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10 Tips for a Medieval Times Dinner with Kids

 

Are you looking for a unique day trip with the family? Is anyone in your family a fan of action packed battles full of twists and turned? If so, then Medieval Times is the place for you. We have been to Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament a few times over the years and each time is a brand new adventure. We have put together some tips and information from our latest trip to Medieval Times to help you plan for your own visit.

This Mom’s 10 Tips for a Medieval Times Dinner with Kids 

Tips for Before The Medieval Times Dinner

At Medieval Times the experience begins BEFORE the show starts with plenty to do before hand. You are going to want to get to the castle as early as possible to take advantage of all Medieval Times has to offer.

Medieval Times New Jersey kids with knight of armor

Tips for buying Medieval Tickets 

  • The best way to buy tickets for Medieval Times is online in advance. This allows you to guarantee you will have seats during your preferred show time and take advantage of any promotions available. 
  • Tickets are available for purchase at the Castle. Doors open 75 minutes before each show and tickets can be purchased at the ticket counter.
  • Children under 3 do not need a ticket if they are going to sit in an adult’s lap and eat off the adult’s plate. We did not get a ticket for our 14 month old, but if your child is older you may want to purchase a ticket for them. If my son was a little older I probably would have wanted him to have his own seat.
Medieval Times New Jersey Castle
The Castle!

How to save money buying Medieval Tickets 

  • To get the lowest price on Medieval Times New Jersey tickets you must use THIS LINK to buy tickets.
    • Regular price $39.40 admission for children and $69.25 for adults.
    • DISCOUNTED price with Ares Travel $37 per child ticket and $54 for adult tickets.
  • Join the Birthday Fellowship Club. If you sign up for the Birthday Club you will receive a coupon for a free admission during your birthday month.
  • Go with a group. Group discounts are available for schools, girl scout and boy scout troops, as well as other group outings. You must contact group sales to purchase your tickets. 
  • Members of the military are eligible for discounted tickets.

Parking 

  • Parking is available for FREE at the Lyndhurst castle. The lot gets pretty full and it is suggested that you arrive early to get a good spot.

How early should you get to the Medieval Times tournament? 

  • The doors open 75 minutes before the show and it is suggested that you arrive early. Seating is assigned on a first come first serve basis, so the earlier you arrive the better seats you will get. You also want to make sure you have plenty of time to explore the castle before it’s time to enter the arena.
Medieval Times New Jersey castle lobby

5 Things to do with kids before a Medieval Times dinner & tournament

  • Visit the dungeon. For an additional $2 you can visit the dungeon and view medieval artifacts.
  • Tour the Hall of Arms. Before the show you can walk through the Hall of Arms for no additional charge. There are many artifacts from the medieval days on display, like suits of armor.
  • Visit the gift shop. Your kids are definitely going to want to check out all the cool medieval items in the gift shop. Before the show is a great time to shop so they can use their purchases during the show.
  • Purchase a drink from the bar. Medieval Times has a full service bar which opens before the show. You can buy drinks, soda, and juice and get their in a souvenir cup.
  • Have someone in your family knighted. Many people visiting Medieval Times are celebrating a special occasion. That’s why their are special packages available to help celebrate. For as little as $30 guests can be knighted by the queen, have their name and birthday or other special occasion announced during the show, receive a picture of their knighting, and get special gift. It was my husband’s birthday when we went so we had him knighted and he received a special “Birthday King” crown.
Medieval Times New Jersey knighting ceremony

Tips for during the Medieval Times dinner 

Medieval Times is a combination of a restaurant and a show. The servers bring your meal out in courses while you enjoy the entertainment. The show starts with some opening acts. There are horses that can do tricks, there is a falconer who lets his bird loose in the stadium. Then once the opening acts are finished the knights come out. At first the knights just show their skill. They see which knight can get the most rings on their lance and which knight can get the most bulls-eyes.

Medieval Times New Jersey Queen assistant

Once the initial games are over the battles begin. The knights take turns challenging each other. First, they do a few passes on their horse with the lances. Once one knight it knocked off his horse the real battle begins. The show is full of exciting twists and turns until one knight is left victorious. My daughter turned to me during the show and said, “This is a little scary, but it’s also so exciting.” The entire competition is moderated by the queen and her assistant. Everyone does a great job capturing the Medieval Times in their acting that you really feel like you have been transported back in time.

