magical year to experience Walt Disney World Resort. There are so many new attractions, enchanting shows, tasty treats, delicious drinks, memorable merchandise, and dazzling decorations for the
50th Anniversary Celebration. Get ready for some EARidescent excitement!
After closing its gates due to the pandemic, it's so great to be back at The Most Magical Place on Earth. Holly, Walt Disney World is continuing its
phased reopening. Due to this, policies are always subject to change. However, the
current policy on face coverings is that they are optional for fully vaccinated Guests in both outdoor and indoor locations. Guests who are not fully vaccinated are expected to continue wearing face coverings in all indoor locations. All Guests (ages 2 and up) are still required to wear face coverings on enclosed Disney transportation, including Disney buses, monorails, and Disney Skyliner.
Holly, I'm in the exact same situation with my little Mouseketeer. He is too young to be vaccinated and he doesn't quite understand why he has to wear a face covering in certain situations. When we first put one on him he turned into Grumpy and quickly took it off. So I can completely understand the way you're currently feeling.
One of the things that I've found helpful to do with young kids is to help them see how different people in society – doctors, nurses, dentists, astronauts, scuba divers, etc. – wear face coverings. In fact, even superheroes like Spider-Man and Black Panther wear masks! This sometimes helps young kids "get in character" when it's time to put a face covering on. You can say, "Ok, superhero, it's time to mask up!"
When we last visited Walt Disney World, we found that our kids did much better than we anticipated with the face coverings. We got them
Disney-themed ones to make it extra special. It probably helped that there were tons of magical distractions too. We were also able to spend lots of time outside so that my kids could take a break from wearing the face coverings.
I hope this is helpful, Holly. One thing you might find helpful for your trip is the
Baby Care Centers in each of the Theme Parks. These are great places to change diapers, feed the kids, or even just take a break from all the noise and stimulation.
See ya real soon!
Mike