The Medieval Times: Dinner and Tournament attractions strewn throughout North America are synonymous with travelers and locals alike, who are interested in having a nice dinner with some raucous fun, and live entertainment. Medieval Times is famous for its dramatic theatrical storyline, acrobatic thrills, and their open crowd-participation hijinks. You may also recognize this from the Jim Carrey movie, Cable Guy, where Jim and Matthew Broderick fight to (near) death in front of a fierce crowd of onlookers. At points in the movie, it seemed to be rather dangerous and overly-intense, but of course, they were just acting, and as Jim and Matthew had acted in Cable Guy, so do the Medieval Times characters.
The actors of Medieval Times are quite dedicated to their roles, never breaking character, even when taking photos with their guests. Even though it’s not possible for you to have your own fight in the middle of the jousting pit, the actors putting on the show sure put a lot of intensity in their own performances, and in that aspect, it’s rather entertaining. The one major difference between the real Medieval Times theater and the scenes portrayed in the Cable Guy movie, for me, are the reactions to the blows and the way the characters flew from their horse after being jousted. Of course, the movie must do what it can to make the action sequences look as real as can be, but in the live tournament, the performers let the jousting stick hit them, their armor, or their own stick, and then a few seconds passes before they move from their horse. Basically, the only part of the performance that seemed exceedingly cheesy is that exact moment when the rider, atop their steed, would be struck, and then multiple seconds would pass, as they progressed down the pitch, before they would react, groan, and eventually fly off their horse, in a dramatically flavorful, yet laughable.
Don’t take my criticism as disappointment though, I really enjoyed my time at the Medieval Times: Dinner and Tournament. It was a lovely way to spend an evening, after a long day of touring the various theme parks and amusement parks in the neighboring Orlando area. The food was scrumptious, the service was personal and energetic, and the show was entertaining! While the show has its violent moments, the commentary and the storyline are definitely well-suited for children, as well as adults. What I found the most fascinating about the Medieval Times in Kissimmee, Florida is that it’s the original location of the attraction, but that’s not all! The best part is that next door to the castle is a small village, or a gathering of buildings that are setup with authentic historical artifacts, showcased how the various items may have been used. Plus, the village is free to visit!
(Main photo and #3 are by © B.E.S. / E&P – Photo #2 via Medieval Times)
Don’t take my criticism as disappointment though, I really enjoyed my time at the Medieval Times: Dinner and Tournament. It was a lovely way to spend an evening, after a long day of touring the various theme parks and amusement parks in the neighboring Orlando area. The food was scrumptious, the service was personal and energetic, and the show was entertaining! While the show has its violent moments, the commentary and the storyline are definitely well-suited for children, as well as adults. What I found the most fascinating about the Medieval Times in Kissimmee, Florida is that it’s the original location of the attraction, but that’s not all! The best part is that next door to the castle is a small village, or a gathering of buildings that are setup with authentic historical artifacts, showcased how the various items may have been used. Plus, the village is free to visit!
(Main photo and #3 are by © B.E.S. / E&P – Photo #2 via Medieval Times)
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