Disney CEO: CDC mask rule will spur ‘immediate’ jump in theme park attendance

Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek said the surprise decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lift its mask requirements is “very big news” for its Disney World theme park — and he expects attendance to spike.

On a late Thursday earnings call, Chapek signaled that Disney planned to drop its own mask requirements in response to the CDC’s new ruling — which says vaccinated people can shed their masks in most indoor and outdoor settings with the exception of only a few places, such as airports and doctors’ offices. Chapek said he expects an “immediate increase” in parks attendance, due to both the new policy and to a recently implemented reservation system. A relaxed mask policy, Chapek added, will be a relief to Disney World customers, “particularly if anybody’s been in Florida in the middle of summer with a mask on. That could be quite daunting.”