jo_annepink

Was reading the forums last night and having a bit of a panic! Well will teach me to do some research before booking! Was planning a trip involving 5 nights in New Orleans as I've always wanted to visit moved everything around to fit in Mardi Gras, perhaps shouldn't have! We are staying at the Palace d' arms on St Anne's street! Having read about Mardi Gras on the forums realised this might be a mistake. How easy is it to get around during Mardi Gras to get away from some of the festivities, we are traveling with our 9 month old and although she's young enough to know no different I'm worried about it being ok having her in restraunts etc? Any suggestions for family friendly places to eat and activities?

SusanCS

I've looked at your post several times today, and can't help wondering if you couldn't just change dates for your trip. I can't imagine trying to navigate NO during Mardi Gras - with or without a baby!

qwovadis

I so would cancel my hotel stay too crowded move over to St Charles on the street car route.www.thecolumns.com very nice for me there where the movie Pretty Baby was filmed.Plenty for kids down there like the zoo will be much less crowded. neworleansonline.com

Good luck!

jo_annepink

I will look Into it and see if I can without loosing too much money, might be able to change the hotel but would think the flights can't be moved. Not as excited now as I've been!

Ackislander

A 9 month old is not a kid, qwovadis. She is a baby. A baby won't care about the zoo, and anywhere around Mardi Gras is going to be frightening to her and worrisome to her parents. Everywhere you go near Mardi Gras activities will be packed, and many -- most-- of the participants will be drunk and disorderly. You could find family friendly places in the Garden district or out along the highways, but what is the point? It won't have anything to do with Mardi Gras.

I hope other people tell me I am wrong, but I have spent plenty of time in NO over the years, and I think this would be a really bad idea.

If you can't change the tickets, would you consider a trip to Cajun country? The Mississippi Gulf Coast?

OO

We lived in New Orleans for 6 years, and both our children were born there. As 3-5 year olds, they enjoyed the morning parades along the Canal St route, and were perfectly safe. We would never have taken them into the Quarter on Mardi Gras day!

I have always said that Mardi Gras, at least the last 4 days of it, is the absolute worst time for someone who has never been to New Orleans, to experience her. It is jam-packed by day, drunken revelry by night, and dirty and smelly. Ick...nothing worse than the odor on Bourbon Street the morning after a big bash. DH worked for the Royal Orleans and the Royal Sonesta. Mardi Gras day every year all management had to be in the hotel to make sure nothing went amiss--to protect it from "the elements" so to speak. They geared up for it as if there was a hurricane coming!

I do hope you can rearrange your plans so you are there some other time!

Placename

I don't see the point of dragging a 9 month-old to Mardi Gras. It's your fun over her comfort and safety. Sometimes being a parent is just a matter of making the best choices for the kid, not for yourself.

jo_annepink

I'd like to say thanks but I'm just a little depressed at the negative postings, it's going to cost too much to change plans especially having paid extra to be there for Mardi Gras as I thought it was ludicrous to go the week after and miss it! But obviously I've misunderstood what Mardi gras is about. We will be there for the Monday Tuesday Wednesday, if anyone has any tips I'd still appreciate them but don't go isn't helpful I'm afraid.

I've emailed the hotels concierge to try and get some restraunts booked, Mr B's Bistro, looking at the French quarter looks like there will be plenty of places to pick up food. Hoping to do the Natchez steamboat, a plantation/swamp tour and the WWII museum, if anyone knows if this is possible at this time of year that would be useful information.

Placename

Well you asked for advice and you got it, from natives of New Orleans.

nytraveler

Frankly I'mnot sure why you're doing this trip with a baby. There doesn;t seem to be any reason to drag an infant along to all these places. It's not like you will be in a town with playgrounds and family friendly stuff. If it were me I would leave the baby with grandparents or whoever and go for the adult Mardi Gras.

Many of those restaurants will not want infants - esp at that time of year, and eerything you are doing sounds like an adults only trip.

DebitNM

Have you actually called and asked if you could cancel your reservations? I see they have other hotels, maybe you could book a room in one of their other locations that might not be in the middle of the action?

