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Beads, tossed from floats, rain down on parade watchers. Hands stretch to the sky, ready for the clutch. I learn that an 11-year-old will tackle you like you are a quarterback, in order to catch a string of beads, during Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando. Being on the shorter side, I snatch up most of my beads, at my feet. I only catch one mid-air, but that one, causes a great rush of achievement. There is no lack of beads. All participants, capture enough strings, to take the perfect, after-parade-bead picture.
Picture attained, we continue our venture to experience as much Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando as we can.
The Parade
It wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without a parade. There is a wide variety of advice concerning when to line up for the parade. Some say you don’t have to stake out a spot more than a few minutes before the parade. We witness people lining the sidewalks, an hour-and-a-half before parade start. I want a front-row seat, so we use our waiting time, to have a rest.
If you merely want to watch the parade, and catch beads, a front row spot isn’t necessary. The floats are enormous. Many of the performers are on stilts.
The parade is a flamboyant spectacle. The floats are fun and flashy. Lights dazzle your eyes.
Confetti and bubbles, drift through the air.
Fire illuminates floats, equipped with pyrotechnics.
The floats are occupied by fellow Universal Orlando Mardi Gras visitors. Their job, throw beads.
Beads fly into the audience, nonstop. Catching them becomes a frenzied competition.
This is our first Universal Orlando Mardi Gras parade, so we want to view the parade as audience members. If you desire to be a bead thrower, you can join a virtual queue, day of, for a chance to ride a float. Spots fill up quickly. There is no guarantee, you will be chosen as a float rider.
If you are an annual passholder, Universal Orlando releases a package, that allows you to pay for a float rider package. Like all seasonal, special events, they tend to sell out quickly.
Watch a concert
During Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Park, hosts a concert series. We didn’t attend a concert. The only information I know is that the concerts get crazy crowded, and some people stake out their spots, in front of the stage, at park opening. There is a music artist on-schedule, for everyone’s taste.
The Tribute Store
Did you even visit Universal Orlando, if you didn’t visit the current Tribute Store? Universal creates a gift for visitors, every Universal season. The Tribute Stores, send my creative heart into a tizzy. How exciting it would be to be a part of the creative team that builds these part-store-part-movie/theater sets. The props and effects, tell a story. There is a brand new Tribute Store every year, for every Universal Orlando, season. There is a Mardi Gras, Summer, Halloween, and Christmas, tribute store.
This year’s Mardi Gras Tribute Store, is titled, Legends of the Bayou.
It starts in the office of a roadside attraction/museum.
The store leads visitors through a journey of cryptids and monsters. The swamp area gives E.T. queue feels.
My Tribute Store highlight, is the giant alligator projection, that swims across the floor.
The creative teams, that design these immersive experiences, succeeded in making
Universal’s Tribute Stores, a top, Universal Orlando, attraction
Mardi Gras Food
If you are a theme park enthusiast, you will notice that almost every theme/amusement park has at least one special food event per year. It’s great business, as many people will visit a park, just to try different food items.
During Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando, the park sets up special food booths, that severe up specialties from Mardi Gras/Carnival celebrations, around the world.
We try two specialty drinks, the Banana Foster Fizz, which tasted like a cream soda, mixed with
banana syrup,
and my favorite, the Mardi Jaws.
The Mardi Jaws, is a secret menu item at Universal Orlando’s, Chez Alcatraz, bar. It’s a tropical flavored drink, complete with gummy shark. The best part about the drink is…Mardi Jaws!
I love any food or drink that is consumable and show. If you order the Mardi Jaws, the bartender will don a shark puppet and put on a small performance (other seasons feature the Shark Attack or the Zombie Shark). During Mardi Jaws, the shark puppet, is adorned with a festive hat and beads. It’s fun for the ordering party, and entertaining for anyone who happens to be around the Chez Alcatraz bar.
It’s not an official rule, but drinks from Chez Alcatraz, are photographed with Bruce the Shark.
Our favorite Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando, food booth, is Germany. We nosh on the Leberkase Sandwich (German Meatloaf) and the Apple Streusel.
We also sample dishes from Colombia,
and New Orleans.
Our favorite, current place, for a bite in the parks, is Central Park Crepes. Located in Universal Studios Park, Central Park Crepes, has a special offering, per Universal celebration. For Mardi Gras, we share the Duck a L’Orange crepe. It’s delicious.
City Walk’s Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, never fails to offer up scrumptious, holiday-themed, shakes. The Mardi Gras shake this year, is made with pecan flavored ice cream.
Character Interactions
Intermittently, throughout the day, characters from the Mardi Gras parade emerge, to interact with guests. They will hand out beads in exchange for a visitor providing some g/pg-rated entertainment.
Familiar park characters, like the Mystery Inc. gang, dress in their Mardi Gras best.
The Cursed Coconut Club
Depending on the holiday, Universal City Walk’s, Red Coconut Club, is transformed. For Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando, club fans, can visit, the “Cursed” Coconut Club.
This bar features an upstairs and downstairs bar, each with their own menu. The menu has cocktails and mocktails.
The décor is glitzy-Mardi Gras, with an ominous twist.
The best feature of the Cursed Coconut Club is the performance by The American Sirens. The modern songs, performed, vintage jazz/swing style, mesmerize me.
They are cheeky and vivacious. I’m an American Sirens fan.
Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando has a, joyful, chaotic, party vibe. Even with the party vibes, we never witness anyone out of control or overly inebriated. The atmosphere remains fun and friendly. If you want to experience a Mardi Gras celebration, that’s enjoyable and accessible for the entire family, check out Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando.
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