Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament — Attraction in Toronto

I came here with a friend and we got the celebration package, overall I had a great time and I think it’ll be fun for anyone’s first visit. The staff is great and they lean into the theme, the show is a lot of fun and it's a really unique experience.

Show - The show is fun and well paced, they engage the crowd well and it’s fun to cheer for your team. They start off with some dances and animal shows and those I could take or leave. The game of accuracy where they each try to do something like hit a certain target was enjoyable, although a scoring system would have been even more fun I thought. The battles after are scripted but those guys really swing that metal around, sparks, swinging with speed, the whole thing and it’s a great show even if you can tell it’s planned. If you're a kid I'm sure it's absolutely mind blowing. There’s a good amount of crowd engagement, things like them throwing things into the crowd and starting chants, giving cues, and all of that was a great time.

One thing is that it is hard to hear the actors a lot of the time, if they had some way of providing subtitles especially since it’s a script, that would be a huge plus. I could make do not hearing everything because you can usually make it out from context/it’s not super important dialogue, but someone like my mom would have been driven absolutely nuts by not hearing what actors and king/queen say. I’d estimate you’ll hear probably only hear around 65-70% of the dialogue. It’s not the end of the world but it would be nice to hear more of what they say.

Food - The food won’t blow you away but it’s good enough, although it’s nothing I would ever order get if I was looking purely for a meal. The chicken is huge but by the time you’re done with half of it you wonder if it would really be that much of an ask for them to provide some gravy to make it less monotonous and give some flavour and sauce to the chicken. The potato, again fine, could be better, same with the toast. The soup was good and I recommend waiting until you get the rest of your food to have it. Your best move is probably making a chicken sandwich using the bread and dunking it in tomato soup. The cake was a little dry, and again it could have used a sauce to moisten it.

Service - Service was great, no complaints. Drink refills came often, everyone was very friendly and leaned into the medieval theme. All the staff were energized and engaged. The whole building itself is super impressive too, just decked out head to toe with decor and medieval banners, armor, trinkets etc. No part of it looks skimped out on or incomplete/non medieval.

I was talking to a staff member after and they said that Medieval times changes the script every 2 years, so if you loved the experience that’s probably your timeline to go back. If it was a little cheaper or the food was a little better, or the format seemed a little less scripted and more skill based I could give it 5 stars, but all things considered I’d give this about an 8.5/10. Personally I loved the experience and would recommend it, but I wouldn’t go back unless I had a big group that was...

When I lived in Toronto, back in the 90s, I really wanted to go to Medieval Times, but never did. On a recent trip to Toronto, I was surprised to discover it's still around and, after finally attending, I can see why. The experience honestly surpassed my expectations.

The horses and costumes looked great and the performers all seemed to really be into their roles. The sword fighting was very hammy, in a pro wrestling kind of way, but that made it all the more entertaining. The show had a lot of dialogue, but I couldn't really hear most of it because the crowd and music were too loud, but it didn't really bother me.

The show doesn't pause for the food service either, which was a bit of a problem because the server stopped right in front of me during the most climactic part of the battle. But the whole evening flows at a brisk pace and there's never a dull moment.

I really enjoyed the food. The half-chicken was perfectly cooked and very juicy, and I had a great time eating it without any cutlery. The corn was very sweet. The tomato soup was similar to my own homemade tomato soup! My only complaint is they didn't serve the soup and bread at the same time; I would've liked to have some hot soup to dip the bread in. The desserts were also disappointing; I still ate them but they were pretty average. If you can't finish the food, there's the option to get a take home box for your leftovers.

My least favourite part of the experience was the kids waving their flashing light up plastic swords. It really detracts from the whole "medieval" atmosphere. Actually, the whole experience was a lot more family friendly than I realized, so if you dislike kids this might be an issue. I also found the seating a bit cramped and uncomfortable, but that's probably because I'm large and old.

The ticket price seemed fair for the experience. I'm glad I paid extra for the VIP option because the seats we got were really good. I didn't mind being asked for a tip, because the servers have a lot of legwork to do and a lot of people to serve. Live entertainment is always going to be expensive – especially with horses! - and it's not the kind of place I would go to if I was trying to save money. There are options to spend more money around every corner while you're at Medieval Times – on drinks, trinkets, souvenirs and more - but they were easily ignored.

I doubt I would go back again, but as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it was...

Hear ye, good people of Toronto! Lend thine ears to a tale of gallant knights, hearty feasts, and relentless coin collection disguised as “service.”

We ventured once more to the hallowed halls of Medieval Times, where lances clash and roasted fowl flies swiftly to thy plate. The show itself was as entertaining as ever - jousts, swordplay, a royal falcon soaring overhead - all the makings of a memorable night.

The food? Shockingly not bad. A satisfying portion of roast chicken, garlic bread, soup, dessert - truly a feast fit for a squire. Yet we were always served last in our section, and the courses came out at a breakneck pace. Each dish barely had time to settle before the next arrived, and before we could breathe, the servers were already asking if we wanted a take-home box. ‘Twas less a meal, more a medieval speed-eating contest.

But the real dragon to slay here? The constant, exhausting upselling.

• $90+tax just to enter the realm

• $40 for parking, shouldst thou attend on a Budweiser Stage event night (which we did)

• Merchants hawking wares from $30 tees to $650 swords (which thou canst not even wield unless aged 18+)

• Every drink order comes with a modern-day tip screen, requesting coin for every pour of grog or mead

And just when we thought the siege had ended, out came the servers again - this time armed with clipboards and suggested tips of 15% per person. We’d already tipped on every drink, yet still felt pressured and interrupted at every turn. Our server went from friendly to frosty the moment we explained we’d already tipped and were stretched from the surprise parking fee.

Despite our thanks (repeated and sincere) and even tidying our own table, his vibe shifted faster than a losing knight’s loyalty. The final straw? Right as our team was about to joust - the peak of the show - the server leaned in front of a child next to us to ask her parents if they wanted more drinks. That poor girl missed the highlight of the night because tips tournament, apparently.

Would we return? Maybe. The show is fun. But next time we’ll come armored with exact change, lowered expectations, and perhaps a sign around our necks reading “WE ALREADY TIPPED.”

If you go, just know this: plan to spend at least double the ticket price if you don’t want to be made to feel like a dishonorable peasant by...