And perhaps the loss of any deposit may be worth the chance for you to book elsewhere [same dates] again, out of the direct action of Mardi Gras??

november_moon

If you can change your hotel reservations, cajun country or the gulf coast are really great alternatives. There are Mardi Gras celebrations in other areas that aren't as crazy as New Orleans, which is basically ground zero for Mardi Gras.

Grcxx3

Is there someone who can keep your baby for a few days? I think you and your husband would have a lot of fun - but having a baby along would be difficult, though not impossible.

However, I have to take exception to Ackislander's comment -
"You could find family friendly places in the Garden district or out along the highways, but what is the point? It won't have anything to do with Mardi Gras."

Have you ever BEEN to Mardi Gras?

If you want to party - then, yes, the FQ is where lots of people like to go. But not everyone likes to do that, and you don't really see the parades there unless you catch the ends of the parades at Canal Street. But it's too crowded there for my taste.

Personally, I like watching the parades on St. Charles Ave (usually somewhere between Napoleon and Louisiana). And you will find people of all ages, including lots of families with young children.

Here is the 2012 parade schedule. As you can see on Monday, Feb 20 and Mardi Gras day (Feb 21), there are lot of parades in the Uptown area. Then on Wednesday (Feb 22) all will be quiet - as people go back to work, back to school, Ash Wednesday masses, and generally get back to normal life.

There really is SO MUCH MORE to Mardi Gras than Bourbon Street. Movies, TV, and the media paint a very distorted picture.

http://goneworleans.about.com/od/fes...digraspics.htm

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41944981...-celebrations/

http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps...4909923_ap.jpg

OO

Ok, so you can't change it, so let's just make the best of it. I've been gone from there for a long long time, but hope I can help a little. I sense your degree of disappointment and hate that we've thrown cold water all over your plans, for what is going to be an expensive trip for your family.

Best possible advice--start your days early. The earlier in the day you get out, the quieter it will be. I don't know how long babies can use Baby Bjorn or the like but that would certainly help. Strollers will be impossible, even dangerous on the busiest of days. The closer to the Quarter the location, the rowdier crowds will be at parades. You might shoot for viewing somewhere along St Charles, for a better behaved group. Don't carry your purse. That goes for any time of the year. Be mindful of where you should be...and shouldn't be at night, especially. I've been away too long to give boundaries, but generally speaking, the area from Bourbon to the river is the safer side of the Quarter.

Of course there are parks. You and the baby will enjoy Jackson Square. There is almost always music there amd what baby doesn't enjoy that!? There are also street performers and artists. The waterfront along Lake Pontchartrain is green and pretty. Or it used to be. I haven't seen it since Katrina.

Cheer up! We've got you so dreading the experience now, it will probably exceed your expectations and you'll end up having fun.

I hope you will report back afterwards and let is know how it went. I mean that sincerely. Good luck. Be wise. Have fun.

Grcxx3

oops - forgot the link to the parade schedule -

http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/schedule.html

jo_annepink

Thanks Grcxx3 and OO your comments have really helped and I have cheered up! I have a plan and a plan b,c, and d! Its 4 days out of a 17 day holiday it will be fine. Everything seems to be open as usual apart from Mardi gras day itself and on that day if its not possible to get out of the French quarter we can venture out in the morning, away from Bourbon street, I’m sure with all the street food and room service we can have a very nice afternoon, evening in the hotel room if need be.

Yes the activities we are thinking of are adult based but my daughters idea of entertainment at the moment is to stare at her hands, blow raspberries and smile at everyone, perhaps not suitable behavior for the WWII museum so we might have to tag team that one! But riverboats, zoos and parks will be fine. I’m only thinking of doing a few things, by the time breakfast is done and we find somewhere for dinner late afternoon to have her in bed for 7 it doesn’t leave a lot of time hence some suggestions of what not to miss are very much appreciated. Lundi Gras sounds like fun. I’m sure we will have a great time and I will indeed let you know if it was worth it!

sf7307

>>

Actually, I think that won't be a problem at all! (and the museum is absolutely fantastic, if you have the slightest interest in military or WWII history)