TTG Features Florida
Turn up the Florida heat
Special events are a reason to sell Florida at certain times of the year. Sophie Griffiths joins the annual Mardi Gras parade at Universal Studios Orlando on an Orlando FlexTicket fam trip. Turn the page for a round-up of more big events in Florida
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t is early evening in Universal Studios Florida and the rides have started closing for the night. But nobody is heading home. Instead visitors are lining the sidewalks, and there is an excited buzz of voices that is growing louder. Behind the scenes, Irish travel agent Laura Newman and I are changing into maroon robes. We look like extras for Universal Orlando Resort’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter – but we are in fact about to take part in Universal’s Mardi Gras parade. The parade has an “Elements” theme.
We take our positions on the top deck of a decorated vehicle, which has a fire design. Other floats have air, water and earth designs. Our bus is bright orange and every 10 seconds it spurts out a large vertical flame. The hand- crafted floats were built by Blaine Kern Artists – the same company that designs the floats for the New Orleans parade.
AGENT VIEWS
Laura Newman, from Falcon Travel in Cork, rode with Sophie on the Fire float “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I had no idea what to expect or what I was going to wear in the parade. I haven’t seen Mardi Gras anywhere else – I didn’t know about things like the bead
42 09.02.2012 Mardis Gras at Universal Orlando Resort is inspired by New Orleans Once our parade gets going, the long
line of vehicles snakes around the Universal Studios theme park. The floats are carrying hundreds of costumed performers, many dancing non-stop. There are more dancers on the ground, along with stilt walkers and acrobats. The whole parade is an explosion of colour and noise. Huge crowds of all ages line the
streets, and as the parade winds its way through the park, they call out for beaded necklaces, which we fling into the crowds by the handful. When the parade ends, my jaw aches from all the
smiling and my arms are weary from waving, but the atmosphere has been fantastic and I’d do it all over again tomorrow if I could.
Need to know Universal Orlando Resort’s Mardi Gras kicks off this year on February 11 and runs until April 14. Parades and live music events are included with Universal Studios Florida admission, so your clients will not pay extra. The street parade takes place every Saturday and on selected nights (check
universalorlando.com/events for more
Laura Newman
throwing, but I can’t believe how excited everybody gets and how many people there are here. I am so surprised by it all. I will be telling my clients about it when I return home. I’m going to tell customers to come at this time of year so that they can see the parade, and with the weather being so nice as well, it’s a perfect time to visit. It’s great for those with small children as well.
details). The theme changes every year and 2012’s theme is all about Blue Planet, with “Polar Regions”, “Rainforest” and “Coral Reef” among the float designs. Mardi Gras also features live
concerts, from rock and pop music to country and R’n’B. This year Kelly Clarkson, Diana Ross, B.O.B, Boys II Men, Big Time Rush, Cyndi Lauper and KC & the Sunshine Band are on the bill.
On Mardi Gras nights you can also
They will love all the bright colours and characters in the parade. It’s made me want to do another Mardi Gras already.”
Sandie Smith, Malahide Travel, Dublin “The atmosphere is electric. I didn’t know about Mardi Gras before I came, but everyone gets so caught up in it all, it’s brilliant. The Mardi
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