Want to harken back to the days when jousting tournaments determined the most skilled knight, when people ate with their hands and swords were the weapon of choice?
In our house, the answer is, “who doesn’t?. We typically have no less than five foam swords, light sabers or other types of fighting weapons at all times and little boys who pretend to be Jedis, ninjas and knights on a daily basis. I’ve been wanting to take the boys to a Medieval Times for a while, but we don’t live in a city with one, so when a friend suggested it on our trip to Toronto, we jumped at the chance to go.
Medieval Times Toronto -horse trainer
Medieval Times is a dinner theater experience with nine locations across North America. I knew the boys, including my husband, a former DND player (oops- is
that even the same era?), would get a huge kick out of it, seeing knights compete against each other to see who was the most skilled horseman and fierce fighter in the land.
Sure, I like Robin Hood, Hamlet and Camelot as much as the next person, but I thought this would be one of those times when I endured a few hours of something because seeing my kids happy makes up for it – not so! I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed it, too. A lifelong horse lover, I loved watching them ride in formations and performing dressage maneuvers as well as the “real” jousting and other games that they played. At one point, a falconer brings out a magnificent bird, who flies over the crowd, showing off his hunting skills.
There is a story line along with the horsemanship and weapons fighting – the “theater” part of the dinner, with a king, princess and shady villain. There are color-coded seating sections so that you can cheer on the same hued knight of your fiefdom.
The fighting was eloquently choreographed – sparks flew from the weapons as they clashed together, making us jump and hide our eyes with each clang. We all erupted in cheers when the victor was crowned.
Medieval Times – falconer
The food is lousy, which I expected considering that they are making a meal for 400+ people each night at the same time, and I’ve never been to a dinner theater where people enjoyed the dinner part. Being historically accurate (or that they don’t want to wash all of those spoons and forks), there are no utensils, so you’re digging into your roasted chicken with your fingers and drinking soup from a bowl. Bring a lot of wet wipes.
After the show, the knights come out for photo opps. They were all really lovely guys, indulging the boys and answering questions.
Therefore, for now and ever shall be, methinks Medieval Times is a jolly good show for young and old.
