Mardi Gras ‘23 Opening Weekend ~ Completed

[wdwrule]

Feet don’t fail me now…

Yay for Mardi Gras vibes!! This season is such a fun, energetic time to visit. Everyone just seems so genuinely happy and Studios is where the party’s at! Time to act a fool

The parade, the food, streetmosphere, Mardi Gras performers, Tribute Store, Cursed Coconut Club… what a time!









To be continued…

 

[wdwrule]

Ok I’m going to back up a bit. We had a mini weekend trip in between my 50th birthday bash and Mardi Gras. I’ll add some pics from that trip now…





Sitting on the porch of Cafe La Bamba for lunch:






Cafe La Bamba was a wonderful experience! This is now our must do each trip. Great food and over the top excellent service, especially for a quick service setting. Our favorite entree so far (not pictured) was the burrito bowl. Huge and fresh. Weather was perfect to sit outside and take it all in.

Dinner was at Bigfire with upstairs seating.


Was a little chilly so a hot chocolate with toasted marshmallows hit the spot.


Hubby had an amazing trout entree.

Daughter and I split a huge grilled chicken sandwich.



Everything including service was very good.

To be continued…

 

[wdwrule]

During this stay a huge soccer tournament and event was going on with special viewing in Citywalk.

I love how Voodoo has doughnuts for every occasion.

I believe the special doughnut had earl grey filling with lemon icing or vice versa. I don’t remember as I’m not fond of either flavor but hubby loves both flavors and said it was good.

We noticed a new preview sign for Villain-Con during this trip.


During this trip we finally had the green eggs and ham tots!! They were very good: crispy and fresh.


Departure night was our usual Jake’s burger.

Ok now I’ll soon get on with Mardi Gras!

 

[wdwrule]

This trip included hubby, daughter and myself. We arrived late on a Friday night and departed very late Sunday night so we had two full, fun-packed days.

The nice thing about arriving later at night is there’s barely a line for check-in. We only had one family in front of us.

We stayed again at Aventura which has become a diamond in the rough for us. Not my style of decor but the convenient walk, low cost, great quick service (although we don’t use it often), excellent staff service, very small footprint, etc etc is what keeps bringing us back. We’ve stayed at all of the resorts so far except Surfside. All are lovely in their own way.

We booked the 2 Queen deluxe room which is one of my favorite rooms on property. The wall of windows is what does it for me. The skyline at night is stunning! I have more details in previous reports about this room and the resort in general so I’ll move on.

The next morning after a great night’s sleep, we headed directly to our fave, Velocicoaster. Lol side note… hubby calls heading to this ride: “going to church”. Why? Because he knows he’ll be yelling OMG and Holy *#% on the ride

After church, we headed to the other park to grab breakfast. Today’s Cafe had some tasty looking Mardi Gras treats in their case.


I got this and it was excellent:

Al's Baked Ricotta Toast $14.99
multigrain toast with ricotta custard, almond butter, tropical fruit, granola and orange blossom honey, maple brown sugar bacon and a mango kale smoothie

This picture doesn’t do it justice and I had started eating it before the pic was taken. The smoothie looks absolutely disgusting but it was so fruity and refreshing. I would definitely order it again.

Hubby had the everything seasoned croissant egg sandwich and that was also very good. DD picked at ours and also had a big fluffy muffin. We did have our first mobile order debacle here though. Usually mobile order goes smoothly for us but apparently none of the mobile orders were going through that morning for that particular restaurant. Ugh. We had on our patient pants… kind of… and everything worked out.

We walked around a bit and saw Scooby with some of his Mardi Gras gear on.

Then off to beloved Diagon Alley.







Then we checked out the Tribute Store at its new location. So far this has been my least favorite one. Maybe with the relocation and everything they didn’t have the usual amount of time or space or whatever. Don’t get me wrong, it was still great and I highly appreciate the creativity and art value of it all. It just didn’t wow me like the other versions have. My favorite section though was the cemetery section. It gave me some HHN vibes (as did parts of the Cursed Coconut Club).






Continued in next post…

 

[wdwrule]

So again, some sections were really cool while others were just meh. But still a great, fun experience.

We then got a bag of beignets as an appetizer before our lunch at Red Oven. We ended up getting some that must’ve been sitting around because unfortunately they were a bit tough and not very pillowy. Still… can’t go too wrong with fried dough and powdered sugar.

Oh and during our beignet purchase we got a $150 food card that cost $120 with the AP special promotion going on. This is an amazing deal and the card does not expire. We purchased another one the next day with a balance that will be used when we return. The only places that we know of that do not accept them are at the hotels.

We then headed over to Red Oven to split a pizza and two salads. Haha but first picked up the Perfect Margarita from the Lone Palm Airport bar (right across from Margaritaville). Because you know, why not??

