Universal Orlando Mardi Gras is one EPIC celebration. This year, Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration takes place from February 1st to April 2nd, 2020.  This celebration combines theme park entertainment with a Mardi Gras parade, costumed performers, authentic New Orleans bands, and Cajun cuisine. But wait- it gets better! On select nights, there are live concerts with some of the nation’s top recordings artists! The event dates vary year by year but just know it always starts around February and goes until early April.

Universal’s Mardi Gras festivities are included in your theme park admission ticket for Universal Studios. As long as you have a ticket to get through the Universal Studios Florida turnstiles on a Mardi Gras event date, you have access to everything, from the concerts to the parade to the French Quarter Courtyard.

Mardi Gras at Universal Studios is definitely family-friendly and there is something for everyone to enjoy during this event. The French Courtyard area and the parade are definitely family-friendly. The Mardi Gras characters (including the stilt walkers) walk all around the streets near the French Quarter Plaza and will pose for photos, hang out with your little ones, and even dance with them, which makes it super fun for all ages. This is also a great opportunity to get beads from them that you can wear the rest of the night to really celebrate Mardi Gras! However, I would not recommend the concert area, which is a free concert on select nights. This area gets SO PACKED, especially depending on the musical act that night. I would suggest skipping this area if you have littles on concert nights.

Concerts at Universal Orlando Mardi Gras

Music is such a big part of New Orleans and Mardi Gras traditions. The concerts take place at Universal Music Plaza. This area is off to the left which is right next to Rip Rid Rock It. The Music Plaza is a lot like an open field. It is standing room only and no ticket is required to watch the concert. If you plan to be up close and personal to see your favorite music act, just make a note to get there EARLY. I was at Universal Studios this past weekend around 5 PM. The concert wasn’t until 8:30 PM that night, and people were already standing at the Music Plaza waiting for the concert to start!

Usually, the concerts begin at 8:30 PM. This is generally right after the Mardi Gras parade ends. You should always double-check the park map for all times that evening you are visiting the parks.

If you plan to watch the Mardi Gras concert, just keep in mind that it is general standing only. You can watch the performance wherever you are standing around the Universal Music Plaza. There is no VIP area to upgrade to and no special seating even if you have a Universal Express Pass. However, there is an ADA view area, which is located near Race through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon. Like I said earlier, if you really want to see this concert up close, you will need to be there REALLY early. This area gets really crowded and even more crowded depending on who the musical act is.

Universal’s Mardi Gras Parade

Universal’s Mardi Gras parade is SO fun! If you can’t attend the real Mardi Gras in New Orleans, this is a great option to experience Mardi Gras in a different way. This parade is full of street performers and guests (YEP, I SAID GUESTS) throwing beads into the crowd. The parade is awesome because Universal likes to keep it fresh and fun by replacing older floats with new floats each year. Not only do we get to see new floats every year if you keep coming back during this time, but these floats are also handcrafted by Blaine Kern Artists. This is the same company that designs floats for the Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, which is just one more way Universal tries to stay authentic to Mardi Gras traditions.

The parade times can depend on the night that you plan to visit Universal Studios. Make sure to check the time when you are visiting Universal Studios so you can make sure to add in this parade into your plans for the day. This parade starts near the Horror Makeup Show Theater and goes all around Universal Studios and ends where it started, lasting about a full 20 minutes. I like to watch the parade right in front of where the new Jason Bourne attraction will be because you get a straight shot of the parade coming right at you and it seems to be the least crowded area when I arrive about an hour before the parade start. I also like this location because if you want to leave right after the parade, you are at the closest spot for the exit and see the parade before anyone else does. If you are wanting a front-row seat, I recommend getting a spot about an hour before the parade starts. This gives you plenty of time to get a seat and have someone in your group go and grab a snack or drink while you hold your spot.

The parade times for 2020 are as follows:

Parade starts at 5:15 pm on the following dates:
Feb 11

Parade starts at 5:45 pm on the following dates:
Feb 20
Mar 2

Parade starts at 6:00 pm on the following dates:
Feb 2 – Feb 7

Parade starts at 6:15 pm on the following dates:
Feb 9 – 10, 12-14
Feb 17 – 19, 21
Feb 23 – Feb 28
Mar 1, 3-6

Parade starts at 7:00 pm on the following dates:
Mar 12

Parade starts at 7:30 pm on the following dates:
Mar 9 – Mar 11
Mar 15 – Mar 19
Mar 23 – Mar 27
Mar 30 – Apr 2

Parade starts at 7:45 pm on the following dates:
Feb 1, 8, 15, 16, 22, 29
Mar 7, 8, 13-14, 20-22, 28-29

If you are looking for a special viewing of the parade, there are a couple of different options. The Little Jester’s Viewing Area is a special viewing location just for kids. This is located toward the front of the park across the street from the new Jason Bourne attraction. The ADA viewing area is right near the Revenge of the Mummy. The Annual Passholder viewing area is located right at the start of the parade in front of Mel’s Drive-In. I personally think the location I have for the parade is better and would suit all the needs above, but you just need to plan your time properly and arrive early.

