Medieval Times is a family-friendly dinner show in Kissimmee, Florida that features medieval-style games, including jousting and sword fighting performed by actors and beautiful horses.
Last year at the Florida Kids and Family Expo, an event I highly recommend to families, we watched a demonstration of what you would see at the Medieval Times show in Kissimmee Florida. Of course, immediately, my kids expressed their interest in attending the show.
During the Expo, Medieval Times was offering a special discounted ticket that had no expiration date. We excitedly bought four tickets that have been sitting in the envelope for almost a year. With our anniversary approaching, I thought that would be the perfect opportunity to use them. So I called the reservations hotline and booked our date. So that brings me to my first couple of tips for your visit to Medieval Times.
The first tip is NEVER to pay full price for a ticket. Medieval Times always has special discounts on their website and you can often get discounted tickets on Groupon as well. If you have no intention of immediately going to Medieval Times then it may be worthwhile to join their birthday club. Medieval Times will then send you special promotions via email and free admission for you on your birthday. I have even received email promotions for BOGO admissions. It’s always nice to save a little money.
The Upgraded Experience Packages aren’t necessary to enjoy your experience.
Medieval Times offers upgrade packages and will offer these to you upon check-in if you had not already purchased the upgrade during your original purchase. There are three levels of upgrade packages and they all include priority castle access, meaning you get to enter the show first, cheering banners and some level of special seating, whether it be VIP or first or second row of the center section. There may be times such as a birthday where an upgrade package may be worthwhile, after all, who wouldn’t want to have a shout out during the show with birthday cake?
There are plenty of ways to enhance the experience.
I opted to not upgrade. There are no bad seats in the show and we had no issues viewing the entertainment. The only thing we were missing were the cheering banners to cheer on our yellow knight, which I purchased during the show for the kids at a total cost of $10. The least expensive upgrade would’ve cost $12 per person and the cheering banners were the only thing out of any of the packages my kids were missing. You also have an opportunity to purchase pictures and drink cups, along with other souvenirs to commemorate your experience without the need to upgrade.
Make your reservations to attend the show plenty of time in advance.
I made the mistake of only calling a day before, even though we had decided weeks before that we were going to go. Medieval Times has two showtimes, 6 pm and 8:30 pm and I was told the earlier show wasn’t available. A two-hour show at 8:30 pm with an hour drive home is less than ideal when you have younger kids. So to make sure you get the time and date you want, be sure to call ahead. You can also check available dates and times online.
Be sure to arrive early.
Upon arrival to Medieval Times, you will check in. The doors open an hour and a half ahead of time, take advantage of that. By the time we arrived we only had a few minutes to explore the Castle Halls and Medieval Life Village. The village is a walk-through exhibit filled with artifacts and displays from medieval life. I feel walking through the village and castle halls is a must do on this adventure.
Purchase your drinks prior to the show.
You will most likely encounter a long line at the bar prior to the show. If you plan on purchasing any wine, beer, or specialty drinks, get in it!
I know lines are no fun, especially for kids, so divide and conquer. We went exploring the castle while Mark stood in line to purchase a bottle of wine. The show was almost over before the cocktail waitress came around to take drink orders.
Be prepared to eat with your hands.
Medieval Times is not a place I would ever take my sister because she hates messy hands. However, if you absolutely need utensils you can ask your server for them. Everything served is really finger-food friendly. The set menu includes tomato bisque, bread, roasted chicken, buttered corn, herbed potato, and ice cream for dessert. They gave us little sticks for that of course. The food is really delicious and filling. And don’t worry, they have warm towels to wash up after.
Out of any tips that we could offer for your visit to Medieval Times, I believe the seven included in this post would offer the most support to anyone who is visiting for their first time. For now, fare-thee-well.