A Look Inside the Completed Henri’s Starlite Scoops at Give Kids the World Village (Photos, Video)
Hi everyone!
During a preview for the Give Kids the World Village holiday spectacular Night of a Million Lights, we were able to take our first look inside Henri’s Starlite Scoops. Henri’s Starlite Scoops is the replacement for the very popular Ice Cream Palace and was originally to have a grand opening in March, 2020. Henri’s Starlite Scoops includes many different partnerships to make it happen – Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative are two of those partners.
On March 9th, 2021 we were at the Grand Opening of Henri’s Starlite Scoops. This article was originally posted in October, 2020 but I’ve added some new photos, a video and additional information from March 9th!
This is the front entrance of Henri’s Starlite Scoops in October. The Christmas tree is still nearby but not in front of the location.
Henri’s Starlite Scoops is named after Give Kids the World founder Henri Landwirth and the motel he managed on Cocoa Beach called the Starlite Motel (you can see a representation of it on The Right Stuff on Disney+). The Mercury 7 astronauts stayed there! I found a fun article with an original photo here.
Mayor Clayton and Ms. Merry were part of the grand opening (in new space costumes!) of this 2,905 square feet location. More than 12,000 gallons of ice cream are served in a typical year!
The moon rover is still on loan from Kennedy Space Center, it was here for the incredible Night of a Million Lights event but its stay has been extended.
The approach has a countdown from 10.
And the welcome mat says “Lift Off!”
Henri’s Starlite Scoops is very modern. The former Ice Cream Palace was extremely whimsical but also dated and smaller.
Here is our video tour of Henri’s Starlite Scoops from March 7th, 2021.
This is the ordering area from one side.
Behind the counter, the backdrop is like an ice cream cone. And there are toppings for ice cream. Families can have ice cream for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.
Ice cream flavors are listed. This photo is from October but I think the flavors have been updated with new names since then (the press release, for example, mentions Choco-Rocket for chocolate).
Ice cream toppings allow guests to enjoy a sundae or just ice cream with sprinkles. There are also shakes and banana splits (Milky Way Shakes and Galactic Splits).
For allergies, there are specialty ice creams including sugar free, soy milk and coconut milk.
Ice cream is scooped, just as with the former Ice Cream Palace.
The walls are lined with space displays that include some history of Henri Landwirth, the Starlite Motel and Give Kids the World.
This photo includes a display of the Starlite Motel, with a menu and photo that features John Glenn, Annie Glenn, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.
The prices on the menu top out at $3 for a steak dinner.
This photo includes John Glenn, Annie Glenn, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson as they ride in a parade through Cocoa Beach. The parade celebrated Glenn’s Friendship 7 space flight and was held was held on February 23, 1962. The Starlite Motel is in the background!
Henri’s Starlite Scoops includes the same font and design as the former Starlite Motel.
John Glenn took this Give Kids the World flag into space with him on board the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998.
Henri Landwirth is in a photo here from the days of the Mercury 7.
And there are a couple of fun postcards in this window. It is a wonderful look at Space Coast history and the history of Henri Landwirth.
There is a pretty large seating area for families to enjoy ice cream inside, in addition to outdoor tables.
Space theming lines the walls (like you are looking out windows into space).
Mayor Clayton has his spacesuit on too.
There are toppings in this room.
There are chocolate moon rocks.
Purple has become the predominant color of Give Kids the World recently, so there are purple sprinkles and even autumn and Christmas sprinkles.
There is a flying saucer on top of the building. It is 30 feet in diameter, 8 feet tall and weighs 8,500 pounds.
Here is our video of the Night of a Million Lights preview, and it includes a look inside Henri’s Starlite Scoops.
This is a photo I took of the former Ice Cream Palace. It had really fun theming, ice cream, bananas and cones all over (and inside was fun as well). But Give Kids the World Village has grown and expanded through the years, becoming more of a modern resort and Henri’s Starlite Scoops is the newest addition to that.
It is wonderful to see Henri’s Starlite Scoops in operation for guests to enjoy at Give Kids the World Village.
Give Kids The World Village is an 84-acre, nonprofit “storybook” resort in Central Florida. Children with critical illnesses and their families are treated to weeklong, cost-free vacations. For more information, visit www.gktw.org.