The festival runs Feb. 3 through April 7 in the Universal Studios Florida park and features more than 60 menu items (see below), a bead-filled parade and plenty of big names live in concert.
The popular Mardi Gras parade through the streets of the Studios returns with six new floats inspired by the elements — earth, wind, water, fire and the sun and moon. These new ones join the classic New Orleans-inspired floats, all chucking colorful beads at everyone along the parade route.
One of the coolest aspects of this Mardi Gras parade is that guests can level up from the sidelines and join in through the Float Ride and Dine Experience. The package includes a three-course meal at one of the nearby restaurants and a chance to ride on and toss beads from one of the Mardi Gras parade floats.
Packages start at $85 per person.
The park’s beloved Tribute Store also got an all-new makeover for Mardi Gras with a haunted river cruise theme. This one, located in the Hollywood section of the park, features four rooms that tell the story of the P.S. Songbird riverboat and its Captain Victor Pavo. The other rooms also feature props used in Halloween Horror Nights houses and special effects showing ghosts in the walls.
Location Details
The merch includes beads, theme treats and apparel, and collectible items like the new Mardi Gras gator light-up popcorn bucket.
Beyond the beads, booze and beats, there are more than a dozen food booths around the Universal Studios Florida park showcasing sweet and savory Carnaval dishes from around the world.
Carnaval, no matter where it’s celebrated, is all about indulgence ahead of the arrival of spring and the Christian practice of Lent. Traditional foods include plenty of meat, dairy products, sweets and alcohol.
At Universal’s Mardi Gras, menu items include beignets, of course, but also chicken schnitzel (Germany), chilaquiles verdes (Mexico), spicy smashed cucumber (China) and pineapple rum cake (Bahamas).
Belgium
- Sweet & savory gouda & onion waffle: warm crystallized-sugar waffle, smoked gouda, beer-braised onions and Black Forest ham
- Cookie butter liege waffle: warm crystallized-sugar waffle topped with cookie butter, whipped topping and Biscoff cookies
- Shrimp moqueca: shrimp and coconut cream stew, micro cilantro and white rice Pão de queijo: Brazilian cheese bread
- Brigadeiros: A Brazilian classic of chocolate with condensed milk and Mardi Gras sprinkles
- Mango Caipirinha: Piras 51 Cachaça, Bols orange curaçao, lime juice, simple syrup, mango juice, mango purée, fresh mint and a lime wedge
- Candied bacon & onion poutine: candied bacon spiced curly fries with caramelized onion gravy, cheese curds, spiced maple bacon and parsley
- Vegan wild mushroom poutine: seasoned curly fries with vegan cheddar, mushroom gravy and truffle oil
- Fire Cider: Fireball cinnamon whiskey, apple cider and a cinnamon stick
- Szechuan noodle salad: spicy cold noodles with cucumbers, peanuts, cilantro and scallions
- Spicy smashed cucumbers: with peanuts, cilantro and scallions
- Potstickers: pork potstickers with black vinegar and chili oil dipping sauce
- Hong Kong Boba Tea: oolong milk tea over ice with coffee boba and salted cheese foam
- Colombian burger: with Monterey Jack cheese, pineapple cabbage slaw, cilantro garlic sauce and potato sticks
- Arepa de choclo: sweet corn cake filled with cheese and grilled with honey butter
- Oblea: crispy wafer filled with dulce de leche and strawberries
- Aguardiente Punch: Cumbe Aguardiente, lime juice, simple syrup, blackberry concentrate and berry gummies
- Bananas Foster crème brûlée crepe: banana caramel, vanilla cream, fresh bananas, whipped topping and brûlée sugar
- Grand Framboise slush: a mélange of Grey Goose vodka, Gabriel Boudier Créme de Framboise, raspberry purée and white chocolate syrup
- Chicken schnitzel: fried chicken thigh cutlets with mustard and lemon wedge
- Currywurst: crispy skin German bratwurst sliced and topped with spicy curry ketchup
- Käsespätzle: cheese spätzle topped with crispy onions
- Bavarian pretzel with obatzda: warm pretzel with Bavarian beer cheese dip
- Mutzen: fried lemon-vanilla fritters with powdered sugar
- Roman suppli: mozzarella and provolone filled risotto with vodka sauce and roasted red pepper aioli
- Zabaglione with berries: Frangelico anglaise with mixed berries and topped with roasted hazelnuts
- Aperol spritz sorbet: Aperol aperitivo with blood orange sorbet
- Chilaquiles verdes: tortillas topped with chile-braised shredded chicken, salsa verde, cilantro onion mix with lime crema and cotijia cheese
- Quesabirria: birria beef in a corn tortilla with Monterey Jack cheese, Oaxaca cheese and served with birria broth
- Churro loops and chocolate: cinnamon sugar churro loops with Mexican chocolate dipping sauce
- Beignets: sweet fried pastry with powdered sugar
- King Cake mini: traditional king cake with cinnamon swirl icing, Mardi Gras sprinkles and a Mardi Gras baby
- Crawfish Étouffée: creamy crawfish and vegetable stew over white rice
- Chicken and andouille jambalaya: mixed rice with andouille sausage, blackened chicken, peppers and tomatoes
- Fried green tomato po’boy: flash-fried green tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles and Cajun remoulade and served with Cajun kettle chips
- Shrimp gumbo: stew of trinity, shrimp and andouille and bacon over white rice
- Shrimp and crawfish boil: mixed bag with crawfish, shrimp, andouille, potatoes and corn on the cob
- Category 5 punch: Cruzan dark rum, Myers dark rum, lime juice, orange juice, simple syrup, passion fruit puree and grenadine
- Chicory coffee: chicory coffee, toasted marshmallow syrup with toasted marshmallow cold foam
- Espresso martini: brewed coffee, JF Haden Espresso liqueur, New Amsterdam vodka and black sugar syrup
- Pancit bihon: rice noodles, sauteed vegetables, pulled chicken, garlic and soy sauce
- Crispy lumpia: pork-filled crispy rice paper roll with dipping sauce
- Pandan cheesecake: pandan cheesecake with whipped topping and shaved toasted coconut
- Buko Juice: coconut water, coconut milk, coconut cream, pandan extract and smoked sea salt
- Pastelón: layered casserole of sweet plantain and picadillo beef with Edam cheese
- Bacalaitos: crispy salt cod fritters with bell peppers, cilantro and onions served with mayo ketchup
- Pastelitos de guayaba: guava-filled puff pastry with powdered sugar
- Ensalada de pulp: Spanish salad with octopus, fresh herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, paprika and sherry vinegar
- Papitas bravas: seasoned crispy potatoes with paprika aioli
- Crèma Catalana: brûléed citrus milk custard with candied orange peels
- Green papaya salad with shrimp: sauteed shrimp on a salad of shredded green papaya, carrots, Thai basil, peanuts and spicy Thai dressing
- Green curry with chicken: spicy green curry chicken with shiitake mushrooms, eggplant, snap peas, red bell pepper and jasmine rice
- Chickan satay: marinated grilled chicken skewer with Thai cucumber, topped with peanut sauce
- Butterfly pea blossom tea: New Amsterdam gin, butterfly tea matcha, passion fruit syrup, mint syrup, simple syrup and lime juice in a pipette
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