Medieval Times New Jersey dinner plate

What’s included with your Medieval Times meal

  • When you visit Medieval Times your admission includes a full meal. The meal starts with tomato soup and garlic bread. The next course is roasted chicken, an herb roasted potato, and corn on the cob. The meal finishes with dessert. We had ice cream with caramel sauce.
  • The great thing about Medieval Times is that the menu is appealing for both kids and adults. All guests receive the same meal. There is no “kid’s menu” here.
  • A drink is included with your meal. We had the option of soda or water.
Medieval Times New Jersey meal

What’s not included with admission 

  • Drinks from the bar are not included with admission. That includes juice for the kids. We bought our kids orange juice from the bar, which costs $4. It did come in a souvenir cup that we got to take home. 
  • You are also able to upgrade your admission to the Queen’s Royalty package. This package includes a flag to cheer on your knight with and guarantees seating in the first 2 rows.
  • Another upgrade available is knighting for people celebrating special occasions. Packages for this start at $30 and go up depending on the gift you choose.
  • As you enter the castle your group is photographed. You will be shown that photo during the show and given the option to purchase.
Medieval Times New Jersey knighting certificate
Knights get a certificate commemorating the occasion.

How does Medieval Times handle food allergies?

  • Medieval Times takes food allergies very seriously. When your party is seated the served asks each group if their are any allergies in the party. Then they make a note on your place mat of any allergies or sign off on the place mat if there are no allergies.  

More Tips for enjoying the Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament 

Medieval Times is an immersive experience where you get transported back in time and become a part of the show. Here are some tips to get the most out of the experience.

  • Make sure to get a flag or something to wave as your cheer. If you have the royalty package a flag will be waiting at your seat, but if not you can purchase one for a few dollars. Your kids are going to want to show support for the knight and it’s so much fun to have a flag to wave.
Medieval Times New Jersey girl with flag
  • Prepare small children beforehand for what they are going to see. My older kids are 10 years old and 6 years old and they loved the show. Smaller children might get scared by the fighting, so make sure to explain what they are going to see and that it’s only pretend.
  • Make sure to get your drinks from the bar and use the bathroom before the show starts. The entire experience is fast-paced and thrilling. You don’t want to miss out on something because you had to step out of the theater.
Medieval Times New Jersey jousting and knights B
  • Be aware that the stadium gets loud and they use smoke machines for effect. My 6 year old has trouble with loud noises, so we brought headphones for him. He was able to enjoy the show without any issues. If anyone in your family has asthma or breathing problems you should know that they use smoke machines. The smoke does not fill the stadium so if you sit farther back you should be fine.
  • Be prepared to eat with your hands. In order to maintain authenticity there are no utensils at Medieval Times. My son was so excited to not have to use a fork. The food works well for eating with your hand and they provide a wet wipe to clean up when you are done.
Queen Dona Maria Isabella at Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament in New Jersey Photo Credit Jersey Family Fun
Queen Dona Maria Isabella Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament in New Jersey

After the Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament 

  • After the show is over the fun does not have to end!  Many of the activities that were open before the show are still available. You can tour the Hall of Arms or the Dungeon. You can visit the gift shop as well.
  • If you are visiting during the last show of the night the knights and queen will come out and visit with the guests. They also take pictures with the guests. Unfortunately, we were at the 2:00 show so the knights and queen were busy getting ready for their next performance.
Medieval Times New Jersey knight

Medieval Times is an exciting experience for every member of the family. We all had a great time and can’t wait to visit again.

What tips for a Medieval Times Dinner have you learned?

Lady Liliana Medieval Times New Jersey Horse Trainer photo credit Jersey Family Fun
Another leading lady of Medieval Times New Jersey – Lady Liliana! She trains the horses and often rides in the show during the Master of Horse routine.

To learn more read 5 Fun Reasons to Visit Medieval Times New Jersey.

Medieval Times New Jersey throne
Take some pictures with the kids seated in the throne.

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Katherine

Tuesday 14th of February 2023

Can I bring my own glow sticks for the kids

Jennifer Auer

Tuesday 14th of February 2023

I don't see why not, but if you are worried maybe call and ask in advance or ask when you get there before you snap them to light them. - Jenn

Martty

Tuesday 11th of October 2022

I am attending in another state but this article answered some questions I had and was very helpful, thank you!

Jennifer Auer

Wednesday 12th of October 2022

You're very welcome! Have fun! - Jenn

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