No exemption to mask policy.

[Selket]

I thought it was interesting the article mentioned they were also denied entry into a Disney store elsewhere like a week before their trip to Florida - I think closer to where they live. I know the Disney stores in the malls are different than the parks and have to follow local laws and such but I'm guessing if he was surprised not to be allowed entry into the local store that he must have been able to visit other places locally with his child who cannot wear a mask. You'd think it might have given them pause and made them think "hey let's make sure this won't be an issue" before going all that way. I also think that a lot of stores just don't enforce mask rules for younger kids even though they have them (at least from my shopping experiences locally).

 

[DLgal]

This guy is a terrible parent and role model for his child. He is acting like he did this on purpose to try and get a payday. It just reeks of a set up, and the poor child is the pawn. Disgusting.

My kids are both autistic and I wouldn't dream of throwing their diagnosis out there to try and get anyone to bend to my will. That is shameful. There are ways of working through sensory issues with individuals who suffer from them. Exposure, practice, trying literally dozens of masks until you find a winner. Autistic people hate having sensory issues but you don't just go "oh well, you get to be exempt from this rule." No, you work with your child, teach them the importance of the thing they want to avoid, and FIND A WAY.

Some kids hate washing their hands, bathing, brushing teeth, wiping after going to the bathroom, etc. A good parent doesn't just let it slide and let the kid be a disgusting mess all day. Hygiene is a safety issue. Right now, MASKS are a safety issue. Period. If, despite your very best efforts, your child simply can't make progress, then you, as the parent, make the hard decision and cancel the trip. They have had literally 5 months to work on this. The fact that they seemingly didn't isn't Disney's fault. It is theirs, as the parents. They cannot pretend to not know what Disney's policy is. I won't accept that. A parent who actually cared about his child would have looked into any possibility of an exemption before leaving home. This father failed at all points, and is using his child to try and garner sympathy (and likely some sort of $$$ from Disney). He's a jerk. No sympathy from me.

 

[rlk]

I feel bad for the entire family. Life is difficult enough for many if not all right now. I don’t think this dad was trying to put one over on Disney, nor trying to be difficult. He was reacting to being blocked from the park due to a rule that, to Him... was going to be excepted due to his child’s medical condition. It’s his child, I get it! Perhaps it could have been handled better by Disney. The could have, should haves do nothing in the heat of the moment. I think they likely were fully refunded and should be imho, even if it’s based on a good Will gesture. Things felt like they changed constantly and while here on the DIS , Disney peeps might know every rule and quickly ... not everyone does, even tho they should. and this child... no one said anything tv for all the days at the resort,,bus, pool, store, lobby area etc? Just seems strange to me.
I hope they get to go back at some point post Covid and make Disney Memories. This too shall pass


I am seeing more businesses having the Must Wear Mask sign and under that.. BOLDED that if You have a disability and can’t wear it, ok and ADA says we can’t ask you. Clearly giving any and everybody an out. And people Are taking advantage of that. Not saying this is related to above situation at all, but just a point of reference.
Please, Wear ur mask.

It does seem to me that this dad has an agenda. I understand that those of us that frequent the Disboards tend to be up to date on everything Disney related, but I can't give a pass to someone not knowing the mask requirements at Disney during the pandemic. Disney World's mask policy has been broadcasted on main stream media, on Disney's website, and all over social media.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I feel bad for the entire family. Life is difficult enough for many if not all right now. I don’t think this dad was trying to put one over on Disney, nor trying to be difficult. He was reacting to being blocked from the park due to a rule that, to Him... was going to be excepted due to his child’s medical condition. It’s his child, I get it! Perhaps it could have been handled better by Disney. The could have, should haves do nothing in the heat of the moment. I think they likely were fully refunded and should be imho, even if it’s based on a good Will gesture. Things felt like they changed constantly and while here on the DIS , Disney peeps might know every rule and quickly ... not everyone does, even tho they should. and this child... no one said anything tv for all the days at the resort,,bus, pool, store, lobby area etc? Just seems strange to me.
I hope they get to go back at some point post Covid and make Disney Memories. This too shall pass


I am seeing more businesses having the Must Wear Mask sign and under that.. BOLDED that if You have a disability and can’t wear it, ok and ADA says we can’t ask you. Clearly giving any and everybody an out. And people Are taking advantage of that. Not saying this is related to above situation at all, but just a point of reference.
Please, Wear ur mask.

