We recently traveled down to Los Angeles for a staycation and had a blast! I was really excited to visit Medieval Times in Buena Park for a Saturday night dinner and show, since I hadn’t been to one since I was a kid – over 20 years ago! I went with Frank (boyfriend), Colleen (friend) and Tee (blogging friend from That’s It Mommy) and we had a great time! Well, now you can experience more rivalry and revelry with a new show at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament.
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament is North America’s longest running dinner attraction and gives guests an opportunity to travel back to the 11th Century with a new show – the first since 2007. The new show celebrates the California Castle’s 25th anniversary (June 2011 – May 2012) and its recent $2.5 million renovation.
“The new live performance will give our guests a one-of-a-kind experience that will keep first-time visitors and returning fans on the edge of their seats,” said California Castle’s new General Manager Pedro Goite.
While the show offers many new elements, some of the most popular traditions remain. The live show will still feature two- and four-legged performers with a utensil-free meal serviced in a castle-inspired arena.
ABOUT THE SHOW
For almost two years in the making, this new live production will feature even more live jousting, sword fights, horsemanship and falconry! Guests will be taken back in time and encouraged to cheer for one of six “Knights of the Realm,” named after historic regions of medieval Spain. In addition to the new story, the production will include new lighting, choreography and battle scenes, costumes, new horse dressage elements, and a new musical score custom created for Medieval Times and recorded in Kiev, Ukraine.
“In a sense, we’ve gone back to the basics,” said Leigh Cordner, Medieval Times creative director. “Guests will see a celebration of the horses along with more action and elements of high drama. The streamlined plot allows more concentration on the action.
“When we started to put pen to paper, we knew from the start we wanted to grab guests’ attention from the moment they take their seats. This led us to the creation of the opening moment, when Liberty Horse enters the arena.”
After the opening, guests will witness intricate battles, which are precisely planned sequences that have been practiced daily. Director of Stunt Choreography Tim Baker began developing the fight sequences shortly after Cordner started writing the new script.
With authentic weaponry and enhanced armor, the new production presents non-stop action tied to the tempo of the music. And while there’s still a general theme of “good versus evil” throughout the show, guests will see much more of what they like most about the show – fight scenes that maintain the highest quality and safety standards.
ABOUT THE HORSES
While almost all of the royal subjects at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament stand on their own two feet, the most celebrated members of the Kingdom are best known for their trot, gallop and canter.
“Audiences will witness authentic jousting and equine presentations that would not be possible without four special breeds of horses,” said Victor de Lara, a veteran horse trainer at Medieval Times.
Pure Spanish Horses, Quarter Horses, Friesians and Menorcan – from the Mediterranean island for which it is named – complete the mix of horses at each of Medieval Times’ nine North American Castles.
For the new production, de Lara and Baker worked with all of the horses and knights to incorporate authentic dressage elements.
“Each horse is unique,” said de Lara. “Like any of the actors and actresses in our show, each horse has its own personality, so with our new production, we started the training process several months in advance to develop new routines that are exciting for the horses, their riders and, especially, the audience.”
ABOUT THE MUSIC
When audiences experience the new show premiering on February 2, 2012, at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, they may sense a familiar note behind every clash of swords. For the third time, award-winning IMAX and feature film score composer Daniel May provides all of the dramatic musical elements that complete the California Castle experience.
“Creating music to build the best possible 11th Century experience provides many challenges, but the reward comes in knowing that millions of people will hear my creation over the next few years,” said May.
For the new Medieval Times show, May began arranging compositions for scenes as early as fall 2010. Armed with information such as show concepts, early drafts of scripts and videos, May set out to create a strong and commanding musical score that would once again garner favorable responses from guests. Highly acclaimed musicians in Kiev, Ukraine, recorded the new score in one day.
“The vibe of the city is classic medieval with a strong artistic soul. It was the ideal location and group of musicians to ensure the score was a perfect match for Leigh’s script,” said May.
