According to an article on Fox 35, a Walt Disney World cast member shared an internal memo that was sent out to all Disney cast members in Florida stating that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate is being paused.

This action was taken by Disney after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed new legislation last week to protect workers from vaccine mandates.

A spokesperson from Walt Disney World sent the following statement to Fox 35:

We believe that our approach to mandatory vaccines has been the right one as we’ve continued to focus on the safety and well-being of our Cast Members and Guests, and at this point, more than 90 percent of active Florida-based Cast Members have already verified that they are fully vaccinated. We will address legal developments as appropriate.

Disney made the decision to require their cast members to be vaccinated back in July of 2021 and gave them 60 days to comply. Disney was also able to come to an agreement with the unions that represent the majority of their cast members. It is unknown at this time what will happen with the cast members who lost their jobs due to being unvaccinated.

The Governor’s office issued a statement in regards to Disney’s decision:

As we would expect, Disney has amended its vaccination policy to comply with Florida law. We believe that all companies in Florida will likewise follow the law signed by Governor DeSantis this week.

Nobody should lose his or her job over these mandates. Disney is a major employer in Florida, and we are proud that the ‘happiest place on Earth’ is here in our state. Governor DeSantis’ leadership has saved countless jobs and livelihoods before this holiday season.

We hope Disney and any other company that has suspended or terminated workers due to vaccine mandates will consider re-hiring them.