I have sympathy for the child, but zero for the father. There is no excuse for him not knowing the rules before he went to Florida, and if he knew them but thought he could talk his way in, then, oh well.

 

[peaceluv&mickeymouse]

This is not that difficult. Disney clearly advises guests of the policies in place. Smells like a set up to me. Play dumb and sue.

 

[WantToGoToWDW]

Seems Disney will violate the ADA for their mask policy. Just an FYI.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/hold-...&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=fb-theblaze

It’s not a violation of the ADA. The are completely in their rights to enforce masks on their private property.

 

[Marthasor]

I feel bad for the entire family. Life is difficult enough for many if not all right now. I don’t think this dad was trying to put one over on Disney, nor trying to be difficult. He was reacting to being blocked from the park due to a rule that, to Him... was going to be excepted due to his child’s medical condition. It’s his child, I get it! Perhaps it could have been handled better by Disney. The could have, should haves do nothing in the heat of the moment. I think they likely were fully refunded and should be imho, even if it’s based on a good Will gesture. Things felt like they changed constantly and while here on the DIS , Disney peeps might know every rule and quickly ... not everyone does, even tho they should. and this child... no one said anything tv for all the days at the resort,,bus, pool, store, lobby area etc? Just seems strange to me.
I hope they get to go back at some point post Covid and make Disney Memories. This too shall pass


I am seeing more businesses having the Must Wear Mask sign and under that.. BOLDED that if You have a disability and can’t wear it, ok and ADA says we can’t ask you. Clearly giving any and everybody an out. And people Are taking advantage of that. Not saying this is related to above situation at all, but just a point of reference.
Please, Wear ur mask.

My state, CT, just issued an EO requiring people to have a doctor's note as proof they have a medical exemption from the mask mandate as the Governor felt people were taking advantage of the loophole. I have a feeling this is why Disney isn't budging on this. It's not about lying your way into getting a DAS which doesn't do anyone physical harm. This is, literally, about people's health and safety.

This guy is a terrible parent and role model for his child. He is acting like he did this on purpose to try and get a payday. It just reeks of a set up, and the poor child is the pawn. Disgusting.

My kids are both autistic and I wouldn't dream of throwing their diagnosis out there to try and get anyone to bend to my will. That is shameful. There are ways of working through sensory issues with individuals who suffer from them. Exposure, practice, trying literally dozens of masks until you find a winner. Autistic people hate having sensory issues but you don't just go "oh well, you get to be exempt from this rule." No, you work with your child, teach them the importance of the thing they want to avoid, and FIND A WAY.

Some kids hate washing their hands, bathing, brushing teeth, wiping after going to the bathroom, etc. A good parent doesn't just let it slide and let the kid be a disgusting mess all day. Hygiene is a safety issue. Right now, MASKS are a safety issue. Period. If, despite your very best efforts, your child simply can't make progress, then you, as the parent, make the hard decision and cancel the trip. They have had literally 5 months to work on this. The fact that they seemingly didn't isn't Disney's fault. It is theirs, as the parents. They cannot pretend to not know what Disney's policy is. I won't accept that. A parent who actually cared about his child would have looked into any possibility of an exemption before leaving home. This father failed at all points, and is using his child to try and garner sympathy (and likely some sort of $$$ from Disney). He's a jerk. No sympathy from me.

I so agree with this. My son has sensory processing issues and we have spent countless hours trying to find clothes, socks, shoes, sunscreen, hats (you name it!) that he finds comfortable so he can go about his day as comfortable as possible. We have now done the same thing with masks. I would imagine this child was wearing clothes. If that's the case, then there is zero excuse for not working through, as you've described, a number of masks to find one that would work for her. I found it interesting that he was relying on his doctor's "medical advice" to try to bully his way in and circumvent the mask rule and basically said Disney did not consult a doctor when coming up with their protocols? I am pretty sure Disney consulted with many doctors and lawyers prior to issuing the non-exempt, mask mandate.

