This Orlando with kids post was created in partnership with Visit Orlando and Medieval Times Florida. I was given complimentary admission to the dinner; as always, opinions, insights, and fun are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make A Cupful possible!
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament has been featured in movies like Cable Guy and Reality Bites, but if you are like me you may have wondered what the Dinner & Tournament is really like?
Medieval Times is a family-friendly dinner show featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting. These medieval acts are performed by a cast of actors and horses. There are Nine (9) North American locations for Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament. Our family had the opportunity to experience the Orlando show and it turns out that there is so much to experience. Below are my tips for making sure you have a memorable night when visiting a Medieval Times dinner show.
- The dinner and show will last two hours. But it is recommended you arrive early to check out the castle and the museum.
- Doors open 1.5 hours before the show start time.
- You are assigned a table at the ticket counter. They call you by your Knights section. All VIP table holders will go first settling into the front row tables. Try to be in front of the crowd when they call your color because while you are assigned a table you are not assigned a seat.
- There are 6 Knight sections.Your Knight section is randomly selected.
- Children under the age of 3 are admitted free as long as they sit on adults’ laps and share their meal. If you prefer the child to have his or her own seat and meal, a child rate applies.
- Tipping is not included in your ticket price. So be sure to plan for tipping your server at the end of the show.
- Parking is free.
Walk around the Castle Halls and Medieval Life Village & Museum
Take advantage of arriving early by exploring the Medieval Times Orlando property. The Medieval Life Village is a walk-through exhibit. It shows an in-depth view of Medieval times with real artifacts and displays great historical accuracy. It is nice to see authentic items, especially in Orlando where most things are just created to appear real! So real that there is one room dedicated to torture instruments that I needed to quickly walk the kids though as it is not something I was prepared to explain to my kindergartener just yet. I highly recommend taking a stroll through the village to take in an authentic view into history.
Be Prepared To Cheer For Your Knight
Though you do not get to pick which Knight is yours, be prepared to be his biggest fan. You will want to help cheer him to a victory. Crowd support is anticipated and highly encouraged. Do not be shy to wear your paper crown in your Knight’s color with great pride and yell like a maniac for your strong and handsome Knight. After each round of competition, Knights who successfully complete the round receive flowers from the Princess to throw in the crowd! If you want a flower, you must gain the Knights attention. (My son wanted one so bad but he was too shy to jump and yell and wave around like the others.)
Medieval Times is way more fun when you’re not afraid to be a little silly, so go in with an attitude of fun!
The Knights Tournament at Medieval Times
The Medieval Times dinner show is mainly a two-hour medieval jousting tournament with 6 competing knights using real weapons and beautiful horses. The show is the main event and is very entertaining, even to the youngest of guests. Our three-year-old daughter was on the edge of her seat the entire time. There’s a story that runs throughout the entire show. Our five year old had no problem following along with the narrative. The horses are beautiful. The tricks the knights can do with weapons are impressive and must require lots of skilled practice. The stunts got more difficult as the night went on, and nets were raised to protect the crowd from any possibility of flying objects.
“In myth and in legend, the Knight and the horse are forever linked. Few things are held in such great esteem by the Medieval warrior than a stalwart horse, who possesses the bold courage of his master and the quiet strength of his ancestors.”
The knights do a great job to get the audience all fired up by encouraging cheers, boos, and chants. Our knight made it to the final round and though it was so close, he didn’t win. We had such a grand time as a family supporting our knight and being silly together. We all even felt a bit of disappointment to see him lose.
Menu at the Orlando Medieval Dinner Show
In true medieval tradition, no utensils are provided – you eat with your hands! But if you must have utensils, they can be provided if you make a request from your server. The set menu is on the napkin letting you know what to expect and is served throughout the show in courses. If you have a special dietary need the server will ask about this as you are seated.
- Tomato Bisque
- Warm Baked Bread
- Roasted Chicken
- Sweet Buttered Corn
- Herb Potato
- Pastry of the Castle
- Beverage (Water, tea, lemonade or coffee)
- Full open bar available for additional charge
Splurge on some extras during the show for added fun
You will have a fun time if all you do is purchase a ticket, show up, and just enjoy the show. But for a really memorable experience, I recommend spoiling your family a bit by upgrading your ticket or purchasing some royalty souveniers. All Medieval Times locations offer three different ticket packages: Royalty, King’s Royalty, and Celebration. They have a great gift shop to get a cheering flag for the show. We each opted for special drinks to enjoy during the dinner that allowed us to keep the glasses as a great memory at home. The kids also took home a light up rose to remember the success of our knight. Maybe I’m a sucker, but I like having special mementos to take home when we have a fun family experience.
Have you been to Medieval Times? Do you plan on going soon?
I’d love to hear about your “knights”!
Share them with me on Instagram or in the comments below!
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Disclosure: Opinions of hotels, attractions, or products on this blog are always my own. A big thank you to Medieval Times for hosting us by providing complimentary admission to the dinner show to help execute this post!