Is the Lei Welcome and water in front of the hotel back?

[Laura K]

Are there water bottle refill stations around the resort?

You know, now that you mention it, I'm pretty sure there are. We used our Brita filter the whole time so didn't need it but with the talk about no handing out water, I assumed it meant they didn't but now I'm pretty sure there is. I should correct my original post.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It’s not a conspiracy, it’s a business decision. A decision to cut costs. It would be back if they felt it was a priority. Their decision. Lessens the experience though.

This is 100% made up. Not based in facts.

Maybe it was cost-cutting. Maybe it's a supply issue. Maybe it's something else entirely. You have no evidence whatsoever that it's cost-cutting.

 

[ChimneyJim]

I find a lei to be fun for about 5 minutes then it's taken off and never worn again.

 

[Kmk2]

This is 100% made up. Not based in facts.

Maybe it was cost-cutting. Maybe it's a supply issue. Maybe it's something else entirely. You have no evidence whatsoever that it's cost-cutting.

I thought you blocked me lol.

If they were willing to pay a (perhaps) higher price they would have leis back. It’s been years. It’s a business decision (as I said) — that is a fact. They are always victims of ludicrous and unusual circumstances in your opinion. And nothing is ever a cost cut. It’s a wild POV.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Are there water bottle refill stations around the resort?

The drink machines dispense water. My wife was never without a full water bottle. My cup was always filled with Diet Coke, so I don’t know if she was filling up her water bottle anywhere else.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

I thought you blocked me lol.

If they were willing to pay a (perhaps) higher price they would have leis back. It’s been years. It’s a business decision (as I said) — that is a fact. They are always victims of ludicrous and unusual circumstances in your opinion. And nothing is ever a cost cut. It’s a wild POV.

I don’t think anyone would debate they’ve made a business decision. But the assumption that it’s “to cut costs” is questionable.

I think that’s the issue. Is Aulani trying to “cut costs” by not providing leis, or are they suspending the lei benefit because the current situation makes them unavailable at a manageable cost?

If Aulani were planning on cutting the cost of leis out of the stay, why wouldn’t they just say that? It’s a pretty minor thing which would not have a significant impact on bookings.

Instead, they’ve indicated they’re not providing them due to availability. Does “availability” that mean they’re saying they can’t get them at any cost? Not at all. But It makes sense that if the price is prohibitive, that they’d wait until prices returned to a more normal state.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Having just returned from my first Aulani stay with no clue of how it was before, I am 100% OK if they never give free leis again. It's another use of the island's limited natural resources that I feel should be reserved for actual celebrations for locals and they get thrown away by the end of the trip anyway. I edited this post to note I'm pretty sure there were free water refilling stations around the resort, though did they used to give out special water?

I wouldn’t worry about leis and their use. The flowers are commercially grown, specifically for these purposes. The fewer leis handed out to tourists, the lower local employment to grow the flowers, and to make the leis. It’s better for the state and the locals that the leis are bought by tourists (or the hotels).

Although some people think things should’ve returned to normal by now, when Hawaii was impacted by the pandemic, the impact was HUGE. The agriculture industry shed 20% of its workforce in the first quarter alone. There’s very little reason to grow a labor and resource intensive crop like flowers, when your main market segment has dropped to 5% of normal.

Unlike hotels or restaurants who can quickly ramp up, you can’t suddenly make your flowers bloom quickly because the governor’s relaxed the travel restrictions. Yes, production is returning, but it still takes time to get back to “normal”.

In August, I went to Safeway to buy my daughter a lei. Where there would normally have been a lot of $10-$15 leis, there was 1 type only. There was a better selection of $15-$25, and $30 and above leis. This was extremely unusual, and first time I’ve seen that mix in 30 years of going to that Safeway. Growers have definitely focused on growing the premium flowers, instead of the less expensive ones which are typically used in the leis handed out by tour companies and hotels.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

Ama Ama has a beautiful lei wall that has some of the most intricate and stunning leis I've ever seen. All available for purchase if anyone is inclined. Didn't ask how much but if important enough it's an option

 

[Kmk2]

I don’t think anyone would debate they’ve made a business decision. But the assumption that it’s “to cut costs” is questionable.

I think that’s the issue. Is Aulani trying to “cut costs” by not providing leis, or are they suspending the lei benefit because the current situation makes them unavailable at a manageable cost?

If Aulani were planning on cutting the cost of leis out of the stay, why wouldn’t they just say that? It’s a pretty minor thing which would not have a significant impact on bookings.

Instead, they’ve indicated they’re not providing them due to availability. Does “availability” that mean they’re saying they can’t get them at any cost? Not at all. But It makes sense that if the price is prohibitive, that they’d wait until prices returned to a more normal state.

They don’t have to say it - they had 700 plus days to bring back leis. But they didn’t. A service they provided since opening — but no longer do (aka a cut) for financial reasons (aka cost).

But I just learned you can buy them at Aulani at Ama Ama. How weird. Like a fast pass but flowers.

 

[scoobdoo]

They don’t have to say it - they had 700 plus days to bring back leis. But they didn’t. A service they provided since opening — but no longer do (aka a cut) for financial reasons (aka cost).

