We’ve been exploring Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom this week during Cast Member and Annual Passholder previews before the theme parks reopen to the general public on July 11th, so that you’ll know what to expect for your first time back!

So far, we’ve talked about rider switch, refillable popcorn buckets, and a bunch of other important stuff you’ll want to know before you go! And while you probably know by now face masks must be worn at all times while visiting Disney World, you might be wondering if you have to wear them on water rides.

When Universal Studios opened last month, we were instructed we could remove our masks once we were seated on Jurassic Park River Adventure (one of the theme park’s water rides) — if we wanted to.

However, this has NOT been our experience at Disney World. So far, we’ve been on Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom (multiple times) and Kali River Rapids at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and we’ve worn our face masks each and every time.

Cast Members did not tell us we could remove our face masks on EITHER ride, so we kept them on the entire time. And yes, we did get a little wet on Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids, though most of the water features have been turned off or turned down.

Luckily, our masks dried off quickly in the Florida sun, but if you think having a soggy face mask might be uncomfortable for you, make sure you bring a dry mask as a back-up. In fact, with all the sweating we’re doing right now, changing into a fresh mask mid-day isn’t such a bad idea!

For now, it’s pretty safe to assume unless you’re given explicit verbal permission by a Cast Member that you can remove your face covering on a ride, you must keep it on. 

If you haven’t been following along with our live coverage from Animal Kingdom today or our first day back at Magic Kingdom since mid-March, make sure you click here! And for some helpful advice about wearing a face mask at Disney World all day, make sure you read these tips and tricks we’ve picked up along the way.

Did Disney just create a new way to make new water rides? Click here to find out!

Which water ride is your favorite at Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!