Mardi Gras Parade Questions - OK for 5 Year Olds? Really Crazy?

[HLester3]

I am trying to figure out if the Mardi Gras parade at Universal is suitable for our 5 year olds. It looks like a lot of fun and I think they would enjoy it, but I am wondering if it is really overrun by teens and that they would be getting stepped on etc.

We would be there on Feb. 3rd, which I am believing is the 1st parade, so it might be even worse.

Any info on the parade would be helpful.

Thanks, Heather

 

[Amity 3]

I am trying to figure out if the Mardi Gras parade at Universal is suitable for our 5 year olds. It looks like a lot of fun and I think they would enjoy it, but I am wondering if it is really overrun by teens and that they would be getting stepped on etc.

We would be there on Feb. 3rd, which I am believing is the 1st parade, so it might be even worse.

Any info on the parade would be helpful.

Thanks, Heather

it's nothing like the real Mardi Gras. but it is like a WDW parade, you need to to arrive ahead of time and camp out in your little area.

a good spot is between Shrek 4D and Jimmy Neutron.

 

[HLester3]

Wow. Thank you for the quick advice. How early do you think we need to stake out our spot? An hour or more? Thanks for the advice on where to sit.

 

[Figment22]

but I am wondering if it is really overrun by teens and that they would be getting stepped on etc.

Mardi Gras at Universal is fun for all ages. I'm sure your kids will love it. Mine are older but LOVE catching the beads that are thrown from the floats. The problem is that adults also love catching beads and can get a little carried away jumping and diving for them. Just because you've got little ones, I'm going to disagree with Amity 3's parade location suggestion between JN and Shrek. (Without kids this is a great spot.) This area will be among the most crowded on the parade route because it is right near the site of the concert that will begin as soon as the parade ends. (On Feb. 3rd, Los Lonely Boys will be playing so I'd expect large crowds up front.) Last year, we staked out a quieter spot back in the Amity section of the park near Jaws right near the beginning of the parade. (I'm making the assumption that the parade route will be the same as last year.) We did claim a spot about an hour before the parade started.

Also, Universal usually has one or two areas roped off that they call "Little Jesters Areas". You'll be able to see them on the park map on the day of the parade. These areas are for families with little ones but they do fill up quickly so again you'd have to stake a claim early.

Sometimes in the afternoon, the characters will come out in the area near Horror MakeUp Show on a vehicle and they will throw Mardi Gras beads to the kids. Pay attention to the times for the characters in that area. It's another way for the kids to get beads, although they're usually of the cheaper, clear plastic variety than the nice metallic ones they throw from the parade floats.

Have a great time!

 

[HLester3]

This is a little unrelated, but when I was trying to google information about the parade I looked at a press release and it mentioned something about power passes being at a discount for florida residence and about the mardi gras parade evening tickets. I was just wonding if anyone has heard any other information about this. Here is the link

http://media.universalorlando.com/article_print.cfm?article_id=154

Thanks again for all of your parade help.

Heather

 

[lindalinda]

I will be there saturday april 7th. As I understand it, mardi gras will still be going on. Ive never been there for this before. We are arriving that day, when do the festivities start? I'm with 3 teen boys, who will probably want to be near the concert. Not to be greedy, but do on-sites get anything special for this?

 

[lindalinda]

So this is a separately ticketed event? will the park close early?

 

[HLester3]

I may be mistaken, but I think that it is included in the price of the ticket. Then there is also an evening ticket just for the parade that is less expensive than a regular full day ticket.

 

[yaytezIOA]