But I just learned you can buy them at Aulani at Ama Ama. How weird. Like a fast pass but flowers.

Exactly — if you’re willing and able to drop $300+ for dinner DIS will give you an opportunity to buy something that was once a gratis welcome gift.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

Exactly — if you’re willing and able to drop $300+ for dinner DIS will give you an opportunity to buy something that was once a gratis welcome gift.

My guess is the ones they have...they sell a few a night best case scenario. But not to diminish the people who make these....they are works of art. Whatever the cost is probably a fair price..... Now whether you are in the market for a high end lei is a different topic

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

They don’t have to say it - they had 700 plus days to bring back leis. But they didn’t. A service they provided since opening — but no longer do (aka a cut) for financial reasons (aka cost).

Sorry, and I mean no disrespect, but your statement is silly and self serving. You throw 700 days in there, but I have no idea how you could think that that’s anywhere near reality

Hawaii has a tourism driven economy. The shutdown due to the pandemic eliminated 95% of the revenue associated with tourism. That did not significantly change until April when travel restrictions were removed.

So until April (250 days ago), all tourism related industries were cut down to bare minimum staffing and budgets. I’m not a agriculture expert, but I would assume that flower growers were investing far less than half of normal on growing flowers for leis.

Labor constraints, capital availability, and time to ramp up yours crops, means the growers are probably still well below normal.

This is from a news interview with Watanabe Florist in May:
Pereira said with the current lei shortage happening throughout the island, some of their floral arrangements and lei are being impacted.

“It will definitely have a big impact. They’re certainly going to be a shortage of lei for mom right now,” said Pereira. “It’s not too bad because the demand is not that high. But you have a combination of problems.”

Pereira said local farm growers have not gotten back to capacity since COVID, meaning they do not have enough workers to keep up with demand. Another problem they and other floral shops are facing involves lei coming in from overseas.

“What the major problem right now is all of the orchid lei are being confiscated by the Department of Agriculture,” said Pereira. “So, tens of thousands of lei have been confiscated in the last week. Obviously, that’s going to create a shortage in May for Mother’s day week flowers.”

So 700 days ago, with no tourist revenue, Disney could have… what? Told growers they had to rehire their employees, and spend money on crops, because Aulani might need to give away free leis at any moment?

Sorry - if you had any idea of the impact the pandemic has had in the Islands, you might not be so carefree about your statements. My immediate family in the islands had a 75% job loss during the pandemic. That reduced to 50% in December of 2021 (300 days ago). Companies could not / would not hire people while Gov Ige was changing the tourism rules on the fly.

Even now, Japanese tourist levels are down 90% from pre-shut down. For anyone who understands the tourism industry in Hawaii, they’ll know that some things (like the lei industry, and the retail industry) are much more impacted by Japanese tourists (who are majority on package tours, and who do a LOT more shopping) than by the numbers of overall tourists. So those industries are still trying to recover.

Yes, this is undoubtedly a business decision. But there’s a huge difference between a cost cutting measure, and a sustainability measure. Not wanting to pay inflated prices for a minor benefit is very different than not wanting to pay for that benefit.

 

[Kmk2]

^ I stayed at the Four Seasons next door in July 2021 and March 2022 and both times received a lei upon arrival.

Moreover, I have stayed at 5 different Hawaiian resorts since reopening, and Aulani had the most reduced experience. Bottom line. I guess if facts and experience are “silly” - silly I am!

We did a split stay with the Aulani during that July visit and it was completely packed. Tourism has been booming in Hawaii for some time (US travelers unlikely to travel abroad etc).

I understand there are complex reasons for pricing increases - but I also know other resorts have found a way. Kukui nuts or shell strands would show they are trying.

Many orchids are imported from places like Thailand - with perhaps reduced quality - but they could figure out something. They don’t even have the water outside.

And I completely reject that it’s a “minor benefit” — that kind of hospitality sets the stage for your entire stay.

They are now selling leis at Ama Ama. It’s obnoxious. Particularly for DVC owners.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

^ I stayed at the Four Seasons next door in July 2021 and March 2022 and both times received a lei upon arrival.

Moreover, I have stayed at 5 different Hawaiian resorts since reopening, and Aulani had the most reduced experience. Bottom line. I guess if facts and experience are “silly” - silly I am!

We did a split stay with the Aulani during that July visit and it was completely packed. Tourism has been booming in Hawaii for some time (US travelers unlikely to travel abroad etc).

I understand there are complex reasons for pricing increases - but I also know other resorts have found a way. Kukui nuts or shell strands would show they are trying.

Many orchids are imported from places like Thailand - with perhaps reduced quality - but they could figure out something. They don’t even have the water outside.

And I completely reject that it’s a “minor benefit” — that kind of hospitality sets the stage for your entire stay.

They are now selling leis at Ama Ama. It’s obnoxious. Particularly for DVC owners.

Yes, but did you stay there 700 days ago?

