Universal Mardi Gras 2024: Glitter, grooves, fried green tomato po’ boys
It’s sensory overload during Mardi Gras festivities at Universal Studios theme park. A couple of Universal Orlando executives talked to us about things to see, sniff, taste and hear during the event, which runs nightly through April 7.
• “There’s more glitter on this parade than we’ve ever done before,” said Lora Sauls, assistant director of creative development and show direction at Universal. What’s more, it’s applied to the floats by Universal’s decor team manually.
“They do sprinkle, and they do it by hand. Some of them blow a little bit, but it’s just like placed, and they get it all over,” Sauls said.
• The decor team is also responsible for a monkey figure spotted on the float representing Earth. That’s been going on for more than a decade, Sauls said.
“They usually hide him. This year, he’s not hidden. He’s riding the shark. He’s got scuba gear on,” she said.
• The parade process begins about a year in advance with a trip to Kern Studios in New Orleans. Props are picked and then transported via semi to Orlando. Kern paints the newly themed floats in about a week, Sauls said, and then the lighting team gets to stringing. Decor is the icing, and it can get spooky inventive.
“They actually told me, ‘We stole a bunch of HHN vines for the Earth float,’’’ Sauls said.
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• The middle six floats are newly designed with a theme of the elements (water, fire and such). At the front of that first float and bringing up the rear of the sixth one are big pieces that kind of look techy, say a portal of some nature, or maybe giant jacks. Let’s call them bookends.
Sauls took to calling them compasses after she picked them at a Kern warehouse. But there’s a plan involving colored Plexiglas to tie in with the elements, she said.
• It’s the first Mardi Gras celebration at Universal for Jens Dahlmann, vice president and executive chef of operations.
“I’m a big believer in authentic representation and in creating this multisensory experience on the promenade,” he said. “I think when you walk about USF now, we’re really going to be hit with the smells and aromas of freshly cooked food, and that’s, to me, what it’s all about.”
• Universal is maintaining its international flair for the event, with 14 countries represented at kiosks. Dahlmann used team members to keep the menu authentic.
“In Philippines, in the culture, there’s a lot of Hispanic influences, so that’s where the Carnaval connection comes from,” said Dahlmann, who said there are four Filipino chefs on staff who helped in development.
“We asked, ‘What are you eating when you celebrate with your family at home? What are the things you feast on?’ That’s how we came up with those menu items,” Dahlmann said. (At the Philippines kiosk: pancit bihon, crispy lumpia and pandan cheesecake.)
• Two other unusual offerings: currywurst and fried green tomato po’ boys. (Not together, of course). Currywurst is sliced bratwurst topped with spicy curry ketchup.
“It’s on the streets of Berlin, especially. It’s a staple, especially if you’d like to have a beverage, a cold beer, this is a food you’re going to have,” Dahlmann said.
The fried green tomato po’ boys are sold at a New Orleans kiosk and are sliding in for a previous festival favorite, the shrimp po’ boy. The change was in the interest of balance, Dahlmann said.
“It was so seafood-heavy in those kiosks, where we already have seafood boils, you have gumbo, you have etouffee,” he said. “We just felt to have a beautiful po’ boy with fresh and green tomatoes is a great offering.”
• Finally, a once-familiar Mardi Gras sound is back. KC and the Sunshine Band perform at the theme park’s Music Plaza Stage on Sunday. According to Orlando Sentinel records, the group hasn’t performed at the event since 2012. KC, based in Florida, was an every-year act for a while.
“We just needed to hear him again,” Sauls said.
Mardi Gras activities are included with regular Universal Studios admission. Themed food and beverages are for sale.
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