I am always looking for new and unique experiences to take Peyton to. And when I saw Medieval Times, I knew I wanted to take her! How cool would it be to sit in a castle, watch knights jousting and have dinner? It sounded so cool. The only problem is, there is no castle in Minnesota. But there’s one in Schaumberg, Illinois! So when I was planning our next weekend adventure in Chicago I made sure to make some time for a night at Medieval Times!
I really was not sure what to expect. I’d looked online and it looked like one big party! It sure looked like everyone was having fun. The kids seemed to be enjoying themselves in every picture I saw. So I felt pretty confident Peyton would enjoy it. But there were a few things that came as a surprise to me.
See the title of the place – Medieval Times. Well, they dress and act the part. And you get to eat like you are back in Medieval times. There are no forks, spoons or knives. That was a little bit of a shock for Peyton. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go over. So, if your little one has sensory issues and does not like eating with their hands bring your own utensils. Now, they do serve food in ways that you don’t need utensils. Our only issue was with the main course. Otherwise, Peyton did fine with the rest. And the drink options are very limited. It’s lemonade, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi or Water. No milk. I repeat NO MILK. Peyton is a heavy milk drinker and doesn’t drink soda, I thought for sure there was going to be an issue here but she opted for the lemonade. For adults, there is also an assortment of alcoholic beverages too. I didn’t partake in any because I was alone with Peyton and driving so no alcohol for me.
Be sure to arrive at least 30 minutes before the show. It does take a little time to get through the line, get a photo and find your seat. Plus there is a really neat little side attraction of various swords and whatnot that we didn’t have time to check out. So, we’ll have to make sure to allow enough time next time for that.
Once you are seated in your section, your server will greet you, ask if you want any special beverages and take your drink order. This is the only piece of the meal that has options. Everything else is predetermined for the rest of the night. But don’t stress, the food is really good!
We started off with what our server told us was dragon’s blood. Oddly, it tasted a lot like chunky tomato soup. And it’s served in a bowl with a handle making it super easy to drink. They came around a little while later with a piece of buttery garlic toast, so you may want to wait for it and dip it in your soup.
The main course is a baby dragon ( a quarter of herb roasted chicken), dragon ears (roasted buttery corn on the cob) and sliced dragon egg (herb roasted potato). All of these can be eaten with your hands with minimal mess. Peyton did have a meltdown with the chicken. She does not eat anything on the bone so I did have to take the chicken off the bone and let her eat it with her fingers. That was messy. But if you eat it right off the bone it’s not too bad! So if your child has an aversion to eating meat off the bone or using their fingers to eat be sure to bring your own utensils with you.
For dessert, we had lemon bread. There’s plenty of food and both Peyton and I were both full. They give you little wet wipes to help clean your hands afterward.
While dinner is being served and you enjoy it there is a show going on right before your eyes! You’ll see various nights joust, battle, and triumph over one another. And in the end, there will be one winner. But who will it be? We were in the red section and our Knight won! There’s also a storyline but I won’t give that away.
Overall, it was an awesome night! Peyton was cheering and shouting her head off in her seat. She was so loud that she lost her voice and could barely talk the next day. So, that was kind of an unexpected treat! Just kidding. Though it was nice to have a quiet car ride back to Minnesota.
Medieval Times is open year round with performances every day. Sometimes twice a day! There are 8 castles in the US and one in Canada – Atlanta, GA, Baltimore, MD, Buena Park, CA, Chicago, IL, Dallas, TX, Lyndhurst, NJ, Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL and Toronto, ON.
Be sure to make your reservations early!
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