 

[DisneyOma]

I feel bad for the entire family. Life is difficult enough for many if not all right now. I don’t think this dad was trying to put one over on Disney, nor trying to be difficult. He was reacting to being blocked from the park due to a rule that, to Him... was going to be excepted due to his child’s medical condition. It’s his child, I get it! Perhaps it could have been handled better by Disney. The could have, should haves do nothing in the heat of the moment. I think they likely were fully refunded and should be imho, even if it’s based on a good Will gesture. Things felt like they changed constantly and while here on the DIS , Disney peeps might know every rule and quickly ... not everyone does, even tho they should. and this child... no one said anything tv for all the days at the resort,,bus, pool, store, lobby area etc? Just seems strange to me.
I hope they get to go back at some point post Covid and make Disney Memories. This too shall pass


I am seeing more businesses having the Must Wear Mask sign and under that.. BOLDED that if You have a disability and can’t wear it, ok and ADA says we can’t ask you. Clearly giving any and everybody an out. And people Are taking advantage of that. Not saying this is related to above situation at all, but just a point of reference.
Please, Wear ur mask.

I disagree that he has his kid's best interest in mind - didn't he videotape the confrontation, like he was expecting it? How did the "news" get a hold of it? No, he wanted his boohoo moment of fame-shame. The opening photo of his "sad" face is pathetic.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Listening to this guy on the radio...he said he saw the face mask policy on the app, but he didn't really pay attention to it because where he lives in PA, there are disability exemptions. And his wife has asthma, so she really shouldn't be wearing a mask either, but they don't want to seem like they're flaunting the rules.

Why the heck would someone with asthma go to a theme park during a pandemic that negatively affects the respiratory system?

 

[MinnieMSue]

Hershey park in PA doesn’t have a mask exemption. Someone made a complaint just like this against them. Wonder if it was the same guy

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Hershey park in PA doesn’t have a mask exemption. Someone made a complaint just like this against them. Wonder if it was the same guy

I was wondering the same thing or at least in the family because I thought it was a mother there

 

[lanejudy]

If i recall, the child in the Hershey Park incident was a boy. The man at WDW has a daughter.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I thought it was interesting the article mentioned they were also denied entry into a Disney store elsewhere like a week before their trip to Florida - I think closer to where they live. I know the Disney stores in the malls are different than the parks and have to follow local laws and such but I'm guessing if he was surprised not to be allowed entry into the local store that he must have been able to visit other places locally with his child who cannot wear a mask. You'd think it might have given them pause and made them think "hey let's make sure this won't be an issue" before going all that way. I also think that a lot of stores just don't enforce mask rules for younger kids even though they have them (at least from my shopping experiences locally).

The Disney Store incident was in Canada, and it was an autistic girl...it was in the same article, but different family.

 

[bluecruiser]

This incident was mentioned in an article today: Is Disney’s Mask Policy A Model For The Country?

A video went viral on TikTok this week showing a dad complaining that his daughter has special needs and therefore shouldn’t have to wear a mask at Disney. It appeared he was turned away. The question is, if you feel uneasy about traveling to Disney now due to concerns of any kind, why travel there? No doubt, it’s safer to stay home, socially distancing from others. That said perhaps there is something to learn here about safety guidelines, particularly where masks are concerned. The mandatory mask rule is one that governors of certain states could implement or maybe even the president of the United States.

 

[Kauai4life]

I feel so bad for the father and can completely sympathize with him.
I am going to vent a little bit on my daughter's experience in our local community.
I have a grown disabled daughter with the same issues, the mask makes her throw up and she has trouble breathing. I did get her a Doctors note to use in our Town, not Disney. Walmart, Safeway and Ross were all understanding and let her in the stores no problem. it was customers that took it upon themselves to make rude comments. I purchased her the plastic guard to take off the negative attention she was getting. We went into a local market that we have been going to for 20 plus years my daughter had the plastic guard on her face, as soon as we walked in the door the cashier screamed at her get out of the store you don't have mask on. It made my daughter cry and she was embarrassed. I asked for a manager and showed him her Doctors note he said she cannot come in without a mask and how does he even know her Doctors note is real. I could not believe it, as I drove home I was posiive they violated some type of ADA law. After several phone calls the Mayors office, Cooperate office of the store, Governors office and attorney I was told private business can make there own rules when it come to this. Iam sure Disney is well within there right to do this it is wrong but what can you do. We will not be going to Disney or anywhere for that matter anytime soon till all restrictions are lifted it is just to stressful . As far as the local market they lost a good customer and I tell anyone that cares not to shop there. Thank you for listening Aloha

 

[MinnieMSue]

If i recall, the child in the Hershey Park incident was a boy. The man at WDW has a daughter.

well it does prove that Pennsylvania doesn't always allow mask exceptions.
also I am positive he did this for the attention. Disney has all that info on their site and we got it emailed to us too.

