The family-friendly Mardi Gras event at Universal Studios Orlando, which pays tribute to the Big Easy's carnival, is in full swing and continues through April 4. In the past, Universal's Mardi Gras event has featured a traditional parade, Cajun food for purchase, concerts by big-name stars and plenty of beads.
All of that is happening, but this year Universal has created add-ons as optional guest experiences, including an all-you-can-eat crawfish boil and exclusive viewing areas for the parade and the park's nighttime spectacular.
The nightly Mardi Gras celebration isn't a separately ticketed event,
like the park's Halloween Horror Nights; all of the fun (minus the food and add-ons)
is included in your park admission.
Parade
One of the biggest draws is the Mardi Gras parade, which, depending on the day, can start as early as 5:15 p.m. or as late as 7:45 p.m. -- check the Universal Orlando website to see a calendar of parade start times.
The good times will roll through the streets of Universal Orlando as stilt walkers, dancers, performers and gigantic New Orleans-style floats dripping with purple, gold and green beads bring the party to the streets. For little revelers, a Little Jester's Parade Viewing area, located at the front of the Brown Derby Hat Shop, is an unobstructed viewing area and opens for access one hour prior to the parade.
Concerts
This year, on Saturdays and Sundays, guests can enjoy concerts by Sean Paul (March 10), the Steve Miller Band (March 16), Ziggy Marley (March 17) and probably the most anticipated concert of the event this year at the park, Pitbull, on March 24.
All concerts start at 8:30 p.m. and are included with park admission. A full lineup of concerts is available on the Universal Orlando website.
At 4 p.m. each day, the New York area of the park transforms into the
French Quarter, with traditional second-line street bands and jazz
ensembles, like Dirty Bourbon River Show and New Breed Brass Band,
performing throughout the afternoon.
Food
It's not a Big Easy experience without beignets and jambalaya, so Universal's Mardi Gras puts the flavors Cajun and Creole cuisine on full display, with a selection of dishes available in tasting portions for purchase.
New Add-On Experiences
The Bayou Boil -- an all-you-can-eat, Louisiana-style boil featuring crawfish, shrimp, potatoes and corn on the cob -- is available on select weekend nights through March 31 and includes access to an exclusive viewing area for the Mardi Gras parade. Guests can enjoy king cake, beignets, sparkling wine and other nonalcoholic beverage while watching the parade. This add-on is priced at $59.99 per adult and $39.99 per child plus tax.
For $10 less, guests can skip the crawfish boil but still enjoy the exclusive viewing and snacks for the Mardi Gras Parade as well as an exclusive viewing area for Universal Studios' new nighttime spectacular, the Cinematic Celebration.
Additionally, the Mardi Gras Tasting Lanyard enables guests to enjoy a variety of classic New Orleans dishes during the event for a flat rate, starting at $30. Guests can simply show their lanyard at various food kiosks to sample the dishes included as part of their package.
Lanyards can only be purchased in the park at the French Quarter Courtyard, Monster's Cafe, Bone Chill and the Universal Studios Florida Reservation Cart.