Medieval Times

Medieval Times location in Schaumburg, Illinois.

This is the article on the Medieval Times dinner theater chain. For the historical time period, see Middle Ages.

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament is a chain of dinner theaters which stage tournaments in the style of the chivalric contests of the High Middle Ages. The company is privately held and headquartered in Buena Park, California.

The original Medieval Times opened in Majorca, Spain in 1973, and was a huge success. In December 1983 the first American Medieval Times opened in Kissimmee, Florida. Since then eight additional North American locations have opened. The Andalusian horses featured in the shows are raised and trained at the company's own Chapel Creek Ranch in Sanger, Texas.

The show

The show consists of a dinner and a show. The guests arrive to the castle an hour and a half before the show. They get table cards, which assign them to their seats. They then proceed to get a crown for their section, a picture with the king, princess, or an ambassador, and then they enter the hall of arms. They are able to shop in the gift shops and visit the king's brewery. They are also able to be knighted in celebration, get their photos taken, and they can explore the dungeon of torture. In some castles, such as the one in Florida, they can visit a medieval village.

A few minutes before the show begins there is a call to the table. The Chancellor will call the guests to the tables based upon the color of their crown, with green usually being last. The guests enter the arena and are seated at their tables. Their servers come to the tables and announce the section, the allies, and enemies. Then they discuss the bill of fare(menu.) Vegetarians are able to make special requests when they make their reservations or at this moment. The vegetable soup is the first to be served, with garlic bread. The guests are offered Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Beer, or Water. Beer is only at some locations. The main bar remains open and the bartenders walk the arena during the show.

The openning scene is the capture of the prince, as he travels to Leon, the kingdom that the Green Knight comes from. Then there is a new light show and music. The Chancellor then announces the Princess, the knights, the king, and the servers. Once this is complete the king confronts the Green Knight, as to the where abouts of his son. The Green Knight says he knows nothing about the prince or the treaty. Once the knights are dismissed and the King and Princess appear on the deas, they propose a toast to honor, glory, chivalry, and peace. The dinner is then served. The dinner is 1/2 of a chicken, 1 rib, and 1 potato. If you are Vegetarian, it is grilled vegetables; peppers, onions, mushrooms, zuchinni, ect. The first display of the show is the Capriole. Andulusian Stallions display moves used by medieval stallions. Then the falconer presents the falcon. That is followed by The King's Parade; a display of riders on Andulusians.

Then there is a flashback about the day the prince left on his journey, done by the princess. The games then begin. The knights show off skills during games upon horse back. After the games the Chancellor announces celebrations guests are having; birthdays, anniversaries, ect. There is then a message. The Ambassador of Leon brings a message saying the King of Leon has discovered the prince was locked away and is insuring his safe return. He presents the king with a horse, which is ridden is a beautiful display by the Ambassador. This is followed by the joust. By this time, the guests have received the pastry (apple pastry). They may have also received a cake for a celebration.

The Chancellor serves as the Lord Marshall to the joust. The Green Knight has first battle with the Black and White Knight, and wins. Then the other knights fight until it is just two; The Green and another. The Green Knight kills the other with a lance to the back. The Prince returns and fights with The Green Knight, and wins. The show then comes to an end.

The Cast

King Phillipe: The king of the realm. He has always dreamed of peace with the kingdom of Leon. He sent his son to seal the treaty that will allow the two kingdoms to live in peace.

Princess Leonor: Is the wife of Tristan, the king's son. She is like a daughter to the king. She is beautiful and radiant.

Prince Tristan: Is the son of the king. He is captured in the openning scene as he is trying to secure peace between Leon and his father's kingdom.

Chancellor: He is the spokesman of the event. He makes all announcements and introductions.

Don Eduardo Nolasco del Rey (aka The Yellow Knight): This character is from Navarre and defender of the Citadel Olite. He is referred to as a troubadour by another character. He is romantic and competitive. His rival is the Blue Knight.

Don Iofre Santa Crue (aka The Black and White Knight): The reverend knight. He is described as a warrior-priest and the defender of the Holy Shrine at Santiago de Compostella. His rival is the Red and Yellow Knight.

Baron Ruiz de Roig (aka The Red Knight): The bold captain. This character is from Castilla. He is described early on as an especially aggressive and bloodthirsty knight. His rival is the Green Knight. In most shows the Red Knight is the cousin of the Lord Marshall based on their color scheme but any knight can be the cousin character theoretically.

Don Alberto del Mau (aka The Blue Knight): The predator. This character is depicted as being from Casa Valiente. He is the youngest knight, dubbed a knight at the end of the battle which precedes the opening act of the show. He is impulsive and headstrong. His rival is the Yellow Knight.

Lord Del Font (aka The Red and Yellow Knight): This knight represents stealth. He is the personal champion to Don Reymundo II of Perelada. His rival is the Black and White Knight.

Lord Temple (aka The Green Knight): He is from from Leon and Asturias. He is the only knight with a speaking role. He is evil, and his temper is the dragon's claw. He is vile, over-confident, and wants to show that he is the best. He is the villain in this show.

Pop culture

• In the 1996 movie The Cable Guy, Jim Carrey's character Chip, takes Steven, Matthew Broderick to a Medieval Times Restaurant. The scene was filmed at the Medieval Times location in Buena Park, California near Knott's Berry Farm.

• In addition, Medieval Times has been featured in many television programs including The Simpsons, MTV's The Osbournes, The Ashlee Simpson Show and Date My Mom, VH1's Flavor of Love, TBS's Minding the Store (starring Pauly Shore), The WB's Survival of the Richest, ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition CBS's Walker, Texas Ranger.

• A fall 2006 episode of Rick Mercer Report featured Rick Mercer taking Gerard Kennedy, then a leadership candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada, to Mercer's "favourite restaurant" – the Medieval Times location in Toronto.

• On the Nickelodeon show SpongeBob SquarePants, in one episode SpongeBob and Patrick visit a Medievel Times-like dinner theater.

• On an episode of Ugly Betty, Betty and her coworkers go to a dinner theater restaurant called the Middle Ages, clearly based on Medieval Times.

External links

• Medieval Times home page
• Jason Coyne's Medieval Times Gallery The whole show in pictures.
• The United States radio show This American Life featured a visit to Medieval Times in Simulated Worlds, an episode first aired on 11 October 1996.
• Medieval Times Georgia Photo Gallery
• "Historical Fiction", by Mark Schatzker from Slate, October 6, 2004. How medieval-themed restaurants get it wrong.
• Medieval Times Photo Gallery