 

[Disneylover99]

We will not be going to Disney or anywhere for that matter anytime soon till all restrictions are lifted it is just to stressful . As far as the local market they lost a good customer and I tell anyone that cares not to shop there.

I am sorry that this is stressful for you and your daughter, but by telling people not to shop there because they wouldn’t let your daughter in without a mask, you may actually be supporting their store.

There are many people who are more apt to shop at certain stores when they know employees enforce the rules without exception.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I feel for the family but who travels that far without finding out the rules first? I side with a Disney on this one.

 

[DisneyOma]

I feel so bad for the father and can completely sympathize with him.
I am going to vent a little bit on my daughter's experience in our local community.
I have a grown disabled daughter with the same issues, the mask makes her throw up and she has trouble breathing. I did get her a Doctors note to use in our Town, not Disney. Walmart, Safeway and Ross were all understanding and let her in the stores no problem. it was customers that took it upon themselves to make rude comments. I purchased her the plastic guard to take off the negative attention she was getting. We went into a local market that we have been going to for 20 plus years my daughter had the plastic guard on her face, as soon as we walked in the door the cashier screamed at her get out of the store you don't have mask on. It made my daughter cry and she was embarrassed. I asked for a manager and showed him her Doctors note he said she cannot come in without a mask and how does he even know her Doctors note is real. I could not believe it, as I drove home I was posiive they violated some type of ADA law. After several phone calls the Mayors office, Cooperate office of the store, Governors office and attorney I was told private business can make there own rules when it come to this. Iam sure Disney is well within there right to do this it is wrong but what can you do. We will not be going to Disney or anywhere for that matter anytime soon till all restrictions are lifted it is just to stressful . As far as the local market they lost a good customer and I tell anyone that cares not to shop there. Thank you for listening Aloha

I'm sorry your daughter has such a hard time wearing a mask. Have you tried having her wear it at home for a few minutes a day, while doing a preferred activity? That may help. While I don't condone the yelling at your daughter at all, realize that there are many things you don't let your daughter do because it would be a risk to her and others around her. Do you let her drive a car, for example? I know, it's just one more thing she can't do, and it hurts that she can't go out and socialize, experience her community right now. But it's for her safety, and everyone else's safety.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I feel so bad for the father and can completely sympathize with him.
I am going to vent a little bit on my daughter's experience in our local community.
I have a grown disabled daughter with the same issues, the mask makes her throw up and she has trouble breathing. I did get her a Doctors note to use in our Town, not Disney. Walmart, Safeway and Ross were all understanding and let her in the stores no problem. it was customers that took it upon themselves to make rude comments. I purchased her the plastic guard to take off the negative attention she was getting. We went into a local market that we have been going to for 20 plus years my daughter had the plastic guard on her face, as soon as we walked in the door the cashier screamed at her get out of the store you don't have mask on. It made my daughter cry and she was embarrassed. I asked for a manager and showed him her Doctors note he said she cannot come in without a mask and how does he even know her Doctors note is real. I could not believe it, as I drove home I was posiive they violated some type of ADA law. After several phone calls the Mayors office, Cooperate office of the store, Governors office and attorney I was told private business can make there own rules when it come to this. Iam sure Disney is well within there right to do this it is wrong but what can you do. We will not be going to Disney or anywhere for that matter anytime soon till all restrictions are lifted it is just to stressful . As far as the local market they lost a good customer and I tell anyone that cares not to shop there. Thank you for listening Aloha

I hate to tell you but what you are saying about that store would make me go there not stop as they enforce the rules. here is another rule from another time. would you have tried to get your daughter when she was younger on a ride she wanted to ride but too short for the height requirement ta DAS or what ever was being used at that time? I bet no would be your answer. the small park I work at feels the mask requirement could still be come next spring when we reopen and I know we lost some special needs workers because of the rule. plus as the manger said doctors notes can be forged and most places will not even look at them