Remember when I mentioned that guests could ride on a parade float?? YEP, I wasn’t joking! This is such a fun and awesome experience, and if you are able to do it, I HIGHLY suggest it!

Annual Passholders have the option to apply online to ride on a parade float based on the night of their choice. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get picked, but it definitely helps your chances of signing up in advance. The other option is to get picked through the stand by line. Each night about 2 hours prior to the start of the parade time, there is a standby line you can join right near A Day in the Life with Barney. IF there are spots on the floats available due to guests not showing up that had previously registered, you may get a chance to ride! This is definitely based on a first-come, first-serve basis, so the earlier you get in line, the better your chances. I always recommend trying this on a weekday to help with your chances of getting on a float and earlier during the Mardi Gras Celebration. March tends to be much busier than February with Spring Break happening all of March.

There are some rules to keep in mind if you want to ride on a parade float:

Space is limited, and signing up does not guarantee a spot

Must be 18 years of age (or accompanied by an adult)

Must be at least 48 inches tall

No bags or strollers

Floats can accommodate guests in push wheelchairs with advance notice

Universal’s Superstar Parade, which is the daytime parade that makes its way through Universal Studios, will continue to run daily during the Mardi Gras season. The only change is that on Mardi Gras event dates, the parade is scheduled at 3:00 pm. On non-event dates, the parade runs at its usual time of 5:00 pm.

Universal’s French Quarter Courtyard

If you are looking for the heart of Universal’s Mardi Gras, this can be found in the French Quarter Courtyard which is the New York location of Universal Studios. You can meet some of the dancers that are part of the parade as well as dance and listen to some of the authentic New Orleans bands that play daily.

In the French Quarter Courtyard, you will also find your New Orleans inspired food and drink offerings!

Universal does a great job trying to bring the authentic New Orleans style food and drinks to Orlando with tons of different options to pick from. These options are mostly served in tasting sizes, allowing you to have more “bite-sized” food options to pick and choose from. If Jambalaya is your thing, know that you can purchase this in entrée size because it is so popular!

Universal offers guests the Mardi Gras Tasting Lanyard. This allows you to try a certain amount of food samples for one flat price. If you know you plan to spend money and try multiple food options, this is a great option for you!

Five items – $30 (or $6 per item)

10 items – $50 ($5 per item)

15 items – $60 (Available Only For Annual Passholders) ($4 per item)

When you are looking as to what is included on the tasting lanyard, you will find your options in the French Quarter area. There is a special icon located next to the names of the items on the menu. Universal also allows you to use your Tasting Lanyard on some normal snack items that can be found all over Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and City Walk. These normal snack items include soft pretzels, popcorn (excludes souvenir buckets) and bottled water. Keep in mind that credits on your Tasting Lanyard don’t expire, so if you don’t use your credits by the end of the day, you can come back the following day and use it then. However, once Mardi Gras does end, you wil have to use your lanyard on normal non-Mardi Gras themed snacks. You can purchase your lanyard right in front of the French Quarter Courtyard. You’ll see a major sign for it and can’t miss it! Universal also has tons of drink options to pick from. These options include alcoholic and nonalcoholic choices so that way you really can try everything when visiting Universal. Just know if you plan to get the Tasting Lanyard that drinks are not eligible with the lanyard. This would be a separate cost.

Other Universal Orlando Mardi Gras Experiences

If you’re looking for something special and a different way to experience Mardi Gras the Bayou Boil is a fun way to do that! This is an all you can eat Louisiana style boil and it takes place in Battery Park. This boil includes crab, shrimp, potatoes, crawfish, chick and sausage jambalaya, one alcoholic drink and unlimited soft drinks. If you purchase this experience, you also get a special viewing area for the Mardi Gras parade in the Pantages Courtyard while you are served unlimited King Cake and other desserts along with wine and nonalcoholic drinks. If you’re looking for a New Orleans style event with a ton of food options, this is the experience for you! The Bayou Boil is $59.99 plus tax for adults and $39.99 plus tax for children. Passholders are also offered a discount as well. Keep in mind that the Bayou Boil is only available on select nights and while there are multiple times open for this event each evening, the seating is extremely limited, so reservations are highly recommended.

Another great experience is the Mardi Gras Parade, Desserts, and Cinematic Viewing Experience. This experience gives you special VIP viewing for both the parade and Universal’s Cinematic Celebration, which is Universal’s nighttime show. You can hang out in the Pantages Courtyard while you sip nonalcoholic beverages, and then move to the Central Park VIP area and enjoy dessert. This event is $49.99 plus tax for adults and $29.99 plus tax for children. There is an Annual Passholder discount available as well. Keep in mind this event is only available on certain nights, so if you are wanting to participate in this, you will need to plan accordingly.

If you haven’t had the chance to visit during the Mardi Gras time frame, I highly recommend you give it a try. You won’t be disappointed!

Love and Travel Dust,

Molly