Disney World’s Bath Brand is Ending
For longtime Walt Disney World fans, it’s the end of an era. The “scent of vacation” is coming to an end, as the brand that makes resort bath products has announced that it’s closing up shop.
H2O+ posted on its official website thanking customers for 33 years, along with this: “After 30+ amazing years of innovation, we have made the very difficult decision to retire the brand at the end of the year.” H2O+ also indicated that you customers can “shop your favorites on Amazon while supplies last.”
Frequent visitors of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or Disney Cruise Line will instantly recognize the H2O+ name. It’s the company that makes all of those bath and body products–from shampoo and conditioner to foot scrub–that are provided in resort rooms and staterooms.
Featured items at Walt Disney World and beyond include the H2O Plus premium Sea Salt and Sea Marine SPA lines, signature blue Bath Aquatics collection, and bath and body care products in Blushing Orange and Grapefruit Bergamot scents. H2O Plus products are also available in resort gift shops and online at shopDisney.com.
Speaking of which, shopDisney just posted a banner indicating that it’s closing out its remaining H2O+ inventory…
Once the current inventory runs out, that’s it. The products will be “gone forever on September 30” according to shopDisney’s banner.
Through the end of 2022, you can also purchase items from the H2O Plus Storefront on Amazon. On their website, the bath products company states that “H2O+ products will be available exclusively on Amazon, and we will no longer be accepting orders on H2OPlus.com. Continue to read in-depth product information and easily find the links to your products on Amazon.”
H2O Plus is a subsidiary of Pola Orbis Holdings, based out of Tokyo, Japan. In a press release, the Pola Orbis group stated that it has positioned the expansion of its business portfolio as “the new pillar of its strategies, while aiming to further enhance profitability by pursuing reforms of its brand portfolio in the existing cosmetics business” for Vision 2029, which is its 100th Anniversary plan.
With that, Pola is eliminating H2O Plus Holdings Inc. Since joining the group, H2O Plus has been engaged in the manufacture and sale of cosmetics primarily in the US. However, the business environment surrounding the beauty brand has become “extremely difficult,” with sales falling short of expectations. Pola acquired H2O Plus in 2010. At the time of the acquisition, Pola said it would expand the brand in Asia.
According to the company, H2O Plus will fulfill its contractual obligations to supply products in accordance with agreements with its business partners, and proceed with dissolution procedures during the second half of 2023. Subsequently, the liquidation will be concluded upon the completion of the necessary procedures.
Given that, it’s likely that H2O+ products will be available in Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and DCL rooms through at least the end of 2022. No word yet from the Walt Disney Company on what brand will replace H2O, but our “vote” goes to another Japanese brand: Kao Corporation, sponsor of Tokyo Disney Resort and producer of the iconic Mickey Mouse head soap dispensers (which smell great).
The Walt Disney Company and H2O Plus have had a fruitful relationship for over 15 years. The two began working together in 2006, when Walt Disney World teamed with H2O Plus to “provide our guests with high-quality, in-room amenities such as shampoos, conditioners and body lotions,” said Michael Cohen, vice president, Disney Corporate Alliances.
If I recall correctly, H2O products were only offered at Deluxe Resorts and Disney Vacation Club properties initially. Someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I could swear we still received the old school Mickey Mouse stuff at the All Stars and Port Orleans Resorts in 2007.
Back in 2013, the two partners announced a multi-year strategic relationship that took that even further. At the time, Cohen said that Disney was “excited to expand upon this relationship and look forward to introducing H2O Plus products to Disney guests around the globe.”
Then, H2O+ went from the primary in-room amenities provider for Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disney Cruise Line and Disney Vacation Club properties, to extend the H2O Plus presence internationally.
Through that deal, H2O Plus products were added to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, and Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii. In addition, H2O Plus became sponsor of multiple runDisney races at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts.
“We’ve enjoyed a wonderful, long-standing relationship with Disney and we are pleased with the opportunity to further collaborate with one of the most beloved companies in the world” said H2O Plus CEO, Rick Ruffolo at the time. “This expanded agreement will enable us to provide H2O Plus to an even broader Disney audience who can now enjoy the best in marine-based skincare products.”
