KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- A long-running dinner show in Kissimmee is now empowering women more than ever before.

  • Medieval Times to feature queen for first time
  • Dinner show will have new production features
  • Tickets for dinner show start at $36.95

In fact, the attraction is breaking a 35-year-old tradition.

"We have our first ever queen," said Christina Cormona, who landed the gig. "As far as the storyline, we do change the story about every 5 to 6 years. This time, our story consists of a sole-ruling monarch, the Queen herself."

Guests of Medieval Times can interact with the Queen upon entering the lobby of the arena. Cormona says she can't get enough of the little girls' reactions.

"When they come in, they're like, 'Oh, you know, I want to be a princess,'" she told Spectrum News. "Being a princess is absolutely fine. But when they leave the show, they're like, 'We want to be a queen!'"

But what hasn't changed are the jousting knights, the dancing horses, the tournament games and the four-course feast.

"Even the queen eats with her hands," Cormona laughed, referencing the attraction's utensil-free policy. 

In addition to the debut of the queen character and storyline, the new production features, according to the official webiste:

  • More than 700 new costumes for all nine castles’ performers including horses, all of which are custom-designed and hand-made at a dedicated costume shop near the Dallas Design District
  • Two hundred new suits of armor, shields and helmets, all custom-designed and hand-made at a dedicated armory in Florida
  • More than 350 team members and 225 horses who have rehearsed new lines and fight scenes for three months while still presenting the current show
    • This includes the queens undergoing an intense two months of training to become experts at riding an impressive Andalusian stallion
  • New music composed by Dr. Daniel May, the composer and jazz pianist who scored “Everest” and other films, and has worked with notables such as Sting and The Moody Blues. He directed and recorded Medieval Times’ new show composition in Kiev with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine.
  • A live-action film score precisely synchronized with every element of the show, from lights to fights, jousts to jabs, the Queen’s entry to curtain closings, and more
  • A sound and light production featuring 120 hours of programming with 300 new music cues and 500 new lighting cues. Orlando is one of several castles installing and programming a new LED lighting system that offers 256 colors versus the old 14-color system. The system is powered by 10 miles of cable and an estimated $1 million upgrade.

Before heading into the arena, guests can stroll through the Medieval Village. It's a museum with a bunch of period-authentic pieces. Some of the artifacts are 800 years old.

Medieval Times has nine castles in the U.S. and Toronto, Canada. The one in Kissimmee was the first to open back in 1983.

Tickets for the dinner and show start at $36.95.