ABOUT THE FEAST
Guests will even enjoy an upgraded menu for the utensil-free meal during the new show. The menu includes:
- Tomato Bisque
- Focaccia Bread with Olive Oil and Seasoning
- Oven Roasted Chicken
- Larger BBQ Spare Rib
- Herb-Basted Potato Split into Quarters
- Braided Apple Strudel
- Larger Beverage Servings and Coffee
HOW TO GET TICKETS
Guests can purchase tickets at the door, online at www.medievaltimes.com, or by calling 1-888-WE-JOUST. For show times, visit www.medievaltimes.com
Guests also can find Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament on Facebook and Twitter.
ABOUT MEDIEVAL TIMES DINNER & TOURNAMENT
Medieval Times Entertainment launched in Majorca, Spain, in 1973, and opened its first North American Castle in Kissimmee, Fla., in 1983. Now regarded as North America’s longest running and most popular dinner attraction, more than 50 million guests have experienced Medieval Times at Castles in Buena Park, Calif., Schaumburg, Ill., Hanover, Md., Lyndhurst, N.J., Myrtle Beach, S.C., Dallas, Atlanta, Orlando, FL and Toronto, Ont., Canada. In 2007, the company moved its North American headquarters to Irving, Texas, close to the company’s Chapel Creek Ranch in Sanger, Texas. Medieval Times is online at www.medievaltimes.com and reachable at 1-888-WE-JOUST (888-935-6878).
MY THOUGHTS
I really had a great time on our visit to Medieval Times! The food was yummy and the show was awesome. We were entertained the entire time – especially when our knight won! Guests included families with kids, couples on dates, and even a guy was there for his Bachelor Party! Oh yeah – people of all walks of life! When are you going to plan a trip to Medieval Times?
GIVEAWAY
1 lucky winner will receive a family four-pack of tickets to Medieval Times!!!
We received media tickets from Medieval Times to facilitate this review. The giveaway is sponsored by Medieval Times. All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine.
My favorite is watching the horses!
I think the best part would be seeing the looks on my kids faces! We’ve never been before & i’m sure they would LOVE it!
never been so the whole show and the awe and wonder on my kids faces. Wow – what a good time we would have!
what a fun giveaway – I imagine my family would have a great time here (we’ve never been)
i loved the food
The beautiful horses!!
The horses & the oven roasted chicken appeal to me most!
I commented on this post–http://www.themommy-files.com/2013/03/wednesdays-for-women-mommy-gets-a-boob-job
I like the food
commented here:
http://www.themommy-files.com/2013/03/sweet-sour-tri-tip-rice-bowls-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-275333
The dinner sounds delicious and fun!
I think the experience with my family will be the best part
The food & no silverware!! 😛
I enjoy the jousting. I like the challenge between the different sections of the theater and cheering on your knight. It’s a full evening of fun.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I think the actually show would be awesome to watch 🙂
I’ve never been but the food sounds great. I think I’d like the pageantry the best.
The horses would be my favorite part! The food sounds good, too!
I love the dinner of course its been over 15yrs since I’ve been to medieval l times!
Eating with my fingers!
I have never been but I think my boys would enjoy the jousting and even my picky eater would love the roasted chicken.
I love that the knights give out flowers to the young girls. My daughter received one once and it was so special for her!
I’ve never bene but I’ve always wanted to!!!
I think the show itself has to be the best part
My son loves when the knights throw the flowers to the audience
I’d like to watch the action and pretend I was a lade of ‘yore. 🙂
jousting
it would be the food 🙂
watching the horses
Watching the horses for sure!
My favorite part would be the feast
I would love to see the show. I’ve never been to something like that and it just looks like it would be a ton of fun. Thank you1
We love watching jousting at the renaissance festival so I know we would love that.
the eating with my fingers
vmkids3 at msn dot com
I’d love being part of a team and rooting for your fighter!
we went the dinner was great and so was the entertainment
ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com
probably the utensil free meal :), watching them fight on the horses
Watching the horses perform. We used to have horses and my kids love them so much.
The food! And having an excuse to eat with my hands 🙂
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The food is really good and I also like the interaction with the audience.
the hearty meal!!
The jousting and horses would be neat! My son would love it!
We would love to watch the performance, but the food comes really close. What an experience.
Commented on your Omni Hotel Los Angeles video on youtube.
i love the tricks with the horses