While that partnership was significant news at the time, the biggest story involving H2O Plus and Walt Disney World was, naturally, a controversy. A minor change that garnered disproportionate backlash.
Back in 2017, Walt Disney World began replacing individually-packaged soaps and shampoos with larger, refillable dispensers in the shower. This was one of several unpopular changes made at the resorts in 2017-2018, overshadowed only by the addition of hotel parking fees and pet-friendly resorts. (Parking fees are still a big deal, but the other two “issues” seem downright quaint as compared to the changes of the last couple years.)
These refillable dispensers were first added at Value and Moderate Resorts and eventually extended to Disney Vacation Club Resorts and beyond.
For those keeping score at home, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser officially became the most expensive “hotel” to have the refillable dispensers when it debuted earlier this year.
This has been a bit hit or miss, though. Some Deluxe and Villa resorts have the refillable shampoo, conditioner, and body wash dispensers, whereas others do not.
During our most recent stay in the Grand New Rooms at Walt Disney World’s Flagship Resort, we were surprised to find individual toiletries. (Not that any of you actually care–but I find it fascinating to see which new rooms do and don’t do things like this and bed runners.)
I’ve been of two minds about this. On the one hand, this is more environmentally-friendly, and is a trend in the larger hotel industry far beyond Disney. It’s especially popular in Europe (we’ve experienced this even at high end and boutique hotels there), but has been standard practice in U.S. National Park lodges for a while, too.
The flip side to that is it’s another cut at hotels with ever-increasing prices. It’s one of those things that just feels like a cost-savings measure being implemented under the guise of environmentality. It’d be one thing if this savings were passed along to guests or used to improve another amenity, but I think we all know that’s not how it has played out.
Whenever we stay in a resort at Walt Disney World, we stock up on H2O+ products.
A while back, I admitted in our Top 10 Scents of Walt Disney World that I hadn’t bought shampoo in years. While that’s no longer true, it’s not due to the refillable dispenser switch–I still have enough H2O Plus products to last a lifetime.
As firm believers in scent-evoked nostalgia, that’s why we continue to collect the little bottles and have quite the stockpile.
We use various H2O+ bath products on “special occasions” or when wanting to start our day off on the right foot. Certain discontinued scents or bath products from specific hotels still conjure up memories and emotion from past trips, and it’s nice to revisit those from time to time.
Sarah and I began visiting Walt Disney World together in 2006, just before H2O Plus began its relationship with Disney. (I assume–our first trip featured the old school black and red Mickey Mouse toiletries.)
Ever since then, H2O Plus products have been a defining scent of our vacations. The “turquoise flavor” still instantly transports me to staying at Saratoga Springs in 2007-2009, the “green flavor” is associated with our first stay at the Grand Californian. And so on. This is probably very inconsequential news to most normal people or even casual visitors, but it’s huge to us. Calling it the end of an era might seem hyperbolic–and probably is–but that’s a bit how this feels for us.
Ultimately, that’s precisely why the news of Walt Disney World’s bath products brand being retired is such “big” news despite being relatively inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. It’s why so many other fans also stockpile these toiletries (if you thought it was frugality, you’ve missed the point–no one who can afford a $200+ hotel room can’t afford a $2 bottle of Suave). It’s also why it was such a big deal for so many when the switch was made to refillable dispensers.
The good news is that Walt Disney World and the other destinations will replace H2O Plus with different bath products (presumably–probably shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves with that assumption given recent penny-pinching) and that brand will have its own distinct smells (also presumably). It’ll take some time before nostalgia is formed around those new scents, but it will happen eventually. Here’s hoping they’re as good as the ones made by H2O Plus. Truly the end of an era…and hopefully the beginning of another!
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Your Thoughts
Will you miss the nostalgic scents of H2O+ bath products at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or Disney Cruise Line? Is this the ‘end of an era’ for you…or is this inconsequential news? Are you a fan of H2O Plus, or ready for something different? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Hi Tom,
Great article and yes it is definitely end of an era. I hope they do go with a company with the same level of quality and reliability as H2O+. I just have a question for you regarding your picture of your different toiletry bottles I’m curious of what resort did you get the bottles with the gold Mickey head lids and are they H2O or before that? Thank you so much
Julie
Really disappointed that Disney is ending an Era of these H2O products. Do not understand the methodology of stopping production of these products that truly sale. I guess they like making our lives miserable.
