Thanks to Medieval Times, Lyndhurst NJ for our complimentary invitation. This was our first time at Medieval Times.

Today I am recapping our first time at Medieval Times. We were a guest of Medieval Times and went to their Lyndhurst, NJ location as part of their Royal Blogger Network.

The Medieval Times is a themed dinner show that includes a feast, horse showcases, knight games and live-action battles and jousts. There are nine (soon-to-be 10 with an opening in Scottsdale later this year) locations around the United States.

Before the Show

The Medieval Times experience begins the moment you see the castle. Once inside, there are employees wearing traditional Middle Ages attire to greet you. The grand lobby has colorful decor lots of weapons displays with several souvenir stands and two bars.

With frozen slushies in hand we were went into the arena. Within minutes of the show starting we felt like we were part of an official Queen’s Royal Tournament. The crowd is separated by colors to correlate with a particular knight based on your ticket purchase and the color of your crown. We watched the show on the Yellow Knight’s side and in the first aisle row.

Bill of Fare

As we were waiting for the show to begin the servers prepared for our feast by taking drink orders. Our menu for the night was as follows: a soup course, an entree with two sides, dessert and coffee.

Did you know? Part of the Medieval Times experience is to eat the meal with your hands and enjoy the fare like you are living in the Middle Ages! This adds a super-fun, quirky element to the experience.

First Course was a warm, tasty tomato bisque served with toasted garlic bread.

Following the soup we were then served a half oven-roasted chicken, seasoned potato and corn-on-the-cob. The chicken was incredibly tasty and we loved the potato, too. I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of the meal but can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and quality of the food at Medieval Times. It was delicious!

Our feast ended with the Dessert of the Castle which was ice cream with caramel sauce.

Showtime!

As we were enjoying our feast, the show kicked off with the flying of the royal falcon. It was an incredible way to start the show and I loved watching the boys’ faces as they watched the falcon fly over them. Falcons are birds of prey and there was a definite fear factor to the experience. It was an exciting way to kick off the tournament and as soon as I saw their faces I knew we were going to have a great time!

Next, the Royal Queen was introduced followed by a parade of horses and knights, the Knights skills challenge and the Royal Queen’s show.

Then, the real fun began, the jousts and battles!

The battles and jousts were fun and entertaining. The Knights took turns challenging one another to a joust, complete with full armor and wooden lances. After the jousts, the Knights battle each other to defeat using swords, shields, battle axes and spears. We definitely felt the excitement and got into the action waving our yellow flags as hard as we could to cheer on the brave and strong Yellow Knight.

It took several battles and rounds but in the end, our cheering was successful because Yellow Knight won!

Our first time at Medieval Times was so much fun!

My 12 and 10 year old boys thought it was the coolest (and this is a tough age to please!) and the adults enjoyed themselves, too! Medieval Times is an incredible family experience or something different to do with friends. My boys even mentioned wanting to celebrate a birthday here.

If You Go

Heading to your first time at Medieval Times? Here’s what to expect:

  • The dinner show and tournament is an action-packed two hours of jousting, swordsmanship, battles and more.
  • There is a bar (serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks), souvenir shop, medieval displays and even a medieval torture museum.
  • Parking is free at the Lyndhurst, NJ location and most other locations. Be sure to inquire about the parking situation at your preferred location.
  • The Castle doors will open 75 minutes prior to the showtime. Plan to arrive early as seating is first come, first served.
  • You can purchase upgrades to your ticket for preferred seating.
  • Medieval Times provides wet napkins to clean your hands but bring hand sanitizer and extra wipes if you are traveling with younger ones.
  • Have a child with braces? Bring a plastic knife! I learned this the hard way after my 12 year old couldn’t eat the corn because of his braces.
  • Bring a jacket. We attended our show in the Spring and I thought the stadium was a little chilly.
  • Have fun! It is loud, colorful and exciting

Special thanks to Medieval Times for inviting us to experience the dinner and tournament. We can’t wait to go back!

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