Review of Universal Orlando’s 2024 Mardi Gras Ride and Dine Experience.

Mardi Gras season at Universal Orlando is in full swing!  During Mardi Gras season you get to enjoy the festive decor, yummy food and drinks, and awesome Mardi Gras Entertainment.

There's lots of free Mardi Gras offerings you can enjoy with just your regular theme park admission ticket.

However, If you’re wanting to add some extra Mardi Gras magic to your Universal Orlando vacation, Universal is offering guests a guaranteed spot on a Mardi Gras parade float this year. You also get a 3-course meal at one of the four participating restaurants.

In this post I'll break down everything you need to know about this experience, what to expect, tips, and if it's worth the price.

This is my second year doing the Mardi Gras Foat & Dine Experience, and both times have been AWESOME

What Is Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras Float Ride & Dine Experience?

This experience originally debuted at Universal Orlando in 2023!  The Mardi Grad Float Ride and Dine includes dinner and riding on one of the parade floats. It’s the best way to guarantee your spot throwing beads  in the parade!

If you’re not familiar with the Mardi Gras float riding process, there’s 3 ways to ride on 1 of the floats:

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UOAP slot (Free but slots are gone)
```

Snagging a Virtual Line spot via the Universal Orlando app (Free, but limited space)

Purchasing the Mardi Gras Float Ride & Dine Experience

Float Ride & Dine Experience

WHEN:

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Select Dates Feb. 3–Apr. 7
```

Dinner times depend on Parade Start times.

3:30 pm Dining Reservation on days with 5:15 pm Mardi Gras parade start time

 4:30 pm Dining Reservation on days with 6:15 pm Mardi Gras parade start time

5:45 pm Dining Reservation on days with 7:30 pm Mardi Gras parade start time

6:00 pm Dining Reservation on days with 7:45 pm Mardi Gras parade start time

WHAT:

Get a reserved spot on a parade ﬂoat and toss beads to the crowd

Enjoy a 3-course meal selecting from the full menu at 1 of 4  participating restaurants at Universal Orlando Resort

Price:

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Starts at $84.99+ tax per guest 
```

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Pricing varies depending on date
```

Annual & seasonal passholders can receive a 15% discount on tickets for this experience

HOW:

Purchase this experience by calling 407-224-7554, or visiting www.universalorlando.com/mardigras

There are 2 dining locations Inside Universal Orlando Florida & 2 at CityWalk:

Universal CityWalk Options:

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Cowﬁsh Sushi Burger Bar: Full Menu
```
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NBC Sports Grill & Bar: Full Menu
```

Note— These are the furthest 2 dinning locations from float check- in

Universal Studios Florida Options:

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Finnegan’s Bar & Grill : Full Menu
```
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Lombard’s Seafood Grill : Full Menu
```

How Long is The Mardi Gras Float Ride & Dine Experience?

Plan for roughly 2-3 hours for the entire float and dine experience. That 2-3 hours includes dinner, float check-in/waiver process and the parade. The parade portion lasts about 45 minutes.

My Timeline:

Grabbed Float & Dine ticket at Will Call: 1200pm (When I arrived for the day)

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Dinner check-in: 4:15pm
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Dinner at Cow Fish: 4:30pm
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Finished dinner at 5:05pm
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Explored the Mardi Gras Tribute Store until Float Check-in

