It’s no surprise that Port Orleans - French Quarter, the Disney resort known for celebrating the spirit of New Orleans all year long, is the best place to be when Mardi Gras rolls around each year! This resort really goes all-out to make Mardi Gras incredibly fun for guests with a parade, a nighttime party, special character meets, and more. Guests of either of the Port Orleans resorts can easily attend these events, but anyone is able to join in. If you’re not staying at Port Orleans, it’s a good idea to arrive via Disney transportation, as parking may be limited to resort guests only.

The day before Mardi Gras, details about the day’s planned events will be posted in the resort lobby. They’ll show a map of the morning parade route, as well as a schedule of special Mardi Gras-themed daily activities. In 2022, Mardi Gras fell on March 1, and the scheduled events included the Port Orleans Pargo Parade, a Mardi Gras Pool Party, Mickey Tie-Dye, Campfire, the big Mardi Gras Celebration, and a showing of “The Princess and the Frog” on their Movie Under the Stars screen. All events are free to everyone, with the exception of a few paid activities that were available during the nighttime celebration.

The day started with the Mardi Gras Pargo Parade, which wound through both Riverside and French Quarter. Guests can sit anywhere along the parade route, and I would recommend grabbing a spot at least 30 minutes in advance. It’s a very popular event and there were a lot of regular guests who come every year for this unique experience! The atmosphere was jovial and fun, with all the guests along the route excited about the parade. The French Quarter courtyard was decorated with lots of festive streamers that made the event feel extra special. If you watch from French Quarter, you could also grab Mickey beignets for breakfast, but keep in mind that a lot of other guests had that same idea, making the line for beignets super long - the line wrapped all the way around the building, so be sure to arrive really early if this is your plan.

This amazing event is hosted entirely by Cast Members, and they do an incredible job making this a Mardi Gras you’ll never forget! The parade’s theme this year was “50 Years of Magic!” It was led by the current Walt Disney World Ambassadors, Ali and Raevon, followed by a jazzy marching band playing live New Orleans music. Then, a horse-drawn carriage carrying Princess Tiana appeared! After that, there were a lot of decorated golf carts contributed by various different resort operations teams, all themed to classic Disney attractions. All the parade participants constantly tossed candy and Mardi Gras beads to the spectators, so everyone had a great time and walked away with plenty of free treats. The parade only lasts for about 10 minutes, but it makes for such a fun morning!

Most of the other scheduled events that day were the same as usual - the Campfire, Mickey Tie-Dye, Pool Party, and Movie Under the Stars were really no different than any other day, except for adding a fun Mardi Gras theme. But the Mardi Gras Celebration held in the French Quarter courtyard that night was a totally unique event and worth making time to see! It started at sunset and was very popular. The courtyard got crowded pretty quickly and had a lively vibe with loud party music.

There was so much to do at this family-friendly celebration! A DJ was playing great music and a dancer led guests in a fun dance party in the middle of the courtyard. Characters were available for guests to meet - Princess Tiana and Louis the Alligator alternated shifts. A cash bar was available, and lots of tall bar tables were scattered around the courtyard. There were a lot of crafts and activities available for an additional cost, like Make Your Own Mardi Gras Hats, Champagne Glasses, Jewelry, and Masks. The crafts were very popular and those tables had some very long lines! Some of the decorated golf carts from the morning parade were parked in the courtyard too, so guests could take a closer look at the decorations.

Celebrating Mardi Gras at Port Orleans - French Quarter Resort is something your family will never forget, and it’s certainly an event that you should plan to attend if you’re lucky enough to be in Walt Disney World that day!