Clarity: Mardi Gras happens every Saturday from Feb 3-April 14th. There is a parade in which beads are thrown. You need to start grabbing your spots early, about an hour or so before the parade,which usually starts at about 8p. There is a concert afterwards in the Boneyard which is directly across from the Monster Cafe. Performers will vary, and will not play before the parade......or any other day. All of this is not a seperate ticket. You get all of this with your paid admission to Universal Studios. If you buy just a ticket to Islands of Adventure....sorry pal, no Mardi Gras for you. There are no special priviledges for people staying on site at the hotels....other than the normal millions of perks you always get for staying on site at any hotels. Rides at Universal Studios are closed during the parade, however, if Islands of Adventure is open.....those rides will be open....and there will be no one there. The discount ticket gets you into the park after 5p.m. for ten dollars less than the full day price with a coupon from specially marked coke cans and twelve packs. There is also a discount on a two park power pass for Florida Residents, which brings the price down to 99 dollars from the normal 119 dollars. This is the pass with blackout dates, it also does not offer very good discounts on merchandise, food, parking and hotels. The other pass is 189 dollars, and there is no mention of a discount in that article. There are no blackout dates on the two park preferred annual pass, and there are very good discounts on food, merchandise, parking and hotels with this pass option. If there are any questions that are not answered, please feel free to start yet another thread asking the same question, it will be answered in the order that it was recieved thank you for calling.

 

[lindalinda]

Hey..no need to be snippy there! Thanks for the clarification, the link made it seem like you needed another ticket.

 

[NotAmused]

Yep, Mardi Gras at Universal is definitely for all ages. Everyone loves catching beads and I know I alway see the performers in the parade stop to high five children and things like that. I would just be careful since they are little ones. I would definitely recommend taking advantage of the "Little Jesters" area because the crowd CAN get pushy sometimes. I have been to Mardi Gras many times and sometimes I have been pushed, grabbed, a little TOO cozy with the people beside me, etc... Usually I am able to enjoy the parade, but there have been several times where some crazy people behind me have gotten a little too excited over free beads

If you're not in the litte jesters area, I would recommend maybe having your children sit in front of you or put the stroller behind them to shield them JUST incase people do get pushy.

 

[HLester3]

yaytezIOA - Do you know how to get the discount on the Power Pass or were you paraphrasing from the press release? I cannot find any information on the web site and did a seach for any information on the new discount for power passes and I could not find anything. We previously had power pass which we purchased with the lottery discount last year. I was hoping that something like that was happening again, since it would save us $80 if we got the $20 discount the press release talked about. Maybe it just isn't out yet.


NotAmused - Thank you for your suggestions. I think we will definetly try to stake out a place in the little jesters area.

Thanks, Heather

 

[Slacking]

The Powerpass discount usually comes through Wendy's (I think thats right), so if the discount is offered again this year, I would expect these coupons to be offered through Wendy's again.

 

[MSWint]

(On Feb. 3rd, Los Lonely Boys will be playing so I'd expect large crowds up front.)

Is there a site to find out who is playing when? We will be there on Feb. 24 .. any idea who will be performing?

 

[phamton]

Taylor Hicks is tentatively scheduled for the 24th.

Feb. 3 Los Lonely Boys
Feb. 10 Donna Summer
Feb. 17 Huey Lewis and the News
Feb. 24 Taylor Hicks
Mar. 3 Wynonna
Mar. 10 The Doobie Brothers
Mar. 17 The Temptations and the Four Tops
Mar. 24 To be Announced
Mar. 31 To be Announced
April 7 To be Announced
April 14 KC and the Sunshine Band

 

[MSWint]

Taylor Hicks is tentatively scheduled for the 24th.

Excellent ... DD10 loves him.

 

[wilma-bride]

Taylor Hicks is tentatively scheduled for the 24th.

Feb. 3 Los Lonely Boys
Feb. 10 Donna Summer
Feb. 17 Huey Lewis and the News
Feb. 24 Taylor Hicks
Mar. 3 Wynonna
Mar. 10 The Doobie Brothers
Mar. 17 The Temptations and the Four Tops
Mar. 24 To be Announced
Mar. 31 To be Announced
April 7 To be Announced
April 14 KC and the Sunshine Band

Thanks for posting those dates - no prizes for guessing what me and DH will be doing on 17th Feb then

 

[Chief Planner]

Universal still lists the closing time of US on Feb 3 as 6 pm. If Mardi Gras starts this day and the parade doesn't start until 8 pm, do they let you stay and ride between official closing time and the parade starting time, or is this just an error in the posted closing time?

 

[phamton]

It sounds like a mistake. They've never cleared the parks before Mardi Gras before.

 

[Manatee]

Last time we were there my twins were 5yo, they had a great time, we found the best position to be was around the amytiville area just by Jaws, this area was not very crowded at all.