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Float Check-in: 5:45pm
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Mardi Gras Parade Start time: 6:15pm
```

Time I got off float and back into USF: 7:05pm

Universal Studios Florida and Universal Island's of Adventure both closed at 7:00 pm

Mardi Gras Float Ride & Dine Check-In Process:

To pick up your Ride & Dine tickets, follow the signs to the Will Call Kiosks, which are located at the front gate of Universal Studios Florida or Universal Islands of Adventure.

You'll just need to show  government Issued Photo ID to confirm you purchased the experience.

Go ahead and have your email confirmation with the QR code pulled up on your phone and ready to go.

My dinning reservation was 4:30PM, so I had grabbed my ticket at Will Call before I entered the park that day. This took maybe 5 minutes.

Dinner Check-in Process:

Plan to arrive to your dinning location 15 minutes before your designated reservation time.  I was ready to check in at 4:15pm for my 4:30pm dinning.

I did notice they required everyone in the party to be present before letting you enter.

Inside the restaurant, you'll give your Mardi Gras Float & Dine paper ticket the staff, and they'll give your credential lanyard, and instructions on what to do after you eat.

Mardi Gras Ride & Float Dinning Experience:

Chow down on a 3-course meal selecting from the FULL menu! This includes a non-alcoholic beverage. I thought for sure Universal would change this experience to select items from a special Mardi Gras menu, but they didn't.

Seating wise-- we were all dispersed in the dinning area with regular guests.

What I Ordered at Cowﬁsh Sushi Burger Bar:

I chose to eat at Cowfish for this experience because its normally a restaurant a little too pricey for me to do on a regular park day, and because it seemed like the most bang for my buck compared to the locations you could choose from.

To get my moneys worth— I chose the most expensive item for each course. On a normal park day I would do the complete opposite.

On a regular park day, the items I chose would've  come out to $58.75 before tax and tip. The  $84.99 for the Mardi Gras Float Ride & Dine is SO worth it for dinner, and a guaranteed spot to throw beads from the parade float.

1 Non Alcoholic Beverage

Fountain Soda

Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta Orange, Hi-C Lemonade.

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Normally - $4.75
```

As someone who normally gets a glass of water to save money, it was nice to drink a cold Diet Coke, lol. I almost defaulted and ordered a water, but my waitress reminded me I could get a soda, haha. You can of course purchase an alcoholic beverage if you want.

1 Appetizer

Blackened Tuna Nachos

Crispy wonton chips topped with crab rangoon dip, avocado salsa, tomatoes, and seared blackened tuna.

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 Normally $17.00
```

I legit devoured this entire thing by myself. The next time I eat at Cow Fish, I’m totally getting this as just my MEAL. Huge portion. It was banging!!!

1 Entree

Tropical Storm Roll

Kani, avodaco, and cucumber inside, topped with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, Japanese mayo, sweet eel sauce, sriracha, and tobiko. Served with wasabi yuzu dipping sauce.

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Normally $23.00
```

1 Dessert

Turtle Cheesecake Shake

chocolate ice cream, creamy cheesecake, caramel, pralines, whipped topping.

