Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament for Adults
When you think of Medieval Times, you probably think of kids, plastic sword fighting and cheesy choreographed fight scenes. You could not be farther from the truth, at least at not at the 8pm shows on Saturdays at Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, NJ.
The venue caters to the older crowd at this late night show with two long bars for drinks and a late night DJ dance party after the show. They have beers in a giant glass mug, a full bar for shots or mixed drinks along with their tall “fish-bowl” like glasses for various mixed drinks at 25$ a pop; you do get to take home the glass. It’s no fun if you don’t give into the ambiance: grab your knights hat, buy a $1 banner and one of the various wood, foam or plastic swords available and get into the atmosphere here. The most shocking part was that every single person at the sold out show I went to was actually more enthused for it than I would assume most kids are during the daytime shows.
I’ll tell you about my experience at Medieval Times along with some tips on the check-in process and seating arrangements.
It’s important to arrive 90 minutes before show time. The seating inside is first come, first served so this is especially true for larger groups. The seating inside is stadium seating so if you have more than 5 or 6 people in your group try to sit behind or in front of them in the next row as you can still talk to each other. The first person you speak to when you arrive is attendants at the reservation desk. Here they will need your last name and the number of tickets purchased under that last name. It’s important to note that not everyone has to be together at this first check point. It simply needs to be the purchaser (or you can give the name of the purchaser). The next stop is the ticket booth. You will need your confirmation sheet or number for them to look up your reservation. Again, for this step, not all people under the reservation name need to be there, but the purchaser of the tickets does. You will then have your official tickets printed on the spot and can hand them out to your party. The seating desk is the last stop and the most important one. This is where you get your section and ultimately, your seating for inside the arena. This is when you let Medieval Times know the number in your entire party, and not just under your reservation. For example, I purchased tickets for my boyfriend for his birthday and we had different groups of people meet us there who purchased their own tickets. You need to simply give them a name for the other people in your party to reference when they arrive and she will be sure to give them all the same color section.
Be aware though, this place does not have assigned seating, only row assignment. Be ready 20 minutes before show time to enter the arena and grab the best seats in those corresponding rows.
The dinner is the same for everyone, except the vegetarian meal, which was vegetable lasagna the night we went. You receive hot tomato soup and garlic bread to start. Both were surprisingly delicious. The main meal consists of a chicken leg, BBQ ribs and a potato. The dessert was a mini apple turnover, which was warm and scrumptious. Also note, there are no utensils at Medieval Times (but there was Pepsi in Medieval times?) so be ready to get your hands messy. The food was delicious and there were no complaints in my party on the meal.
The show itself is surprisingly entertaining. First, they introduce the King and Queen and then the knights that will be fighting for each section; each cheering very loudly as the knights approach with the corresponding flags. They then trot the horses around the arena, showing off their mane and breeds. After the horses, the knights come back for their tournament games, which consisted of using jousting sticks to grab various rings at different heights and a long spear thrown towards a bulls eye. This normally goes on through the dinner. Once the desert comes out, the real action begins: The Jousting Tournament. Don’t be fooled, this is carefully choreographed and quite dangerous. The knights are suited in full metal armor and the wooden joust explodes upon impact of the shield of the opposing knight when they cross. The sword fighting is also action packed with sparks flying from where the metal swords meet in battle, leaving one of the knights rolling around in the sand or getting knocked down for defeat.
Whether you’re going for the feast, drink or medieval tournament, you’re guaranteed to have a great time at this dinner and tournament venue tour de force.
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