Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament — Attraction in Myrtle Beach

Honestly, I feel very conflicted about my experience. Overall, I was highly impressed by the production, and the brilliance of the business model itself. The cast and crew were superb, the animal trainers amazing, and everyone was clearly enjoying themselves, myself included. However I am so glad I did not attend this show when I was younger, for I would’ve been brokenhearted. One little girl put it best: “Where are all the lady knights?” For an experience that offers the option for little girls to receive a sword and be knighted as warrior princesses, I was shocked to see a stark lack of diversity in the arena itself. I quickly learned that casting women as knights/squires/chancellors is not even permitted at Medieval Times, though the reason is unclear. I personally know professional women reenactors who battle with medieval weapons as well as many who are expert in horsemanship, including vaulting, liberty, and drill teams, so it does not seem to be a matter of skill or ability. As for historical accuracy, the amount of anachronisms present in the dinner theater and the focus on fantasy over historicity would rule this out, especially with the growing amount of female warrior characters in today’s fantasy media culture… not to mention there were reportedly real female knights in history, though most had to keep their gender a secret (an excellent opportunity for a subplot, Medieval Times… you’re welcome). Furthermore, according to the show I watched, casting a female knight or two wouldn’t have even affected the script; actors were referred to as gender-neutral “knights”, there were no romantic subplots, and most actors did not have speaking parts. That leaves the reason, I fear, to be perceived audience expectations of gender roles, though for my part, I would have been over the moon to have been thrown a flower from a lady knight… and I believe the boys in the audience would not have been adverse to this either. Honestly, the absence of actresses in the arena was definitely more notably jarring than a woman in armor would have been, and I genuinely want to know MT’s philosophy behind this… and challenge them to modernize as I believe a change in casting would only enhance their image and creativity, not undermine it. In sum, while bringing medieval chivalry to the modern stage is absolutely enchanting, the associated medieval misogyny is preferable kept...

I'm not one to leave reviews but I was so disappointed that I had to take the time to do so.

To begin, I’ve dreamed of going to Medieval Times since I was a kid, and during a recent vacation to Myrtle Beach, my friend surprised me with tickets. We were both really excited, especially after being greeted by an enthusiastic staff member who was fully in character. While waiting, we browsed the souvenir tables and bought a couple of items.

Unfortunately, the experience went downhill after that. Entry into the arena was confusing and disorganized. When our group’s hat color was called, we were turned away at the door and told it wasn’t our turn, even though it had been announced. Once inside, the strong smell of horse manure was overwhelming and gave me a headache.

The show started off fine but became repetitive after the first hour...just riders staging fake fights with little variation. Many guests seemed to lose interest and pulled out their phones.

What really upset me was the treatment of the horses. The rider for the yellow team, a red, curly-haired guy, was aggressively kicking his horse with the spur on his shoe, to the point it left a mark on the horse’s side. Several horses, including his, were frothing at the mouth, which can be a sign of stress or discomfort. I added a video of what I'm talking about. You can see it looks like he's done it so excessively and with such force that you can see the residual effects on the horse's skin. None of the other horses had that, from what I could see. And none of the other riders seemed to excessively kick the horses.

The food was another letdown. No utensils were provided, which made it difficult for some guests (especially older ones). We were served canned tomato soup, a half chicken (far too much and mostly wasted), a dry baked potato, corn on the cob, a piece of frozen Texas toast, and a tiny, cold eclair. Only the chicken was decently seasoned, but everything else ranged from mediocre to inedible.

Overall, this experience was a big disappointment, especially after 20 years of looking forward to it. We spent nearly $150 for disappointing food and to watch horses be mistreated. I'll never go back and I'll always warn others...

We just got home, we drove 3 hours to go to this show to preface. Then we happily drove home awaiting the next time we would be able to walk back into the Kingdom. The experience is so much fun, and it puts you into a little fantasy for 3 hours if you come an hour before show, I suggest this as it makes the experience just that much better.

We arrived at 3:55 PM Exactly, there was a manageable line on a Friday evening.

From the moment they come out the doors, and going through checking in it's a magical time. You walk into a great big area with two bars for Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic options before you go into the Arena for your feast. There you will also find lovely shops, which I definitely bought from but you are never pressured to, nor do you feel any pressure if asking about something.

Lots of the staff make it an amazing Experience. The gentleman who plays Lord Marshall is the absolute star of the show to me and my partner, the way he brings you into the experience and plays a wonderful character with lots of humor, and stays in character the best out of anyone. He is a real showman, from beginning to end he is a huge part of the experience and it enriches everyone's experience with him being there. BRAVO

The food is actually very good, and it does look basically how it looks on the website and tastes even better than you would expect. You are served by the proud Serfs of the kingdom and they are very good. Joel served us and was fantastic and kept in character the whole time as well.

Go at least once, I personally suggest getting the Celebration package add on as it got us front row and a premier experience. If you cannot afford that I would go for the basic package because it's an experience that is worth seeing if anything for a glimpse into an older time even if just acting.

Yes, it is expensive for drinks here. Yes, some of the gifts and things at the show cost more. I will gladly pay it anytime, because taking in the whole experience is just part of it and it helps pay to upkeep the horses in a humane way, and pay for all the lovely talented people at the show.

Thank you to everyone for such a lovely evening. Your Lord and Lady, Dylan...