Country music singer Jason Aldean shared a picture of himself and his family at Disney’s Animal Kingdom this week in which none of them are wearing masks.
Walt Disney World’s face covering guidelines state “Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) and Cast Members. Please bring your own face coverings and wear them at all times, except when dining or swimming. You may remove your face covering while actively eating or drinking, but you should be stationary and maintain appropriate physical distancing.”
Maskless photos (outside of Relaxation Stations) are not allowed at Walt Disney World as they could still pose a threat to safety.
After backlash, Aldean deleted the photo from social media, but not before responding to some angered fans. He replied to one tweet, “Chill out lady. They are in our pocket. We took them off for 5 seconds to take the pic. Believe me, Disney didn’t give us a ‘free pass’ not to wear them. We had them on all day just like everybody else.”
One of his daughters is visibly holding a mask. His youngest daughter is under the age of 2, so not required to wear one.
Discussion broke out about the enforcement or lack thereof of Walt Disney World’s face mask rules. Many were particularly concerned about a celebrity getting away with not wearing a face mask for a picture, while regular guests could be removed from the park for the same thing. It’s also possible Aldean and his family were with a VIP tour guide Cast Member, who should not have allowed them to remove the masks.