The cosmic return of Universal’s Mardi Gras parade

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Diana Ross is set to perform at Universal Studios on Saturday evening. The Mardi Gras concert, held after the parade, is included in regular theme park admission.

Dewayne Bevil / Orlando Sentinel

Robots and machinery are in the spotlight of one of the Mardi Gras floats at Universal Studios.

Dewayne Bevil / Orlando Sentinel

A spaceship fronts the lava planet float in the nightly Mardi Gras parade.

Dewayne Bevil / Orlando Sentinel

Vegetable vindaloo is one of the offerings from the Floral Planet kiosk during Universal's Mardi Gras celebration this year.

Dewayne Bevil / Orlando Sentinel

Planets, stars, comets, rockets, astronauts, aliens and other cosmic elements are incorporated into the Planet Mardi Gras theme of Universal's Mardi Gras this year.

Dewayne Bevil / Orlando Sentinel

Show director Blake Braswell (center) explains costuming of some performers for the 2022 edition of Universal's Mardi Gras parade. More lighting has been incorporated into the look.

Dewayne Bevil / Orlando Sentinel

Planets, asteroids, astronauts and other cosmic elements are incorporated into the Planet Mardi Gras theme of Universal's Mardi Gras in 2022.

Mardi Gras is back in full force, complete with an interplanetary theme, on the streets of Universal Studios theme park.

The nightly event, which runs through April 24, again features a parade and concert series after last year’s Mardi Gras celebration was modified with pandemic precautions. That included having parade floats out on display but stationary.

They’re on the move again for the 2022 edition of the event. There are six space-oriented floats presenting the Planet Mardi Gras theme.

“The first planet we go visit is the volcano planet,” Blake Braswell, senior show director, said. “We’ve got a ton of Martians who live there. And it’s this planet that’s very purplish in hue, and the lava from the volcano is all green like Mardi Gras colors. … Then you’ll see that we got this funky little spaceship/flying saucer on the front of that ship.”

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The color schemes come into play on several units, culminating with the Planet Mardi Gras float. Before that there are an otherworldly floral float and a robot-themed one, which includes a new audio track, a robotic version of the Universal’s unofficial earworm “Feet, Don’t Fail Me Now.”

Planet Mardi Gras has been in the works for two years. After visiting the famed Kern Studios, maker of much Mardi, in New Orleans, the Universal Orlando team settled on the theme in early 2020, just before the extended coronavirus pandemic shutdown. The plan was for it to be seen in 2021, but when the parade was yanked from last year’s festivities, it was put on hold.

“The extra time that we were given? … Make the best of it,” Braswell said. “We spent a lot of time with our costume designer, sort of expanding on what we would do.”

Each float has on-the-ground performers dressed to match the theme, and lighting has been incorporated in costumes from headpiece to toe. Among new garb: bare-midriff astronauts and robots on stilts.

“I asked at one point, can you put a light on one thing, and it turned into we’re lighting the entirety of the themed costumes this year,” Braswell said. “There were some nice things that came out of the extra time.”

The new floats are surrounded by the park’s traditional floats, including the riverboat and King Gator, which brings up the tail-end of the parade.

On the king-and-queen float, “there are a few prop elements that have switched out that are just, I think, better-looking,” Braswell said. “There’s a lot more of the kinetic lights that you’ll see this go-round, especially on the traditional stuff.”

Last year, Universal significantly expanded its food offerings for Mardi Gras, going with international fare sprinkled across the park. Many of those options are back but often in different locations. For instance, the Music Plaza “grassy” area isn’t available in 2022 because concerts will be held on that stage.

The global emphasis remains, but there are cosmic themes, too. On the bridge between Diagon Alley and Springfield is the Fusion: Machine Planet kiosk. Among its menu items: ube ice cream bubble waffle. That’s purple sweet potato ice cream with marshmallows, toasted coconut, popping candies in a funky-looking matcha green tea bubble waffle, just like the machines eat.

Two things I tried and liked: papas bravas at a kiosk back in KidZone and vegetable vindaloo, a vegan dish from Floral Planet kiosk.

The fest expanded its vegan lineup although they are among the more complicated items to make, said Jason Glus, executive chef for Universal theme parks and CityWalk.

“We want to make dishes that have a lot of vegetables, a lot of different seasonings and sauces instead of just going with the normal here’s a plant-based meatball,” Glus said. “I challenged the team to really use what is locally grown or what we can get this time of year and use different curries or whatever to make those vegetables stand out.”

Pro tip: The kiosks are not listed on the current park map, but they can be found on the official Universal Orlando app. Click on “Mardi Gras Food & Beverages” image atop the home screen (not just plain “Mardi Gras,” we suggest), then “Participating Locations,” where it’s broken down kiosk by kiosk. Click on individual locations for description, then scroll down for “menu” for listing of food, beverage and prices. A drop-down menu at the top allows for ease between kiosks.

The revived concert series is held on select evenings during the event, leaning toward Saturday and Sunday performances. Next up is Diana Ross, taking to the stage at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Her concert set for 2020 was among the first to be canceled when Universal’s Mardi Gras was upended midstream by the pandemic.

Additional upcoming acts in February include Barenaked Ladies, Styx and Jon Pardi. There are 10 Mardi Gras concerts scheduled for March.

The parade and concerts are included in regular Universal Studios admission. For more information, go to universalorlando.com/mardigras.

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