Universal Mardi Gras 2025. Thirty years of celebrating NOLA. Laissez les bon temps rouler. Gators, beads, food, parades and dancing.

[Robo56]

Another convert! I do think they have the best food in DS

I have not tried a lot of the restaurants in Disney Springs so I will be honest I don’t have a lot of places to compare to BoatHouse, but it is pretty awesome.

Sadly, as with many other venues, for us the service has dramatically dipped after covid. Dealing with obviously inexperienced servers struggling on many visits has been frustrating, as we enjoy the food & atmosphere. I chalk that up to a decided lapse in oversight & training by the management. No excuse IMO, even when it’s the prime-time dinner rush.

Sorry to hear you have not had good experiences last few visits. I have visited both times early in the day with no reservation and had a great meal and service. Maybe I have been lucky with the timing not sure.

I do have to say that U has continually upped the quality of their floats from year to year. It’s very impressive they aren’t trotting out the same thing year in year out.

The floats are awesome. I’am so happy that U is really keeping things fresh from the floats to the Tribute Store and food. They are doing a great job.

 

[Robo56]

Wednesday, February 26th continued

After walking through the Trend store it leads right into Arribas with all the sparkly stuff. Do like to look around in here.



I bought my younger sister K the glass blown Halloween Mickey earrings and necklace a couple years ago for her birthday. The Cauldron charm was really cute.


















After I was done looking in Arribas I walked over to the big Disney Store for a quick walk through.

 

[Robo56]

I thought these slippers were funny. I thing they are Sulley slippers from Monsters INC. Might be wrong.


Then it was onto my last stop to look around in


I do like to stop in here and look around at all the creative desserts.












The Black Panther was the mini cake, I had seen the one they had for UP around Valentine’s Day. It was really cute.

 

[Robo56]

This cake had beautiful colors.

I had not seen the mini Character cakes before.






They do sell sandwhiches at Amorette’s too.

After walking through Amorette's I took the escalator back up to the second floor of the parking garage and had to walk all the way around the gated off area that people have to walk to and through to get to Disney Springs to reach the area in the garage where I was parked.

I wondered again why they did not do away with this gating system that was put in place during covid. A small area would do to have folks walk through to be scanned and have bags checked to enter Disney Springs.

After I had rounded the gated system I saw an elderly man sitting on the ground. He looked tired and his wife was standing by him. I asked if there was anything I could do to help them and he said he was just tired from all the walking and just could not walk the rest of the way to reach his car.

The parking lot staff did call for a golf cart to help him get to his vehicle.

I was glad to be on my way back to the Resort. Once I got back to Sapphire. I took a nice shower and got into some comfy clothes for a little rest.

 

[Robo56]

When I woke up from my rest I wanted to get moving. I wanted to stop over and look around at the Cursed Coconut Club that opened at 5 pm before I headed over to the Studios to watch the parade.

First I wanted to have a taste of the slice of cake I bought from Gideon’s. It was dry and tasteless. I had never bought any of their cake slices before, but this was a disappointment. I threw it in the trash.






I did have a look at the chocolates I had bought at the Ganachery. They were very nicely packaged. I did try one of the pistachio chocolates and it was delicious. One was enough.

I got ready to head out and catch the water taxi. There was a nice group of folks waiting for the water taxi when I got to the dock.

We did not have to wait long for a boat and we were on our way to CityWalk.

I headed to the Cursed Coconut Club.

There were some nice Mardi Gras decorations around CityWalk.






When not decorated for the various events it is the Red Coconut Club.

 

[Robo56]

The decorations inside the club did not disappoint. They had done a great job.

 

[Robo56]

These various masks had eyes that moved. These were very cool.

 

[Robo56]

This Kong arm and had been repurposed behind the bar as a massive Jesters hand. Those of you who went into the Goblins Feast House during this past HHN might recognize this. It was supposed to be a giant goblins hand that would come out at you as you walked by.

Also this hand had originated in the original Kong ride and was a photo op of King Kong’s arm and hand as you left the ride.


















To be conitnued

 

[disneyseniors]

Robo: My husband and I loved Arrabis Brothers glassworks. We stopped every time we were at Disney to watch them blowing the glass in the back of the room. I always got a gift of a new figurine at Arrabis too. So many beautiful things to look at!

 

[Robo56]

Robo: My husband and I loved Arrabis Brothers glassworks. We stopped every time we were at Disney to watch them blowing the glass in the back of the room. I always got a gift of a new figurine at Arrabis too. So many beautiful things to look at!

Ruth that sounds like something special you and your husband did together.

They do have beautiful things to look at for sure.

Sounds like you have some nice treasures from there.

I was tempted by a couple of pieces particularly a wand that you can fill with whatever colored crystal’s of your choice. Thought it would go well with some of the HP things I have, but they were a little busy so I decided maybe another time.

 

[Robo56]

Wednesday, February 26th continued

I was upstairs looking around in the Cursed Coconut Club and one of the areas was the home of Fortune Teller Madame Stratera’s home.

 

[Robo56]

All ages are welcome at the Cursed Coconut Club. It was fun to look around the club and I was glad I went.










These Jester poles outside of the Cursed Coconut Club were awesome.




After I was done at the Cursed Coconut Club I went back down the escalator and passed by the beautiful Mardi Gras window display.


Then it was time to head over to the Studios for the Mardi Gras parade again. It was at 6 pm as it was yesterday evening.

 

[Robo56]

I stopped by the Colombia booth to get the burger I had heard was so good. It looked like it was missing the slaw and potato sticks and had been sitting around for a while. I took one bite and it was dry and tasteless. I know it was the end of the evening, but for that price to sell someone food that is inedible is a shame. I threw it away and just kept walking. I should have took it back.




I then stopped for some beignets. They were fresh made while I waited and when they handed them to me they were hot pillowy goodness.,


I had positioned myself for the parade this evening on the side of Mel’s Drive In where I could see the parade head on before it made it’s two turns to head back to staging area.

 

[Robo56]

Baron Ton Ton
















More to come

 

[Robo56]

Wednesday, February 26th continued

 

[Robo56]

I was glad I came back to watch the parade again this evening and that I had watched it from a different vantage point.

The sweet TM who was dressed like a pink shrimp was picking up beads that had not reached people and handed them to the little ones on the parade route.

There was also a mussel that was not there yesterday evening.



It was really cute because there was a stilt walking chef trying to reign in her errant food ingredients ie…shrimp, mussels etc.

 

[Robo56]

 

[Robo56]

My favorite float the Airboat Gator float.

It was so cute seeing the TM’s dressed as the vegetation that is in the swamp with Snakes and Raccoons on their hats.




















To be conintued

 

[Robo56]

Wednesday, February 26th continued



I think I finally got what this float was about. It is Madame Stratera The Fortune Teller. Remember her posters and the Fortune Teller room at the Cursed Coconut Club.

 

[Robo56]

Then it was time for the last float King Gator. The stilt walking TM’s were joyful in their Gator costumes.








This is really a breautiful float.









More to come