One of our new favorite things to do is sit outside at the bar table at Red Oven and watch everyone coming in while we eat. It’s so relaxing! All the incoming smiles and laughter.


I just realized I never took a pic of the pizza but here’s one from a few trips back.

We really enjoy both their salads and their pizzas. Everything is fresh and made to order.

Then off to IoA for more fun.


To be continued…

 

[Robo56]

Great photos. I came in for Mardi Gras on the 8th. What a nice colorful fun celebration for sure.

Cafe La Bamba was a wonderful experience! This is now our must do each trip. Great food and over the top excellent service, especially for a quick service setting. Our favorite entree so far (not pictured) was the burrito bowl. Huge and fresh. Weather was perfect to sit outside and take it all in.

So glad to hear of your good experience at Cafe La Bamba. I ‘am definitely going to stop by for a meal next visit.

Happy belated birthday

 

[wdwrule]

@Robo56 Yes I saw we were there almost at the same time. Loving your report as well! Mardi Gras is one of my favorite times to visit.

Thanks for the birthday wishes! Lol I’m actually wearing my Captain America 50th Bday shirt around the house today.

 

[MissNashi]

Mardi Gras is my favorite time at Universal for sure; The atmosphere is electric and the food is top notch. Planning on going in 2 weeks. Glad you had an amazing time!

 

[wdwrule]

Mardi Gras is my favorite time at Universal for sure; The atmosphere is electric and the food is top notch. Planning on going in 2 weeks. Glad you had an amazing time!

Totally agree! Such an upbeat vibe and the TMs seem even extra excited with all the happiness in the air. I’ll be back in early March too Enjoy!!

 

[wdwrule]

Shortly after our lunch we rode some rides including Hagrids. It was posted a 90 minute wait and that’s typically our max threshold for Hagrids. It ended up being pretty close to that time as well. I took note of some people in single rider line while we were in standby and we ended up getting on the ride at about the same time. Sometimes SR is decent on this ride while other times it’s longer or the same as standby. My philosophy is if it’s going to be the same wait time, I’d rather be in standby checking out the theming and some of the creativity that went into the queue rather than standing in one spot for a loonngg time. Plus SR on Hagrids defaults to the sidecar. Love this ride though! And look… she’s a mum!


There are many rides though that we prefer to go into the SR line as it’s often quicker or the same as EP lines. It’s not for everyone though but we enjoy it. We always have some fun stories to tell each other afterwards.

After a few more rides, we headed to Citywalk for our Vivo reservation.


I love Vivo’s food but we just don’t have luck with them lately. The last time we tried there, we waited way past our reservation time for our table to be ready and had to cancel due to our upcoming departure flight.

This time we waited a long time too but at least we didn’t have a flight to catch so we waited it out. Ended up with a nice table by the window.

We shared the fried ricotta as an app and this is so light and tasty. I highly recommend this app. It has a hint of fresh lemon as well. Hubby had the squid ink seafood pasta which he loved and DD and I shared the bucatini with meatballs. Their pasta is made in house.


They also offer a complimentary bread service which is nice.

Then, with bellies full, we headed up to check out the Cursed Coconut Club. This was opening night I believe, and earlier before dinner we saw a ton of vloggers lined up to create their content.

I just love how they keep re-theming this venue. It’s so much fun!! The detail is amazing and just a wonderful vibe!






These lit up masks above moved and changed expressions.


From second floor, looking down at the dance floor (bad lighting pic):


Cool fireplace:






I believe they reused some items from HHN which was cool, both inside and outside the club.

Continued in next post…

 

[wdwrule]

I asked for a specialty drink at the bar inside the club that wasn’t too sweet. She recommended a few and I went with:

Café Brulot Diabolique
Angostura Bitters, Hella Smoked Chili Bitters, Monin Cinnamon Syrup, Brewed Coffee (Chilled), and an Orange Zest Slice with Clove Garnish



She had me taste it to be sure I liked it which was a nice touch.

Well… the first few sips I liked. Not stellar but it was ok and I didn’t feel comfortable asking her to make me something different. We took it upstairs to check things out and the more I sipped it, the more I despised it. Hubby got the Abita Purple Haze beer which I really liked. So we kind of shared each others. I don’t know if it was the bitters or the clove taste of my drink but something was just very off-putting. Oh well. I’ll just know not to order that one again.

At any rate, checking out this place was so cool!! It was like a mini HHN setting.

We then headed over to Studios to catch the parade. We are not parade people but the Mardi Gras parade is a MUST-DO for us every time. It is soooo fuunnn!! It’s interactive with catching many beads and the entertaining TMs who are in the parade are absolutely phenomenal!! You can’t help but to sing along and dance. Love it!!

It was very busy and we found a great spot near Mummy behind two trash cans about 20 minutes before it started. Everyone was so happy and excited.

