Sat 3/15 Mardi Gras Parade Observations

[TiggerGirl333]

We are in Orlando, and did USO today, both parks, there were no crowds really and it was a beautiful day. I do have to comment on the Mardi Gras parade though. We got a spot early at Mels Diner as per previous posts I had read. The parade started and it was good, however, I think they are VERY chinsy with the beads, the crowds, the kids, the babies all wanting beads were VERY well behaved. I have a complaint about the bead throwers, telling the crowds to yell louder , then throwing only 5 beads off one side per float???? I know these beads are cheap as we have bought them for parties. Why are they so cheap as to not throw them out? I know you all will say, It is the people on the floats, but I think they should inform the people on the floats to be more liberal with beads. Only 3 people threw doubloons and I counted 5 that were thrown total. I just laughed. Seemed the float riders were taking their bead power a little too seriously!!!
Great day other than that waste of time. I would rather have been over at IOA riding rides with no waits at all. Thanks for listening guys!!!

 

[PammyK]

I was at the parade tonight as well as last Saturday. I do have to say that it seemed that the folks on the floats tonight were not distributing the beads as freely as last weekend. I attributed it to a different location but maybe it was just that the folks on the floats this weekend were more stingy. Oh well...it was still a fun parade and the concert by Hootie & the Blowfish was outstanding.

 

[chris mcfly]

All of the floats have a universal employee on board that more or less monitor the amount of beads that are being thrown off (and tell the throwers to either throw more or cool it) as well as notify everyone where the halfway point is for the parade so they can judge how far left they have to go.

Just like in the real mardi gras, not everybody is going to get beads- thats the fun of screaming and going crazy so you get the beads thrown to you. It wouldnt be any fun if they were just a hand-out, IMO.

 

[kpgclark]

How long does the parade last? Is it worth seeing with a 6 and 8 year old?

 

[the Dark Marauder]

I rode the float before for 3 years in a row. I learned that if you are very liberal with your beads, you'll run out by the time you get to the end of the parade. By being a bit more conservative with beads, the thrower will have enough to cover the whole parade route. Plus the bead supply is limited on the floats.

 

[Locknload82]

We were there for the parade the night before you, on Friday March 14th and also watched from the mels diner area. They threw tons of beads that night, seemed like everyone in our area got plenty, we had a blast. Maybe there were more people there on Sat night, so not everyone got as many?