Medieval Times Dinner Tournament Orlando! #TravelTuesday #MTFan

We've taken an extended break in our #TravelTuesday posts due to the holidays and, yes, my own personal travel during the month of December! On our first trip in early December, we ended up in Orlando, FL to meet up with some friends at Disney World. While there, we also enjoyed an evening of historic fun at the Medieval Times Dinner Tournament in Orlando. I had actually been to the Orlando castle once previously, but it was at least six or seven years ago. Also on our previous visit, we arrived late and had no time to check out the Medieval Village. This time, we made sure to get there early so we were able to wander through. It's a very neat place, especially for history buffs like we are. You can get a good idea of the medieval life and there are also a few great photo ops on the tour. You can breeze through in just a few minutes or take your time and enjoy the informational tidbits throughout the tour.

Once inside the castle, we checked in and then had a few minutes to browse the shops while waiting for seating to begin. While waiting, you can also watch the knighting ceremony that takes place in the great hall. This is always fun to see the awe and enjoyment on the children' faces! Once seated inside, our serf came through to take drink orders and inform us of the general rules and menu for the evening. Your first course is tomato soup and a piece of garlic toast. To be honest, this is one of my favorite parts of the meal! As dinner gets started with this appetizer, so does the show as the king, princess, and chancellor make some announcements and get the tournament underway.

For those who haven't attended a Medieval Times show, I won't spoil the storyline for you. Suffice it to say, there is a round of competition amongst the knights, each one ending with the knights tossing flowers to ladies in the audience. All the knights who succeed in competition, that is. On the night we visited, there must have been a new or still-training knight, as he missed out on all but one of the four or five competitions. I was impressed to see one of the other knights share his flowers with that knight's audience though, to ensure that ladies in all sections were given the opportunity to catch a carnation. The falconer brings out his prized bird to demonstrate the hunting skill, the king's horses do a marvelous demonstration, and then the jousting begins. Throughout the tournament, you are served more food; a half chicken, potato, corn on the cob, and it ends with a dessert. At this particular castle/time it was a slice of lemon cake, although normally the castles serve an apple turnover pastry that is magnificent. I enjoyed the lemon cake, but M doesn't eat lemon at all, so she passed me her slice as well.

By the end of the tournament, you are both full, and satisfied with the show. If you leave hungry, it's your fault. And if you leave not having enjoyed the talents of the knights, falconer, and the horses, well, you must not have been watching, that's all there is to it! We've been to Medieval Times at least a dozen times in the past few years, and yet we never get tired of it. It's always fun to see what knights are that extra bit on the mark each night, or maybe a horse that performs extra well. If you're in the Orlando area at all this year for vacation, on business and just have an extra evening, or maybe you live in the area, be sure to visit Medieval Times Dinner Tournament!