This is not Disney’s doing. The parent company is retiring the brand altogether.
The sea salt body wash has been our absolute favorite scent for sooo many years – and always takes us back to Disney. Not having the individual gels definitely hurt our supply but we are still good on soaps, which we take on vacation with us to other hotels. Truly so sad to read this news! I am praying that the next company has a wonderful scent profile. They have some mighty big shoes to fill! And yes, by all means, fill the dispensers, but make the individual versions as well!
I wonder if since H2O is shutting down, someone else might reverse-engineer their product scents and ‘accidentally’ make stuff that is indistinguishable to the common person. Yeah, I have heard of copyrights and patents and all kinds of other things, but the reality is, if they are no longer in production, then they’d be hard pressed to argue in court about infringement. OR someone could just buy the rights to that product line and start producing them. Hell, they might be open to a royalty agreement. I don’t know if sales are enough to warrant that kind of interest in the consumer market, however.
There’s no sufficient intellectual property protection for scents. This is why there are so many knockoff perfumes and colognes–it’s entirely legal. It’s also why so much of the fragrance industry is driven by marketing and designer brand recognition.
Disney could reverse engineer this themselves and make nearly identical products in-house, or via a new third party.
Oh yeah, and it’s entirely possible they would. But I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle for them.
Loved the scent and collecting them over the years but we have to save the planet and the small use plastic bottles etc will disappear from everywhere in the next few years, Disney has to lead on this as a global example to us all and whilst I will miss them, my habits are changing and have to along with these. It’s not about cost saving, it’s making sure others can have those memories on this planet in hundreds of years after we have had them.
I had some of the small bottles from a 2019 stay and I just used the last bit up. The end of an era. That being said, the small bottles are 91% likely to end in a landfill (just like any plastic in the United States) – and if they’re the type that is an upside down tube, they’re not recycleable at all. So I’m glad to see the refillable bottles at the resorts. If we REALLY want the scent of vacation, we can just bring some empties to fill up when we are there. Actually, I’m a genius. I’m totally doing that next time 🙂
Just about ALL plastic is recyclable, along with glass, paper, etc. The issue is that it’s not economically viable to do some of the more esoteric types (or any of it sometimes) so even when we separate our trash it still ends up in the pit. Thermal depolymerization works wonders on stuff, but isn’t common yet.
I tell my Dad it’s not about ‘saving the Earth’ but saving him the millions in taxes it takes to expand a landfill. That’s enough to motivate me to do it! And yes, I was involved in design and construction of a landfill expansion not too long ago, in Otero County, NM. The final report for the state filled a whole paper case box.
Shhhh…they’ll add meters to the big bottles next so we can’t do that any more. We keep and rinse out the 5 Hour Energy bottles. They are small enough to carry on the plane home too.
I used H2O before it was at Disney. Nothing compares to the beautiful scent of clean from their products. I will miss them greatly.
Same. I remember shopping in their Copley store in college in 1996, WAY before Disney partnered with them.
It’s all these little things that make up the total Disney experience.
My son and I buy H2O for my wife. My wife loves the smell along with the EPCOT Norway Laila Perfume.
It immediately brings back Disney Vacation memories.
My condolences that so many hotel rooms no longer have single use plastic bottles for people to collect or hoard.
Well, we can still collect towels and washcloths… DOH! But seriously, I do have a tiny stack of the old paper napkins that had WDW printing on them. And a few paper plates from somewhere I found in the back of a cabinet while packing up the kitchen to move!
Individual Soaps are far more sanitary then shared soap. Just recycle the bottles.
Well, I guess you never use the ketchup or soy sauce, or salt, etc. in a restaurant either, right?
Those tiny bottles are much more sanitary then shared soaps. Next it will be reusable toilet paper forced down on us…
I definitely appreciate the switch from tiny plastic bottles to wall dispensers, and hope they will come up with something just as nice to use.
