Happy Mardi Gras! I love the colors, I love the food - I just love this time of year! So when I was invited to ride a float and throw beads in Universal Studios Orlando's GIANT Mardi Gras parade, of course I said laissez les bon temps rouler!
Universal celebrates Mardi Gras bigger and wilder - and much longer. Their festivities kick off in early February and run through April 24 this year. As an Annual Passholder, I received an email invitation to sign up for a float rider spot. (Guests visiting the park can also participate, more on that later.)
After grabbing a muffaletta for a late lunch, I arrived about an hour and 30 minutes before parade time to the staging area in the Animal Actors Live pavillion. Once I had checked in and signed my waiver, I was assigned a float - the Volcano! Then, I was escorted to a dressing area where they give you a satin-y apron decorated with a sparkly collar. They kept calling this a tabern, but I can't find that word anywhere... however, it *is* tradition for Krewe members to wear long, satin tunics in the Mardi Gras parades.
Once I received my tabern, it was about an hour's wait until the parade began. Universal Team Members told jokes and kept us updated on the schedule, and we got to watch some of the animal show's trainers working with their furry cast mates. We were seated by float group, and once it was time to board the floats we were ushered out one group at a time with a Team Member or two serving as "Float Captain" for each group.
We weren't allowed to take any photos or videos backstage, but we did learn a lot about the floats on the walk there!
Universal has six floats they consider "classic Mardi Gras" that they use in each year's parade. Every year, they send a crew down to New Orleans to work with some of the biggest parade and float companies to develop that year's theme - this year it's Planet Mardi Gras - and they design six new floats for the parade to match the theme for a total of twelve in the parade. It's really a big effort!
With the help of our Float Captain Sam, we boarded our float and were each stationed at a hook overflowing with beads. She told us a basic outline of the parade route, the halfway marker (so we could toss beads accordingly), and where to expect the confetti cannons (!!!).
We also learned that each float designed for the year has two or three bead colors that are SPECIFICALLY designed for that float, and won't be found anywhere else!! We were able to keep a few of these for ourselves, the Volcano float's beads were kind of a milky light orange and light green - so pretty!
After a few beats, we were off! As we came out of the backstage area and into the Hollywood section of Universal Studios, the first thing I noticed was how many people show up for this parade! Seriously, the sidewalks were packed... and everyone wanted beads. It was a lot to keep up with demand, but throwing the beads to specific people ended up being a little easier than I had imagined. It's all about eye contact ;)
With the music playing, confetti everywhere, screaming fans shouting for beads... it really did feel like being in the Big Easy!
Once we wrapped up the parade and got backstage to unload, everyone was talking about how much fun they had. This is such a unique way to see the park and experience something special with your family or friends!
While about half of the float riders are Annual Passholders, another half are left to join the parade through a virtual queue that opens up around noon. You have to be inside the park to join, and only the person who joins the queue plus two other guests are allowed, for a total of three guests per party. You must check in at least one hour prior to the parade step off (dates and times vary), and at that point they may open up additional spots in the virtual queue... so if you missed out at noon, check again around an hour before parade time!
In addition to the parade, there's Mardi Gras fare and drinks at booths all around the park, and entertainers fill the streets for dancing and fun. I also saw special themed treats and merchandise in all of the normal Universal stores. At Islands of Adventure, USO's sister park, there is the Mardi Gras Tribute Store - a super decked out shopping experience with elaborate decor and theming. I didn't make it over there, but the photos I've seen look really impressive. Lastly, there is an outdoor concert series with a pretty awesome lineup, so make sure to check your travel dates and add a show to your itinerary!
How about the next person to find the baby in the King Cake is in charge of planning your trip to Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando Resort - sound good?? Laissez les bon temps rouler!