On Beach Boulevard,just past Pirate’s Dinner Adventure and across from PoFolks restaurant,is a bit of Middle Ages pomp.
Medieval Times is the heart of Buena Park’s kitschy tourist hub. For the uninitiated, it’s dinner theater with horse exhibits, a knight tournament and, ultimately, a climatic fight scene and a Shakespearean triumph of the monarchy over a turncoat warrior.
The audience cheers on knights by color. The crowd is a mix of tourists and a cross section of everyday folks.
The performance is solid, if not campy and melodramatic at times. The fight scenes are well staged, though that’s lost on kids who get sucked up in the drama. A standout: the show’s falconer, who lets her bird soar over the crowd before showing how it would pounce upon prey.
Medieval Times isn’t cheap,$50 for adults and $35 for kids under 12. Dinner is included: vegetable soup, roast chicken and potatoes, a spare rib, garlic bread and a pastry.
The eating is medieval style,with your hands. Beer and soft drinks are served in plastic steins. Servers dressed as wenches and serfs play up their parts. The food, though a little assembly line, is hearty.
Medieval Times caters to corporate events,meetings, awards programs for salespeople or even exclusive shows,for groups of 15 to 1,450. With a full bar outside the arena, things can get pretty festive. But Medieval Times probably is best for families with young kids. The battles and games can prove mesmerizing. Shows are nightly with two shows on Friday nights and afternoon and evening shows on Saturdays and Sundays.
,Michael Lyster