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Normally $14.00
```

I ordered the most expensive milkshake because…. YOLO!

I was too full to finish this milkshake during the dinner, so I took it to-go and sipped on it until it was time to check-in for the Mardi Gras Parade Float.

This was my 4th time eating at Cow Fish, and I will 100% eat there again. It's a really yummy sit down meal. During my meal I had great service, and I didn't feel rushed. I didn't feel any less special than a normal guest.

Note--Tip is already included as part of the Mardi Gras Float & Dine price.

After Dinner

After dinner, you'll head  to go check in by Animal Actors on Location for the float riding portion of the experience.

At this point,  I had 45 minutes to kill. This was enough time to leisurely walk around, and check out The  Mardi Gras Tribute Store  before going to float check-in.

Parade Check-in Process:

Check-in was effortless. You'll just show your credential's and queue up until it's your turn to check in. Universal Orlando staff will have you on the list of float riders for the night, and your float will have already been pre-assigned.

After checking in, you’re given a color coded wrist band  that corresponds to the Mardi Gras parade float you're going to be riding on.

After wrist bands, you’ll stop to scan a QR code. This QR code willl take you to sign the online waiver so you can ride on the Parade Float.

After that, you're directed to the fitting area to put on your Mardi Gras float attire! You'll have a little bit of time to sit in the stands before heading to your float.

MAKE SURE YOU GO TO THE RESTROOM BEFORE HEADING ONTO THE FLOAT!

There is a "My Universal" Photog available to take your picture before, and during the Mardi Gras Parade. Just note these photo’s are NOT included in the Float Ride and Dine Experience.  Instead, you're given a QR card to pay for those afterwards.

Once it’s time to head to your assigned Mardi Gras Parade float, no photo’s or video can be taken while you're backstage.

While back stage, you’re led to your designated float. You'll be educated on float riding rules, the plan for the evening,  how to throw the beads, etc. You’ll then be given your place to stand on the float before the parade begins.

You can start using your phone once the parade has started, and you can see guests in the park.

Best Tips for Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras Float Ride & Dine Experience

Come hungry for the dinning portion. It’s A LOT of food for one person to eat, lol. I made the mistake of having a snack beforehand and I regret it.

Dress comfortable-- including your footwear. You're going to be standing for a good hour right before and during the actual Mardi Gras Parade

Skip the big bag during this experience. You can put your items at your feet while on the float, but if it doesn’t fit, having it on your back won’t be as enjoyable while you’re trying to toss all the beads.

 Tell your friends and family what float you’ll be as soon as you know. It's such a special moment when they see you during the parade.

Be stingy with how fast you toss your beads. Once you run out, that’s IT. Jimmy Fallon is roughly the halfway point of the parade.

The beads can get tangled pretty easily, I find having them on your arm helps with throwing them.

If you have friends watching in the park, figure out what side of the park they’ll be watching on. You can ask your float supervisor if you can either be on the Driver, or passenger side of the float (that way they can see you tossing beads their way!)

Don’t be afraid to ask your float supervisor to take your picture while tossing beads! They’ll come around a few times during the parade offering to take your photo via your cell phone.

Things To Keep in Mind Before Booking The Mardi Gras Float Ride & Dine Experience

Ride and Dine tickets  must be purchased 24 hours prior to the experience date.

Prices, dates, times, and experience offerings are subject to availability, and can change or be cancelled without notice.

Tickets are not refundable, not transferable, and are not exchangeable

Purchasing the Mardi Gras Float and Dine experience does NOT include admission to Universal Studios Florida. A Separate park ticket for the same date is required.

Mardi Gras Parade Float Riders must be 18+ or accompanied by their legal guardian.

All riders must be at least 48” in height and able to board the floats, and must be able to stand for the duration of the parade.

Guests must sign the Float Rider Waiver upon check-in  in order to participate.

If you’re worried the timing between dinner and float check-in will be too tight, consider a Ride & Dine restaurant that's IN the park rather than CityWalk.

Universal Orlando will try to keep all parties together, but larger groups may have to be split up  into different dining parties and floats

Pay attention to the date you pick for the Mardi Gras Float & Dine experience. If you book a night when there's a concert, there's a good change you'll miss the beginning of the concert, and you may not have as good of a view as you'd like.

What Makes Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras Float Ride & Dine Experience Worth It?

Being able to throw breads from a parade float is such a cool experience! It make for an unforgettable trip.

By purchasing the Ride & Dine experience,  you get to be apart of the Mardi Gras Parade without the stress of trying to get a Virtual Line spot to ride.

You get to enjoy a fancy meal that normally requires an advanced reservation. Depending on where you eat, you can get a lot of food for less than you'd pay on a regular park day.

Overall Review of Universal's Mardi Gras Float Ride & Dine Experience

Riding on the Mardi Gras parade float should definitely be on your Universal Orlando bucket  list!

Every step of the Mardi Gras Ride and Dine experience went smoothly in my person opinion. This was impressive considering it was just the second night this experience had been offered for 2024.

It was nice having the Float and Dine credential lanyard. On the back it has what time you need to be at Animal Actors on Location to check in for the float, and it explains the dinning information, etc. The lanyard makes for a fun Mardi Gras souvenir that can go into a shadowbox as well!

My server at CowFish was amazing. She was great at helping me choose my app, entree and dessert.  I can honestly say I had a  delicious sit down meal, I didn't feel rushed, and I  just want to stress I made it to the float check in with PLENTY of  time to spare.

I would absolutely recommend doing this Mardi Gras add on experience.  I had a really great time,  and will totally buy this experience if offered in 2025!

You can purchase The Mardi Gras Float Ride & Dine experience by calling 407-224-7554 or visiting www.universalorlando.com/mardigras

Complete 2024 Guide to Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando

Review: Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras Float Ride & Dine Experience 2024