The Unreal World: Faux Gras, Orlando Style By John Deiner The Washington Post Sunday, February 1, 1998; Page E04

Where: Universal Studios Florida in Orlando.

Why: This way the whole family can go nuts together.

Ah, Mardi Gras, that pre-Lenten orgy of debauchery that whips through New Orleans every winter. But take away the drunken masses, the gratuitous nudity, the bead-snatching greedheads ... and what do you have?

If the phrase "no fun" leaps to mind, then you'll want to stay away from Universal Studios for the time being. But for parents who want a taste of the Big Easy's big party without having to explain to the kids why it smells like a men's room in the street, the park may have its appeal.

"We've brought New Orleans [to central Florida] and put a family spin on it. ... I wouldn't say it's subdued -- there's still people reaching for beads and screaming," says Universal spokeswoman Linda Buckley. "But I don't think we have any of the downside."

The cornerstone of the celebration is a nightly parade down Universal's back-lot streets featuring stilt-walkers, jugglers, fire-eaters, musicians and 15 full-size floats. The latter -- larded with folks visiting the park -- are authentic Mardi Gras creations from Blaine Kern, whose New Orleans company has supplied the real thing with floats since 1932. The Orlando specimens are both original designs built for the park and retrofitted ones from last year's blow-out in New Orleans.

The parade lasts about 35 minutes -- or more, Buckley says. "If you go to the right spot, you can see it twice!" Wherever you stand, a heavy showering of beads and doubloons ensues.

Additionally, concerts by such acts as the Steve Miller Band grab the park's main stage on Saturdays, and the bill of fare at food concessions takes on a Bayou twang. Goodbye burgers, hello etoufee.

And as long as a fake Mardi Gras is winding its way through fake streets, why not pretend it runs for weeks and weeks instead of days? Universal's stretches from Feb. 13 to March 28, more than a month after Ash Wednesday. Buckley concedes that attendance balloons during the promotion, which prompted the park to extend the celebration, now in its third year.

Booze? Well, it is Mardi Gras, after all. Beer is available, though Buckley promises that moderation is rampant. You can also order what the park calls an "authentic flaming Hurricane" from Pat O'Brien's, the New Orleans watering hole. But once again, "authentic" has its limits.

You can have a Hurricane, but it won't be flaming.

Admission to Universal Studios Florida (407-363-8000, http://www.usf.com) is $42.14 adults, $33.92 children. Numerous airlines fly to Orlando from the Washington area; US Airways and Southwest fly nonstop from BWI and are currently quoting a round-trip fare of $158, with restrictions. For information on lodging and other attractions, contact the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 407-363-5871.