A Visit to Medieval Times

Today we had a fun afternoon with a couple of our kids at Medieval Times in Buena Park, California.

I'd never been before, but both our son and daughter had enjoyed it in their high school years, and my husband's always been curious about it. I found a good deal on tickets and was able to make reservations just a few days in advance. That seems fortunate, as virtually all the seats were filled for this afternoon's show.

For those unfamiliar with Medieval Times, it's a dinner theater show featuring horses, knights, jousting and more. There are several locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Above, the Queen welcomes us to her castle, and below, the heralds announce it's time to file in to the arena.

I was pleasantly surprised by the food, which was all very good, especially considering the scale on which it's mass produced for three shows per day. "Dessert of the Castle" was a lemon-flavored pound cake.

All food is eaten medieval style, without utensils. I suspect the lack of clattering utentsils also helps keep the sound inside the arena down and may also be better for the horses.

The arena as we took our seats:

The service was friendly and very efficient; they've obviously got serving crowds down to a science! Each course appeared right on time as the previous one was finished, and drinks were kept refilled.

I only took a handful of photos, as we entered and again at the conclusion of the show, but they capture a bit of the pageantry we enjoyed today.

It was a lot of fun watching some very talented horses and stuntmen while having a nice meal. I'd never been particularly interested in going to Medieval Times myself, but as it turned out I had a really nice afternoon, and I recommend the experience.