Right as it started a family pushed through and were literally right up against us. It was very awkward. Their girls shimmied through and sat on the trash cans in front of us. I’m all about letting kids see parades though so that didn’t bother me. What did bother me was the mom who reached through my arm and kept trying to film her daughter with her phone at my chest… all awhile standing behind me. It was bizarre. Then, I kept feeling their stroller dig into the back of my leg. I realized later that mom was standing on the stroller which resulted in pushing into me. There was a language barrier so as I told her, I pointed to the stroller and then to the back of my leg. It worked for a few minutes but then she was right back at it again. Ugh. Not worth a confrontation but holy cow. I ended up with a light bruise on the back of my leg.

Lol aside from that hot mess, the parade itself was great! We caught many beads and interacted with many of the performing TMs. They did a fantastic job of hyping up the vibe and it was contagious. Haha even with a large plastic stroller dug into my leg

I’m looking forward to seeing it again in a few weeks

On the way out we listened to and watched the awesome Patti LaBelle!! She sounded and looked amazing!!! 78 years old and still sounds and looks like a young-in.




Then, through the massive crowd and onto the calm walkway back to Aventura. I really love the garden walkways to and from the hotels. They are so peaceful and are such a memorable part of our trips as we walk and reflect upon our fun days.

Next up, departure day but a full day…

 

[Skywalker3]

Catching up this morning with some TR reading. So cool y'all got to be there opening weekend. Did y'all recognize any of the vloggers? that's so neat. hate when people show up right before a parade starts and pushes up like that. we had a somewhat similar experience last year. I ended up having to stand between my daughter, and another person, who kept getting in her face.
Patti LaBelle! what a cool concert! She's so awesome!
Thanks again for sharing all of the fun and pictures!!

 

[wdwrule]

Catching up this morning with some TR reading. So cool y'all got to be there opening weekend. Did y'all recognize any of the vloggers? that's so neat. hate when people show up right before a parade starts and pushes up like that. we had a somewhat similar experience last year. I ended up having to stand between my daughter, and another person, who kept getting in her face.
Patti LaBelle! what a cool concert! She's so awesome!
Thanks again for sharing all of the fun and pictures!!

Yes it was such a fun time!

We recognized Tom Corless and some of his crew. We also saw Jackie and Sam from SuperEnthused… we enjoy watching her videos and she is also sweet to chat with. Likewise, the Pugh Two are friendly and have good, informative videos. The next day we saw Quincy from AllEars. Not on this trip, but I’ve also chatted in the past with Nate (Paging Mr Morrow) in between filming and Molly from Mammoth Club, both who are enjoyable to watch (in my opinion at least). Oh and Rix Flix too

Yeah that parade debacle was very annoying as you experienced as well. I knew it would be busy since it was the kickoff parade for the Mardi Gras season but wow… personal space people!

Patti LaBelle sure rocked it! She stayed on key and everything. Impressive and sounded like her young self. Thanks and glad you’re enjoying it!

 

[wdwrule]

After a lovely night’s sleep, we packed up our belongings and headed downstairs to luggage service. Goodbye beloved room I’m really in love with the deluxe queen room at Aventura. That amazing view at night to fall asleep to The deluxe rooms are also located at the end of the hallway which is nice and quiet. The mattresses are a little on the firmer side which a lot of people prefer but I actually prefer a slightly softer bed. Maybe because I’m a side-sleeper?? At any rate it was still comfortable.

After dropping off our luggage, we decided to grab big bowls of fresh oatmeal at the counter service at our hotel, right after getting beverages at Starbucks. I love peanut butter, so I mixed a little packet of pb into mine. Ok, ok, I also added a little pack of strawberry jam too. I love peanut butter and jelly anything. It was delish! This is a heaping bowl by the way for around $6 with AP. I’ve seen guests get it to go, but the to-go bowls are tiny for the same price which boggles my mind that they wouldn’t have bigger to-go bowls.

Then it was off to our usual route of Velocicoaster, then FJ then a ride or two before walking over to Studios. I just love Studios in the morning! It’s so calm and serene. Probably because most guests are in line for, or headed to, the two headliners in IoA. Went on several rides then headed to a Mardi Gras exclusive food item that I heard about.

I’ve been wanting to try the brioche pressed ice cream sandwich from the Italy booth. So we headed that way, which was the walk up window at Louie’s. Now, granted this was the first weekend of Mardi Gras and trainings were still occurring. I ordered the vanilla/Nutella and also the Oreo/mint chip sandwiches. There was a large group of TMs there but they kind of joked about some not knowing how to make the sandwiches. No big deal as I’m patient and enjoyed chatting with the TMs while we waited.

The sandwiches were good and I loved the warm/cold combination. However, even though it looked like they scooped a decent amount of ice cream on the sandwiches, the ratio was way off. This snack was a little disappointing as I would’ve loved a heavier ice cream ratio. The warm, crusty brioche was good though.