I don’t disagree with the sentiment that they should have found a way to do this by now. The “silly” part was purely directed at the 700 day figure (as included in the quote)

While hotels are close to being back to pre-Covid levels, it is heavily US tourists. Those tourists traditionally have not spent as much money during their stay, and are usually independent travelers. The lei take up rate is tiny compared to Japanese and European travelers who are on package tours (75% of Japanese tourists), and who receive leis as part of their tour to Hawaii, as well as on many of the organized excursions. And as I mentioned, some industries lag behind on the ramp up and recovery. Agriculture has been hammered by the shutdowns - no tourists, no farmers markets, no large celebrations like graduations and on island weddings. Many farms have closed, and backyard flower growers had stopped planting. Even the ones that stayed operational, can’t restore their businesses in just 5 months.

There are lots of reasons the imported lei market is not recovered either. My company is constantly waiting for $$$ hardware that’s been delayed by a month, often just sitting in a harbor waiting to be unloaded. I can’t imagine what the supply chain challenges for fresh flowers looks like!

Again though - I agree that Disney could have found a way to provide some benefit, but I think it’s tied into the cost consciousness of the Chapek era, and the general economic climate we’re in. But I do believe that if they were going to cut the benefit, they would just say they are. Once growers, lei makers, and distribution services are back up to speed, I expect they’ll restore the benefit.

 

[Kmk2]

^ I’m hopeful they will.

I love Hawaii. And Aulani is the gateway for many. I had a magical first stay at Aulani - came right home and bought points at Aulani. During the pandemic I added points to bring my extended family for a big trip. Had we not split our stay, I think they would have had a poor first experience w/ Hawaii - so going fwd I will only use my points elsewhere which is great. It’s funny b/c on many issues I am a huge Disney supporter - I kind of love genie plus, ILL etc. — but I hold Aulani’s feet to the fire. They should be doing better.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

They are now selling leis at Ama Ama. It’s obnoxious. Particularly for DVC owners.

The entitlement of DVC owners is the worst thing about Aulani, and I say that as a DVC owner with Aulani as my home resort. In my experience, the vast majority of DVC visitors are completely disrespectful of the island, the culture, the people, and the resort itself. In a subsequent post, you rightly described Aulani as many people's "gateway" to Hawaii, and I think that's right, to the detriment of the experience for guests who actually appreciate Hawaii.

 

[Kmk2]

The entitlement of DVC owners is the worst thing about Aulani, and I say that as a DVC owner with Aulani as my home resort. In my experience, the vast majority of DVC visitors are completely disrespectful of the island, the culture, the people, and the resort itself. In a subsequent post, you rightly described Aulani as many people's "gateway" to Hawaii, and I think that's right, to the detriment of the experience for guests who actually appreciate Hawaii.

I’m entitled about a resort I don’t intend to use my points for. Or go to again. Hmmmmm. You are funny.

Again you said you blocked me? After you misrepresented the rfid machines and were super confused about the meaning of threadbare. Can’t handle that someone is out there criticizing Aulani in any way?

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

The entitlement of DVC owners is the worst thing about Aulani, and I say that as a DVC owner with Aulani as my home resort. In my experience, the vast majority of DVC visitors are completely disrespectful of the island, the culture, the people, and the resort itself. In a subsequent post, you rightly described Aulani as many people's "gateway" to Hawaii, and I think that's right, to the detriment of the experience for guests who actually appreciate Hawaii.

I’m not sure if this avoidable though. Aulani is priced comparable to the Four Seasons or Turtle Bay (Aulani’s 20-40% less in real terms, but still, close), so DVC members tend to compare them. And while often people think “well, the Four Seasons does it, so Aulani should too”, it’s easy to forget that the water slides, lifeguards, fish pond, Aunties, etc, all have costs, and aren’t provided at other resorts. So comparisons with other resorts is kind of an Apples and Oranges discussion.

Personally I’m happy with the overall Aulani experience, but can’t wait until it’s running as normal again. Especially if they can get back to “anytime” Aunties Beach House. The reservation system is In so many ways a detriment.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Deleting duplicate

 

[Iceman93]

Lots of good discussion on this thread. To me, Disney always used to exceed my expectations (going back to the 1970's when my parents took me on my first family vacations to WDW). Even then it was expensive, but the themed experiences and guest service overall were truly unparalleled. So much so that Disney was benchmarked by other companies and was even able to create a Disney Institute that taught their lessons to other companies on how to behave. I'm pretty sure the term "service recovery" was coined by Disney as a way to describe what it took to make things right when they originally fell short. They would even teach that proper service recovery led to HIGHER guest satisfaction.

That Disney wouldn't have had a laundry list of excuses as to why they couldn't properly welcome guests to their Hawaiian resort with an upscale, authentic greeting. Even if the price of flower leis had gone up 10x, they would have figured out something else (kukui nut leis for both men and women, for example). The name "Disney" used to represent the pinnacle of hospitality, and wasn't just another name. And it was that approach to hospitality that earned them the respect and loyalty of their guests. If "Disney" has now become just another hotel operator, I weep for their future. They will no longer be able to charge the price premium they currently do, and will instead find themselves competing with everyone else for a race to the bottom on pricing (which they will lose, because of their exorbitant back-end pricing due to bloated management and overhead due to Imagineering even if it no longer represents the best of the best in terms of themed environment design/creation).