Aulani’s merchandise offerings are getting a bit of a shuffle with Duffy’s friend, Gelatoni the cat, leaving the resort. We’ll discuss this development and what that could possibly mean for Duffy fans in the future. Plus, we have a bonus section stuffed with tons of new merchandise that recently arrived at Disney’s beautiful Hawaiian resort.
Gelatoni and His Time at Aulani
Even after Duffy the Disney Bear and his bear friend, ShellieMay, departed the American Disney Parks, merchandise for the pair was still sold at Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa. This decision made sense, given that a good number of the resort’s clientele are Japanese and the characters originated in Japan. And in 2017, Gelatoni, Duffy’s artistic feline friend, made it over to the Aulani as well. In addition to the traditional plush that you could dress in various outfits (that were sold separately), a wide variety of other items were also stocked.
For collectors, one of the most enticing qualities of these goods was that they were all exclusive to Aulani. Even the standard, dress-able plush used velcro to attach and detach his beret, rather than the barrette used in Japan.
Unfortunately, in the last Tori Richard pre-dressed plush set (which you will see in a bit), Gelatoni was nowhere to be seen. I confirmed with a Cast Member from Kalepa’s Store at Aulani that Gelatoni is no longer being sold at the Resort. There are still some pieces with art featuring him (and I would not be surprised if those were also phased out or altered soon) but otherwise the kitty has left the building.
What Could This Mean Going Forward?
Gelatoni’s removal from Aulani is not only upsetting to collectors but also causes me to worry about the potential removal of more of Duffy’s friends. Please keep in mind that is just conjecture but if Disney is willing to remove Gelatoni from Aulani, what’s to stop them from removing even more? Or all of them . . . I really hope that won’t happen and there’s some news below that leads me to believe they won’t).
I am not privy to the reason for the poor cat’s discontinuation. But from an outsider’s viewpoint, it seems like a bizarre turn of events. That line of characters seemed to do so well at Aulani. The Resort had welcomed CookieAnn the dog just last year and StellaLou the bunny the year before.’Olu Mel the turtle actually originated from Aulani. One would think that, looking at these facts, that Duffy and Friends were doing quite well. I truly hope that my fears are unfounded and that at least the remainder of Duffy’s gang stick around.
If you are looking a Duffy and Friends outside of Aulani, all you have to do is visit any Asian Disney Park. Tokyo Disney Resort, Shanghai Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland all show a lot of love for these characters.
Bonus! New Merchandise at Aulani
It’s not all bad news. There is still plenty of worthwhile merchandise sold at Aulani. Let’s take a look at what’s fresh.
2021 Dated Merchandise
A new year means a new dated collection. The 2021 dated merchandise uses bold colors in a big way.
Both of these shirts utilize surfing as a motif, which would make sense since Aulani is a beach resort. The men’s shirt is a standard tee but the women’s is a crop top.
There are hats, both of the cap and Ear Hat variety, included in this collection.
Of course, various other items are also mixed in, including an Ear Hat ornament, a photo frame, a postcard made of Koa wood and a keychain.
New Tori Richard Collection
Many new items featuring a freshly-designed Tori Richard print recently hit the shelves. Full of colorful fish along with scubaing Mickey and friends, the print has a refreshing aquatic tone.
As one would expect, the print was used on apparel for the whole family. Below we see kids’ shirt and dress.
Guests can accent their new looks with Ear Headbands covered in the print.
Even the plushes of Aulani get dolled up in the fancy new attire. Mickey and Minnie have larger plush versions in this style as well as plush keychains.
Duffy and friends also dress up in similar attire. You’ll notice Gelatoni is not included in this grouping. StellaLou the bunny, however, is included but not pictured.
Tropical Odds and Ends
These amazing new face masks popped up about a week ago. They have Mickey and friends in beach gear, drawn in the classic art style. In the background is a tropical leaf pattern. You can buy them individually or as a set.
‘Olu Mel recently received an interesting bit of merchandise that, in truth, I really like. It is a plush crossbody purse. There is a zipper on his shell with opens up to a compartment.
In addition to the plush crossbody purse, ‘Olu Mel now has a plush keychain similar to one made with Duffy floating on one of Aulani’s inner tubes. This one, instead, has our music-loving turtle buddy laying on the inner tube, playing his ukulele.
You can also see other Aulani merchandise here:
Meet Music-loving ‘Olu Mel at Aulani
In related news, Duffy’s friend ‘Olu Mel, whom we saw in the Merchandise Update above, now meets with guests on the grounds of Aulani. You can see him holding his ‘ukulele in the Disney image below from the resort.
Where to Find Aulani Items Outside of the Resort
If you spotted an item you can’t live without first check shopDisney and search “Aulani”. If they don’t have it, give Kālepa’s Store at Aulani a call and they might just be able to ship it to you. All you have to do is call the hotel operator at (808)674-6200 and ask to be directed to Kālepa’s Store. Please remember to be patient and courteous with the Resort’s cast members as they aren’t really set up to take a high volume of phone orders.
A Gift For The Whole Family!
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Let’s Hear from You
How do you feel about Gelatoni’s disappearance from Aulani? Are you are Gelatoni fan? And what do you think of the new Aulani merchandise? Let us know in the comments below!
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