We stayed at Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort during our trip, and in accordance with CDC guidelines and Orange County's current mask mandate, face coverings were required in all public areas of the hotel (indoor and out), CityWalk, and all of Universal's theme parks. We only removed our masks once we were in our hotel room, when we were swimming in the pool, and when eating or drinking.
Most people seemed so excited to be at a theme park that they were happy to comply. When people did have their masks off or weren't wearing them correctly, Universal team members were quick to give a friendly reminder. We were so busy that we didn't take advantage of them, but Universal does have "U-Rest" areas in both parks and at CityWalk where guests can remove their masks if they need a break. Most of these are in outdoor theater areas that aren't being used right now, making it easy to stay socially distant from other guests.
I wasn't sure what it would feel like to wear a mask for the better part of the day in the Florida heat, but we spent so much time going in and out of attractions (many of which have sweet, sweet air conditioning) that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. My husband and I actually took turns bringing our 7-year-old into the parks, and he only complained a few times about it hurting his ears or being hot. When that happened, I just bought him a frozen Butterbeer and he forgot all about it (bribery is an important tool in my parenting toolbox).
My younger sons are only 1 and 3, and we chose not to bring them to the parks. Masks are required for all guests ages 2 and up, and my 3-year-old had a hard time keeping his mask on just to get from our hotel room to the pool. A full day at a theme park can already be a lot for a little kid, and we didn't want to take away from his enjoyment (or ours) by fighting with him to keep it on all day.
