Universal Mardi Gras has officially kicked off at Universal Orlando Resort! This year Universal is celebrating 30 years of Mardi Gras and Marvelous Mouse Travels was invited out to see what all the jazz was about.
We started off the day at the “Cursed Coconut Club” located in The Red Coconut Club found in Universal City Walk. It was here that we got to try some of the new delicious bites and sample beverages that are available for this year’s Mardi Gras in Universal Studios. We heard from Chef Jens Dahlmann, VP of Culinary Operations at Universal Orlando Resort. Chef Jens called out of new food items to be found this year that would deliver deep, authentic flavors experienced at carnival celebrations around the world! We learned that India is back with food offerings for the first time in several years featuring a Potato Dosa (vegan-friendly) which consists of curried potatoes, onions and black mustard seeds served with a coconut chutney. In the words of Chef Jens, “think of it like an Indian Crepe!”. Over in New Orleans you will find two brand new items - The Baked Cajun Mac & Cheese and the Red Beans & Rice (vegan-friendly) made with vegan sausage, stewed beans, white rice and scallions. All of these items were delectable but that Mac & Cheese is an absolute “must get” food item for your visit. Other great food options include the Pinchos de Lechon from Puerto Rico (a char-grilled pork shoulder skewer), Hot Lacquered Salmon from Canada (think maple syrup) and the Spicy Szechuan Chicken Bites from China. That’s not even all the food and I hope you save room for dessert because there are beignets, coffee cake, banoffee tarts and of course King Cake. We were able to wash all of that down with our choice of either a Pimm’s Cup cocktail or a Golden Spell Cocktail, both of which were very refreshing!
After indulging ourselves with great food a we set off for Universal Studios Park to grab a dedicated viewing spot for the daily Universal Mardi Gras Parade. For 30 years Universal has been partnering with Kern Studios out of New Orleans and this year there are six new floats with a brand new line up. We also learned that the Universal Design team hand-glitters all of the floats! Nevertheless they were all incredibly fun to watch while also trying to catch some of the thousands of beads thrown out to the spectators. My absolute favorite float, apart from King Gator, was the King Cake float. So well done!
After the parade, we made our way over to Music Plaza Stage to get ready for Grammy Award winner, singer, rapper, songwriter, T-Pain to perform live in concert. T-Pain is the first of several major music artists performing for the Universal Mardi Gras Concert Series over the next nine weekends. This concert as well as all others to follow are included with regular theme park admission. If you are a Universal Annual Passholder, you will need to check to make sure your pass is not blocked out for concert dates. T-Pain put on a wonderful show performing some of his greatest hits as well as a few other crowd pleasing songs. This concert was the perfect way to end such an amazing start to the 30th Anniversary of Universal Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Mardi Gras is always a great time but this year for the 30th Celebration it’s even better. This year’s Universal Mardi Gras is happening from February 1, 2025 to March 30, 2025 at Universal Studios. The Parade runs daily, make sure to check the Universal Orlando App for start times. The Universal Mardi Gras Concert series will perform on Saturdays and select Sundays between now and March 30, 2025.
Lastly, Marvelous Mouse Travels would like to thank Universal for inviting us out for a special coverage of Universal Mardi Gras.
If you are interested in learning more about Universal Mardi Gras or for help with planning a Universal Vacation, especially with the new EPIC Universe opening in May, please reach out to us at info@marvelousmousetravels.com. Our planning and booking services are FREE to you!!
