Mardi Gras at USF

taff

Mouseketeer
Joined
Dec 31, 2000
Appreciate the Forum.
From your postings I have learned that Mardi Gras is celebrated at Universal. Our family, including two kids 9 and 7 will be staying at the HRH second week in March. What special events might we expect to find? I am thrilled about the Gras Parade in USF, but what about Citywalk?
Is there a character Breakfast at USF or IOA?
Thanks in advance!
 
Mardi Gras is mainly celebrated at USF, although they usually have some cajun food, music, etc. available at CityWalk. The highlight is the live bands (house band on weeknights, major acts on weekends) and 20 minute parade at close every night at USF. The parade is generally quite good and very close in quality to New Orleans. **HINT** To maximize your fun and get tons of beads and sovenier coins for your kids, watch the parade from where it starts (right near Jaws and the Amnity Games area of the park). There will be hardly any people there and all the floats will throw tons of beads and coins to you. We must have caught 150 beads/coins between two people last year. After the parade ends head towards Twister (this is where the parade ends). In about 5-10 minutes you can see the parade again from this location. It will be completely dark by then and there will be more people viewing the parade, making for a fun and festive atmosphere (just don't expect to catch many beads here). After the parade head towards the main stage to check out the band.

Jim
 
Thanks Jim for the info! I am a planning freak and I can't seem to find any specific dates,times,etc. for Character Breakfasts, event times and so on. We don't want to miss anything. The universalstudios.com site doesn't help. Any travel books to reccommend? I must say, I wish I had found this Forum before booking my trip. I could have saved big!
 
This was the highlight of my trip in Feb '99. In fact, I went on two nights. My cousin will be in Orlando during this time and I told her to take her two kids.

The parade is great and there is cajun style food and drink available for sale too. At CityWalk, the party continued and a worker at Pat O'Briens was tossing beads into the crowd.
 


Aloha,

The absolutely best guide book we have found for Universal is "Universal Studios Escape, The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park Adventure" by Kelly Monaghan.

When exactly in March will you be there? Some of us are trying to set up a meet the second weekend in March. :)
 
Hi taff,

The only character meal in the parks is at IOA at Confiscos. It is lunch and is served from 12-2P daily. We recently had lunch here and had a great time and the food was good. We got to see Beetle Bailey and Scooby Doo and Spiderman and the Adventurer and a Gypsy.

jessica5.gif
 
We will be at HRH 03/09-03/13. Cant wait!
If Scooby might be at Confiscos, I'll be there! We middle aged parents LOVE Scooby!
 


I called Uescape to find out about the Bands during Mardi Gras, they don't have the info available yet. It will be celebrated mid feb through Sat March 17. The parade will be nightly in USF excluding MONDAY and TUESDAY.
Thought others might want to know, I would hate to miss it!

[This message was edited by taff on 01-03-01 at 05:43 PM.]
 
jtopicz1, the floats they use during the USF parade are from the Caesar parade that rolls in New Orleans the first Saturday of the Mardi Gras season so quality-wise it is the same. They definitely don't throw the same amount of throws but overall it is a nice rendition of a New Orleans parade.

We got to ride in it two years ago and it was great fun especially for the kids.

P.S. The Caesar parade actually rolls in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans but it is one of the biggest and nicest parades in Metairie. And the souvenir coins are called doubloons.
 
Anyone know when they put out the calendar for the bands playing at Mardi Gras?
 
Peterd, Uescape told me to call back mid next week for info on the Bands.

Pixie_Dust, on a website it said Mardi Gras was celebrated Feb 14- March 17. Uescape only said Mid Feb and suggested a more definative schedule would be available after a "briefing" next week.
 
Thanks Taff, we'll be checking into the Hardrock Feb 14th for five days, then onto the Boardwalk. We did the Horror nights in Oct. and it was great. My wife and kids got to throw beads from the floats in the parade. Hope they get the chance to do it for Mardi Gras also. Will be checking back next week for the band info. Thanks Pete
 

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