Our Medieval Times Adventure With Kids

Medieval Times is a dinner theater experience located at castles in several North American cities. It’s a family friendly adventure featuring royal courts and heroic knights during the medieval period.

While my husband and I expected Medieval Times to be a cheesy show, we were very happy during our first visit especially since our little boys had a blast. 

Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament

We recently returned and checked out the experience at the new castle in Scottsdale with our now tween and teen. Everyone still enjoyed it! Medieval Times is definiltey a fun thing to do with kids in Scottsdale. 

What to Expect at Medieval Times

Before being seating for dinner you have time to explore the Hall of Arms which houses the museum of torture with replicas of torture devices from the middle ages and gift shops that feature everything from authentic replica swords and shields to take home to banners and light up toys, perfect for kids to wave around during the show.

Everyone is given paper crowns celebrating their assigned knight section when you check in. If you upgrade your tickets like we did, you also receive a coordinating banner to wave around as well. The upgraded tickets guarantee you better seating but honestly I think even 3rd or 4th row seats would have been great.

Our upgraded tickets also included a copy of our official Medieval Times family portrait for each person. Every group takes the picture as you walk in and are available to purchase during and after the show.

Tournament of Knights

The Tournament of Knights is the main focus of the show and features sword fighting and authentic jousting matches. I am no expert but the historical accuracy seemed to be what I’d expect. The costumes and handmade armor was impressive. 

As expected, the knights are fighting in the name of their queen, so the story line features some royal court mentions in addition to fight scenes. The Master of Horses showcases the skills of the horses as well.

We were in the second row and didn’t catch the smell of manure during the show but the potential is there. We did see the horses pooping in the arena which was somehow hilarious to my teen. I have no clue why 3 year olds and 13 year olds have the same humor.

If it’s been a few years since your last visit like us, know the show has changed. The ruler of the kingdom is a Queen, Doña Maria Isabella. Go girl power! The overall feel for the show and dinner experience stayed the same though.

Four-Course Feast

Throughout the live performances waiters or rather serving wenches/serfs serve your meal. There is no real food choices to be made unless you choose the vegetarian meal. You do get your choice of soda, tea, lemonade etc with one refill.

The four-course meal at Medieval Times includes garlic bread, dragon’s blood soup (tomato bisque soup), roasted chicken, sweet buttered corn, herb-basted potato and dessert. 

We visited Medieval Times in Buena Park when the boys were very little and they were pick eaters. They were definitely not big soup eaters. However, our waitress introduced the tomato bisque soup as dragon’s blood soup and they were intrigued and loved it. They also appreciated the novelty of no utensils, and drinking their soup from the bowl. 

We’ve always found the portions of chicken to be huge, so no one leaves hungry. The vegetarian version includes hummus and warm pita bread, three-bean stew, fresh fruit and veggies.

Medieval Times Tips 

Participate and have fun. Remember you chose to come eat dinner with your hands at a replica romanesque style castle. Your dinner includes a live performance featuring knights of realm. Be willing to get silly and cheer on your knight, wear your paper crown and wave your knight’s banner.

Some guests go all out and dress up in costumes, similar to what you see at a renaissance faire. Most guests will be wearing normal everyday clothes though so don’t feel the need to go crazy. Unless you want to. 🙂

Beyond regular admission you can pay for VIP seating, family pictures, alcoholic drinks and souvenirs. You can even pay to be knighted by the Queen.

Bring cash to tip your waiter at the end of the night. 

I suggest arriving at least 45 minutes before the show. Seating is based on when you arrive Arriving early allows you a little time to check out the castle, torture museum and catch some of the pre-show action or enjoy a pre-show beverage. Plus you’ll want plenty of time to check out the realistic looking swords and armor for sale in the gift shop.

Medieval Times Locations

All castles are located in North America and most are now open again following the closures in 2020. We’ve attended shows at the Buena Park location which is just down the street from Knott’s Berry Farm and close to Disneyland. Our recent visit as at the Scottsdale location which is a brand new castle.

• Orlando, Florida
• Chicago, Illinois
• Dallas, Texas
• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Scottsdale, Arizona
• Lyndhurst, New Jersey
• Buena Park, California
• Toronto, Canada