Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Medieval Times: an unforgettable experience

Magnificent pageantry. Heart pounding battles. Spectacular horsemanship. A feast fit for a king. This was Medieval Times.

Hubs and I dedicated this summer to exploring new places and trying new things. So far we have taken day trips to explore nearby towns, rocked out at concerts, played detectives at a murder mystery dinner and vacationed in Baaahstin. When CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) invited us to check out the show with our two nephews we were thrilled. We only get to see the boys a few times of year so were very grateful to be able to include them in one of our adventures.

As you only live once, we decided to take things to a whole other level. We surprised the boys (age 5 & 8) with medieval costumes to wear to the show. That surprise also included hubs and I dressing up. The boys vibrated with excitement. And who knew a dirndl could be fashionable at something other than Oktoberfest. I did mention #yolo, right?

medieval times; toronto; caa


From the moment we opened the doors to the castle we were captivated; thrown back centuries. Greeters and ticket takers were dressed as peasants. Armour lined the walls. Horses grazed in their stalls. The boys were very proud to show Lord Chancellor, who guided us through the Tournament of Knights, that they were ready for battle should any knight go down.


medieval times; toronto; caa

The Royal Court

The show was a spectacle of glory, chivalry, strength and courage. The evening featured six brave knights who competed in medieval games of skill including authentic sword fights and thrilling jousting. The games were exhilarating. Sparks flew and lances splintered. It didn't feel like a cheesy choreographed show but rather a true competition.

One of the games challenged the knights to spear his lance through a ring. This pretty much blew my mind as I can't feed thread through a needle let alone do it while galloping on a horse.


medieval times; caa; toronto
 

Crowd Rousing

The tournament is designed for guests to feel a part of it. Knights battled for glory in jousting and hand-to-hand combat using an assortment of medieval weapons. Each section had a dedicated knight denoted by the colour of crown received upon entry to the castle. We cheered loud and proud for our red knight every time he was in action...

medieval times; toronto; caa

...or when evil was captured from trying to take reign. We also heckled the other knights. We were encouraged to. I promise.

A falconer showed off his skills. It was pretty cool to see the falcon swoop so low over the audience. My hands may have acted as a shield in case he had some business to do.

medieval times; toronto; caa
 

Brawn and Beauty

The Andalusian stallions were magnificent. We were all in awe of their beauty. They were powerful yet graceful, especially during the Versace performance. Bond between knight and horse was evident. Both oozed proudness having all eyes on them as they gaited around the stadium.

medieval times; caa; toronto

Eats

We were served in true medieval style: pre-silverware fashion. The boys were befuddled at using their hands as utensils. Eating like barbarians took a bit of getting used to.

The feast was absolutely fit for a king. Holy cow err, dragon was there a lot of food! Ok, maybe not real dragon but it was fun to pretend as the day started with slaying Uncle Aaron The Big Bad Dragon. On the menu was Dragon Scales (garlic bread) and Dragon Blood Soup (vegetable) to start followed by Dragon Toes (ribs), Baby Dragon (chicken) and Dragon Ears (potato).

The food was hot and fresh, plentiful and in itself worth the price of the ticket. Our man wench Corey dished out the fare over the course of the show.

medieval times; caa; toronto


After the tournament all guests were invited to meet Lord Chancellor, the Royal Falconer and the 6 knights who competed. Every person who was part of the games took time with each guest.We weren't herded out the door like you are after some shows.

medieval times; caa; toronto

The experience was well beyond my expectations. Everyone who was a part of the show lived Medieval Times. I went in thinking it would be geared to the littles but us bigs were just as enthralled. We all had a fantastic time. It was such an exciting show that the drive home was pretty quiet.

medieval times; toronto; caa


So, to all the lords and ladies, bigs and littles, should you wish to be treated like royalty, then check out Medieval Times. There are locations in Toronto, Chicago, Lyndhurst, Baltimore, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, Dallas, Orlando and Buena Park.

A huge thank you to CAA South Central Ontario for providing us with an unforgettable experience. Memories were created that will last a lifetime.

Did you know that CAA members not only save on ticket prices to Medieval Times and other great items but you also earn CAA Dollars? Click here to learn more about the perks of being a CAA member.

1 comment:

  1. I have been wanting to atten Medieval Times since before I left T.O. many moons ago! I'm so glad you got to go and that you enjoyed yourselves! I will have to make the trip there the next time I'm home.

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