We’ve scoured the bead- and booze-filled depths of the Internet in search of the best social savvy tips and apps to help you win at Mardi Gras this year, and much to our dismay, there was little to be found. So we did what few agencies ever dare to do… actual research!
We’ve made phone calls to longstanding Carnival veterans, downloaded countless apps, and spent the last 2 weeks parading tirelessly to test out each of these tips and Mardi Gras apps. We can safely say that this is now the ultimate digital and social guide to winning at Mardi Gras.
Our essential Mardi Gras apps.
Only rookies pick out their costume hours before they hit the parade routes. Pros know to plan ahead, so check out these tips to read before you revel:
- Clean out that phone. Make room. No saved photos. No useless apps. No battery vampires. You’re going to need all that space and power to stay socially relevant this Mardi Gras.
- Organize those apps. We’ll be sharing some very helpful apps with you below, but aside from those, you’ll certainly want to have your favorite camera, video and social apps at your fingertips throughout the day. That said, dedicate either an app group or a full screen on your phone to nothing but your Mardi Gras apps. You don’t want to waste the day digging through your thousand apps while an entire super krewe rolls by.
- Mardi Gras Mambo to-go. Sure, there are hundred of bands marching through the streets and thousands of bars filled with music, but how will you keep the good times rolling when you drop into someone’s house party, or when your riding across town? Naturally, you should have a decent selection of Mardi Gras tunes ready to roll out, because if not you, then who? If you don’t already have a bevy of Carnival classics, download 8tracks and type in “Mardi Gras” for a good variety of user-generated playlists. But be mindful of your data limit.
- Map it out. A few hours of reveling, and even the best plans are abandoned for a passing opportunity (and so they should be), but it’s better to have a plan to abandon than to have no plan at all. There are many parade/party apps available, and several of them offer parade tracking, but the best we’ve found is WWL’s Mardi Gras Parade Tracker. This is an essential tool that will allow you to see any parade when and where you want to see it. After knowing where you’re going, well, you’ll need to get there. For that, the best way by bus or by streetcar is WDSU’s Transit Tracker. Biking is also a great way to avoid traffic altogether. If you’re planning on driving, then plan on walking as well, since you’ll likely have to park your car in a nearby neighborhood, and you’ll need to find your way back later. For that, we suggest Honk, an excellent car finder and parking meter alarm. Bonus: If you’re the type who likes to understand the tradition behind things (rather than just being excited about catching a coconut because everyone else wants one), then check out this Mardi Gras app.
- Friend up. Don’t go tryin’ to Mardi Gras alone. You may end the day with more friends, but it’s good to know you’ve already got a few going into it (even if they disappear into a sea of beads in the first hour). Some of the best moments in Mardi Gras come from randomly running into a friend in the middle of a crowd, and sometimes, you may find yourself hoping you’ll find a friend after realizing no one is going to text you back in the middle of a parade. But of course there’s an app for that. In fact, we’ve found 2 apps that’ll do nicely for you and your Mardi Gras friends. Apple’s Find My Friends is an easy way to not have to worry about when and where you’ll meet up with everyone. Just download it, invite whichever friends you’d like to be able to find throughout the day and, assuming they want to be found, you’ll be one big happy family wherever you go. Glympse is a great alternative and less of a commitment for all parties involved. The app allows you to geotag your location and set an amount of time that you’ll be there. You can then share this information with whomever you want via a text message with a link they can open and view in their browser (no app needed on their end).
- Drink! We’re talking about drinking water in this case, since we know you won’t have any problem drinking booze (which is why you need the water). 8 cups of water a day is what you should be guzzling on any given day of the year, so getting at least that much while day drinking, dancing and parading is essential. Also, you’ll thank yourself the next day when everyone else’s hangover is worse than yours. With that said, here’s a simple free app that will help keep you hydrated all day: Daily Water. Bonus: Mardi Gras veterans should have stock in Pedialyte. It would also make a great throw. Point being, pros know that hydration is key.
- Find bathrooms. After drinking all that water (among other things), you no doubt are in dire need of a restroom. Instead of trying to figure out which 2 cars would be best to squat between, consider the following solutions. As many of you savvy travelers may know, AirBnB lets you find accommodations in someone’s home. In the same way, AirPnP lets you find private bathrooms along parade routes which can be used for just a few dollars. You might even make a friend. If you’d rather stick with public facilities, then BathroomMap and Flush Toilet Finder are the way to go.
- Find everything else. ATMs. Bars. Drug stores. Taxis. These are all things you may find yourself looking around for during Mardi Gras. But there are several simple solutions to save you time and get you back in the Carnival game. Our favorites? AroundMe and Yelp. Yelp may be the most extensive business finding tool out there, but AroundMe is entirely focused on simply finding what you need, without the added clutter of reviews and further info. It’s been a lifesaver more than once, and it’s invaluable during Mardi Gras.
- Fill ‘er up. A decent breakfast is highly recommended, since you’ll likely be drinking before noon, and no, a Bloody Mary is not a meal. And make sure you feed your phone too. Leave the house with a full charge, a portable charger, and a portable battery (also fully charged). We recommend New Orleans’ own MobileQubes, since they actually have multiple stations in the CBD where you can swap out your drained battery for a fresh one for just a few dollars. If you don’t have a battery already, you can also pick one up from any of their vending machines.
- A bonus for all you Igers out there. Baffo is an app that lets you find Instagram users nearby. You can take a peek at their photos and even message them. It’s a great way to see what’s going on in your vicinity during Mardi Gras.
- Just for fun (but seriously, you might need this). Censored! lets you censor a photo by pixelating whatever parts you choose. If you plan on snapping pics on Bourbon Street, you might want to use this app before posting them to Facebook.
Now you’re ready to revel and win at Mardi Gras. Please make use of these tips, and let us know how it goes. We’ll see you on the Avenue!
The post Essential Reading for Revelers: The Ultimate Guide to Mardi Gras Apps appeared first on FSC Interactive.