Everything to Enjoy At Universal Studios Florida's Mardi Gras Celebration 2025
Universal Studios has been taken over by Mardi Gras and you won't want to miss a second of the celebration.
The biggest party of the year is happening every night at Universal Studios Florida as the park pulls out all the stops to get your feet moving and your taste buds popping at its annual Mardi Gras celebration.
Universal Orlando Resort has officially kicked off its colorful and flavorful Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval celebration for 2025 to bring the history and atmosphere of New Orleans to the park along with a slew of delicious food options from around the world.
That’s not all, either: To celebrate its 30th year of Mardi Gras celebrations, the park also hosts a nightly parade that could rival anything you’d see in Louisiana along with an A-List concert series. NBC Insider was lucky enough to get a first-hand look at what’s available to parkgoers between now and March 30. So if you’re planning your vacation, you’ll want to see what’s waiting for you in the park below.
Universal Studios Mardi Gras 2025 Food Options
You won’t go hungry walking around Universal Studios Florida right now. In addition to its usual bevy of food options, several pop-up carts have sprung up throughout the park offering international flavors from Puerto Rico, India, Germany, China, and more. That’s in addition to some of the robust flavors synonymous with New Orleans, including the new Cajun Mac and Cheese or reliably delicious beignets.
“30 years is amazing, and a journey and I think this year the chef team and our culinary team has done a great job to continue to create amazing, deep flavors to help us tell the stories of cultures from around the world,” Chef Jens Dahlmann, Vice President, Executive Chef of Operations, explained at an event kicking off Mardi Gras 2025.
He noted that India is a country whose cuisine is returning to the park for the first time in many years with a vegan-friendly option, the potato and onion dosa.
“Think of it like an Indian crepe made with lentils and rice that we fermented as we make it better and girdle fresh to order,” he explained. ”Then, fill it with beautiful onion, potatoes, toasted black mustard seeds, and curry and that just creates a really intense flavor that explodes in your mouth.
That’s not the only vegan-friendly option that’s sure to keep vegans and non-vegans alike full. The New Orleans-themed menu items include red beans and rice and more. You can find more details about what’s available to eat for the event, including Puerto Rico's wood-fired BBQ options, here.
Universal Studios Mardi Gras Parade
It wouldn’t be a Mardi Gras celebration without some fantastic floats to get the good times rolling, literally.
Because it’s Universal, they don’t do anything halfway. Lora Sauls, Assistant Director of Creative Development and Show Direction, explained that they partner with Kern Studios — the number-one name in Mardi Gras floats and who provide design and decoration for some of the best, most elaborate floats in New Orleans — to make something truly authentic and spectacular for Universal Studios Florida.
“30 years ago, our leadership wanted to bring authentic New Orleans Mardi Gras to Universal Studios. That’s where we built this wonderful partnership with Kern Studios, the builders of most of the largest ... Mardi Gras floats in New Orleans,” she explained. “That partnership started and it has been a 30-year partnership and we hope to keep that partnership going another 30 years! How we build and work with them is we find props that have been on some of the largest floats in New Orleans and we bring them here to be on our parade floats and we embellish them. It’s a huge and amazing process!”
Parkgoers can line up along the streets of Universal Studios Florida to get an eyeful of these incredibly elaborate floats and the dancers who flank them on either side.
Universal Studios Mardi Gras Parade Schedule
The parade takes place any time from 5 p.m. ET to 7:30 p.m. ET depending on the day. You can find the full schedule here to plan your below.
5:00pm:
February 4
6:00pm:
February 2, 3, 5-7, 9-13, 18-21, 24–28
March 3-7, 9, 12, 18
7:00pm:
February 14, 17, 23
March 2, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 23-28, 30
7:30pm (Concert dates):
February 1, 8, 15, 16, 22
March 1, 8, 15, 16, 21, 22, 29
But seeing from the sidelines is one thing, being in the parade is another!
How to ride on a float in the Universal Studios Florida Mardi Gras Parade
Each float is packed with people throwing out more beads to the crowd than they know what to do with. So, how do you become one of the lucky ones to ride in the parade? Well, it’s not just a ride in the parade but a culinary experience as well.
Parkgoers can purchase the Mardi Gras Float Ride and Dine experience on any night of Mardi Gras to reserve a spot on a parade float. You’ll enjoy a 3-course meal from one of eight participating restaurants at Universal Orlando Resort and then get a spot on one of the many floats in the parade. Universal Orlando Passholders also get parade access as well as 15% off the Ride and Dine experience.
You can find information about getting on a float here.
Other Universal Orlando Resort Mardi Gras Details
The whole park is going all out. In addition to the food and parade, there’s the concert series happening every night with a new and exciting act taking over the lawn of Universal Studios Florida. Meanwhile, select resort hotels are adding Mardi Gras flavors to their existing menus.
You can commemorate your special trip with several pop-up photo opportunities spread all throughout the park that bring the spirit of the bayou to Orlando. Finally, there’s a ton of new merchandise and collectibles available for purchase throughout the park, but you’ll find it all at the Tribute Store, which has similarly been converted to transport you to the bayou to help you celebrate Mardi Gras in style.
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