The Oreo mint had a better ratio but was still disappointing. I thought maybe this was due to opening weekend and learning the ropes which I completely understand but I’ve watched recent YouTube videos of vloggers the other day experiencing the same exact thing. Maybe the ice cream just melts right in or something. Good flavor but ratio way off, making them a little dry.

The sights were wonderful though.






I loved how several booths looked like houses.

We then debated on where to have lunch and ended up at Cafe La Bamba again. It was just so good. It was another glorious weather day… sunny, warm and no humidity nor rain. So needless to say, we ate outside and basked in the elements. I love sitting out on their patio. Bonus with this view is that various characters come out in the vicinity. During this meal, we saw Beetlejuice, Trolls and some characters from Madagascar from a distance. So fun!







That was a very good Margarita by the way. Not as good as the Perfect Margarita from Margaritaville or the Lone Palm Airport bar though.

After all of that deliciousness, we headed to more rides. Then we visited some shops.




Kind of a side note, but during our last few trips, we’ve noticed a lot of characters which is so nice. I feel like each time, we see more and more roaming around. Just some of the many we’ve seen include: Popeye and Olive Oil, Betty Boop, Marilyn, Diego and Boots, SpongeBob characters, superheroes and so many more.

Later in the afternoon, many street performers rotated and meandered throughout the streets which was super fun! They are so lively and enthusiastic. They love interacting with guests and are a vital part of creating the true vibe of Mardi Gras. Truly amazing! …

 

[wdwrule]

Many were giving out beads and toy coins. Their enthusiasm was infectious. You couldn’t help but to smile.

Then, sadly it was time to head back. We stopped at Jake’s for the bomber burger which has kind of become a tradition for our departure day before the ride back to the airport.


I should really get something different here sometime but I just really love the quality of this burger and it never disappoints. I typically don’t eat a burger throughout our trips until our meals at Jake’s. Oh juicy and tender.

So… Mardi Gras was a hit! We didn’t eat nearly as much food from the booths as we had originally planned but we were usually full from our other meals, etc. We are headed back in a couple of weeks so we’re going to make more of a point in trying more foods/drink.

My biggest takeaway is the amazing TMs that put their heart and soul into entertaining/performing and create that true upbeat Mardi Gras atmosphere. They are just so happy and energetic. So dedicated! All of the TMs in general were helpful and tried their best to brighten everyone’s day.

The creativity, art and overall vibe of Mardi Gras was endearing. Their parade is superb with the elaborate floats, entertainment, and interactivity. Cursed Coconut Club and the Tribute Store are worth visiting as Mardi Gras continues inside. I can’t wait to get back again soon to experience all of that happiness. If thinking about sometime visiting UO, the Mardi Gras time period is a great experience.


Hope this helped someone. The End:

 

[Skywalker3]

Yes it was such a fun time!

We recognized Tom Corless and some of his crew. We also saw Jackie and Sam from SuperEnthused… we enjoy watching her videos and she is also sweet to chat with. Likewise, the Pugh Two are friendly and have good, informative videos. The next day we saw Quincy from AllEars. Not on this trip, but I’ve also chatted in the past with Nate (Paging Mr Morrow) in between filming and Molly from Mammoth Club, both who are enjoyable to watch (in my opinion at least). Oh and Rix Flix too

Yeah that parade debacle was very annoying as you experienced as well. I knew it would be busy since it was the kickoff parade for the Mardi Gras season but wow… personal space people!

Patti LaBelle sure rocked it! She stayed on key and everything. Impressive and sounded like her young self. Thanks and glad you’re enjoying it!

That is SO cool that you got to meet Jackie/Sam and the Pugh two and the rest. I watch all those same vloggers, and they are all so fun. I was so close one time to PMM in the Japan pavilion in Epcot....but chose to eat my food in the front (he was in the back eating!) I only realized it after I watched his video the next day, and could figure out the time.
Love the Pugh Two, they are so fun/down to earth, and from TN! They just posted the most heartwarming video yesterday, their journey, and wow. it was something. Had no idea.

 

[wdwrule]

That is SO cool that you got to meet Jackie/Sam and the Pugh two and the rest. I watch all those same vloggers, and they are all so fun. I was so close one time to PMM in the Japan pavilion in Epcot....but chose to eat my food in the front (he was in the back eating!) I only realized it after I watched his video the next day, and could figure out the time.
Love the Pugh Two, they are so fun/down to earth, and from TN! They just posted the most heartwarming video yesterday, their journey, and wow. it was something. Had no idea.

Oh my I just watched The Pugh Two’s video last night as well and it certainly brought me to tears. I had no idea either. I’m so glad they’re doing something they love

Yes those I mentioned are fun to watch and I learn something new from most of them. If anything it’s nice to watch and feel like you’re right there in the parks while watching from home.