Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament

Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays… what is a parent to do? With so many options available, we decided to let our going-to-be 8-year-old daughter decide. Showing her true colors as the princess I know she is, she opted for the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament. I had heard of this place and seen their ads, but never made the trek. Well, let me tell you it was definitely worth it. We all had a wonderful, entertaining time and the joy on the kids’ faces was priceless.

You must place reservations in advance (no deposit required). We picked the 3:30 show and were told to get there 1 hour early (ugh!). It was a good thing for there were already people in line. However, you won't stand in line that long.

At the ticket booth you're offered a plethora of choices. Standard admission is $43.60 for adults and $31.38 for kids 12 and under. There are AAA discounts and special promos available on their site, but be warned… none of these are accepted on Saturday (we found this out the hard way).

In addition to the standard admission, you can purchase upgrades such as a birthday package or having yourself knighted with a picture taken. We purchased the preferred seating upgrade at $6.00/person. All people in the party need to get the same upgrade or they will not be seated together.

The arena is oval and the tables go up, much like a coliseum. To avoid nosebleeds and get the best view, opt for the upgrade. As we were early, we got front row seating!

You're ushered to the entrance where you're assigned a color and given a corresponding crown. This color represents the Medieval Times' knight who will be fighting for you. A quick jaunt through a courtyard and you enter the main hall. This is where you spend your time while waiting out the rest of the hour. There is a full bar, shops, displays of armor… you can even view the beautiful Andalusian Stallions that are stars of the show. People get knighted at this point and you can view the ceremonies as the King does his business. There was plenty to keep us occupied during the wait.

They shepherd you into the arena by calling out your color. Cheers from the audience for their Medieval Times' knight decides which color goes first…yell loudly!

The arena is split into sections by color. We had the yellow section so we cheered for the yellow knight. As soon as all are seated the show begins.

The show's 2 hours long and timed so you're eating through most of it. It’s a fixed meal with 2 beverages, either Pepsi or beer. Barmaids walk up and down aisles in case you need more or want something different. The meal was actually OK considering they feed 1000 people every 2 1/2 hours. It's served “medieval style” meaning no utensils and you get one napkin. Bring wet wipes!

A master horse trainer demonstrates the incredible feats of his horses (think Lipizzaner Stallions). A falconer demonstrates the prowess of his birds. Squires and knights exhibit different weaponry then the tournament begins.

Medieval Times has a good vs. evil theme. Knights pair off and do battle in a variety of styles… broadsword, saber, lance, mace, and jousting. The surviving knight gets the princess.

The highlight for us was when our knight was chosen to crown the “Queen of Love and Beauty”. He was given a banner from the king, draped it over his lance and presented it to my daughter. Her look of surprise was priceless.

There are pyrotechnics, special effects, lasers and excellent lighting. At over 2 hours long and including dinner and drink, this show is well worth its price. The kids absolutely loved it and so did the adults.

Highly recommended.

There are 8 Medieval Times locations nationwide.

(Check website below for special promotions, discounts and general information as well as really cool pictures)

Call 1-888-WE-JOUST for reservations or additional information.

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Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament

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