If someone is actually concerned that the dispensers aren’t sanitary, they can use an alcohol pad (or the soap from the dispenser!) to clean the pump off. As someone else pointed out, the ketchup, salt, etc. on restaurants tables may not be ‘sanitary’, but it’s simple enough to use them, then clean your hands with the ubiquitous hand sanitizer that we all carry these days. You might want to consider using hand sanitizer after handling restaurant menus, too.
The issue with using ketchup bottles, salt etc. I used to work at a restaurant and those ketchup bottles are never cleaned out or emptied entirely so the catch-up at the quarter end of it, it’s so old it is not sanitary at all! That’s why I cannot stand using the wall-mounted shampoos and soaps at Disney. I understand about the environment but I do not think it’s sanitary because they don’t clean them out. Plus, last time we were there you have to get a washcloth so close to the shower gel it was icky. Everybody’s doing the same thing
Since going on a Disney cruise years ago, I have been using Sea Marine everyday as my regular shampoo and conditioner. This is one of the few brands that doesn’t irritate my skin. I am now trying to figure what to use. Very disappointing news for me.
This IS the end of an ERA! The smell absolutely transports you to that magical place every time! So disheartening! My son is autistic and is obsessed with Hotel toiletries, it’s really just about how small and cute they are. The Disney H2O+ were/are like his Ferrari of the toiletry world. Hahaha. This saddens me.
I feel a little silly getting upset about shampoo, but dang, I am. During the first few months of the pandemic and we were all stuck at home, I bought their products for our home, cooked an Ohana style meal, made Dole Whip, and we watched ride videos on YouTube. It was a bright spot and a good memory for my family.
I’ve never could afford to stay at Disney. But as a normal collector of hotel bath mini shampoos & soaps, I could see how this would be upsetting.
I had always still hoped that one day I could stay at any Disney resort & revel in this tiny but momentous perk of collecting these from the room.
Noooooo…. this is disappointing . My heart hurt when they stopped selling the orange blush.
I saw on Disboards this morning that H2O+ is ending, and my first thought was exactly
:The End of An Era: and it makes me sad.
Saw your article this evening, and you picked the same title.
I actually loved the Blushing Orange, its smell was very nice, but very faint. My next favorite was Bath Aquatics, which I believe is the turquoise you refer to. I don’t think I ever had the “green flavor” you refer too. I know a lot of people have said how they stocked up, but I don’t know how. And enough to last a lifetime—I don’t know how you did that! But I do use mine when home, such wonderful smells and nostalgic as you said. Funny you mention the black & red. I still have some of those too, don’t use them, they were cheap product. But I loved that the package said “Everybody neat and pretty now? Then on with the show!”, which is why I keep them. Again, happy memory just from the quote.
Tom, if by “green stuff” you meant the sea mineral, I did have that. I don’t care for the shampoo scent, but the conditioner and lotion smell nice.
I like the dispensers. I never cared for the H20 smell. It never felt unique and I’m not fond of floral scents. Now I would not mind shampooing my hair with a Dole Whip scented shampoo!
Most hotels in Europe use big soap containers and I much prefer them – the little packages to me feel dated, wasteful and insufficient! I also thought that big brands like Hilton and Marriott were doing away with individual containers, too, over the next few years.
One of the things which most depresses me about Disneyworld is single use plastic waste- Disneyland Paris is substantially ahead as we have recyclable paper Starbucks cups even for iced coffee, for example. Other European counties – ie Germany are even more environmentally conscious again.
Went to Europe in March 2020, they had the big wall dispensers at DLP resorts and at the inn we stayed at in Bitburg as well as the higher-end hotel at the Frankfurt airport. So in some ways, yes Europe is ahead on practical environmental issues. Except for Germany and their shortsighted, misguided foolishness in closing their nuke plants, which ARE clean energy…
Tom: You are right. We can’t lay this one on Chapek. However, if he were running McDonalds, I wonder
If he would raise the price of cheeseburgers to $13.99, trading off subs., I mean customers, for increased revenue
Agreed. Chapek is probably grinning from ear to ear about this. Looking at it like another opportunity to cheapen the experience. He’ll probably look for the cheapest products possible to take the place of H20 or even worse, he’ll probably make us pay an extra fee if we want Disney to provide us with soap and shampoo during our stays.
ugh don’t give them any ideas on slapping a fee on toiletries…