Transforming an Ice Cream Parlor while honoring the legacy of Give Kids the World founder, Henri Landwirth.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Give Kids the World decided it was time to sprinkle some magic into their Ice Cream Palace—more immersive experiences, more seats, and a sweeter story to tell! Plus, they wanted to give a nod to Henri, the wizard behind the scenes of this enchanting village. As the Story and Writing Lead, I whipped up the experience for this immersive treat, from penning tales to shaping the design, creating a place where kids could dive into ice cream delight around the clock!
MY ROLE
- Story Development: Cooked up a brand-new story experience that was truly out-of-this-world.
- Experiential Design: Dreamed up all the whiz-bang special effects and gags to make sure our story was a real crowd-pleaser!
- Interior Design: Imagined every detail of the space, from mood boards to collaborating with Interior Design to unveil a space that was simply stellar.
- Project Pitch: Served up our idea to the bigwigs in GKTW Leadership—and voila! Got the green light to make our dreams a reality.
- Naming: Whipped up names for everything from the ice cream parlor itself to many delectable treats on the menu!
RESULTS & IMPACT
- The ice cream parlor makeover hit the sweet spot, perfectly blending Henri’s story with the magic of the space coast, stirring up excitement and spreading the word far and wide!
- The fresh treats served up a top-notch ice cream adventure, inspiring kids to gobble up more scoops and giggle with delight!
- The revamped space now boasts designs that are more inclusive and accessible, ensuring that everyone can easily enjoy the sweet delights being offered!
Henri’s Starlite Scoops
Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, FL
© Give Kids the World Village / © Walt Disney Imagineering
Story
As the story goes, in 1950, a space enthusiast named Henri Landwirth opened Starlite Scoops–an intergalactic diner where his astronaut friends could fly in for a scoop after an adventurous day at space.
Today, Henri’s family and friends can follow the glow of the neon marquee to Henri’s Starlite Scoops, where ice cream lovers of every age are still enjoying Henri’s zero gravity treats. Diners may even spot something that’s a little extraordinary before they make their way inside–a spaceship that has crash-landed on the roof!
In the back of the diner, there’s even more fun to discover. As legend has it, one night in the 1950s, a few otherworldly visitors accidentally crashed their spaceship into the diner. Since then, the UFO has been converted into a screw back room known as ” The Marsh Inn.” Today, diners can enjoy their frozen treats in this mysterious area, which is the perfect place to celebrate an extra special day. But there’s just one catch–everything in this room tends to be a little…alien.
Once inside the diner, friends and family can relive the fun adventures of Henri’s astronaut friends, who have left behind special mementos from their space travels over the years. From flight memorabilia hanging on the walls to candy dispensers filled with moon rocks, there’s something new waiting to be discovered around every corner. Guests can also sit inside special rocket ship booths, where they can watch astronauts fly by the windows, see extraterrestrials leave secret “alien” messages, and enjoy a meteor shower that sprinkles “sprinkles” instead of stars.
And, of course, no visit to Henri’s would be complete without a scoop of his out-of-this-world ice cream that started it all: The Starlite Scoop!
Concept Art
Interior Design Concepts
Scale Model + Marquee Mockup
Project Reveal
Founder’s Day Celebration at Give Kids the World Village
If this video doesn’t automatically play, click here to watch it on YouTube. Video is © Give Kids the World Village.
Grand Opening