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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | AUGUST 2, 2020
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Medieval Times lowers the drawbridge for patrons BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer
H
uzzah! Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament will reopen its castle doors Aug. 6 with new health and safety modi�ications throughout. “We consulted with health experts and government of�icials in order to create our substantial reopening plan,” said Perico Montaner, Medieval Times president and CEO. The 80,000 square-foot climate-controlled castle – located in the Talking Stick Entertainment District – will cut its usual occupancy of about 1,000 seated guests in half. Guests will be seated only with people booked under the same reservation and each party will sit a minimum of six feet apart in the Grand Ceremonial Arena. Leading up to each two-hour live show, guests will be required to not only wear masks but also have their temperatures checked before entering the castle. If any guest’s temperature is over 100.4 degrees F., the entire group will be asked to reschedule. As guests enter the castle, they will walk over “sanitation �loor mats” to clean their shoes. Guests are also required to wear masks while roaming the grand hall but are permitted to remove them once seated inside the arena. Welcoming back 150 employees, Medieval Times’ team members will be screened prior to the start of each shift and are required to wear a mask at all times. Those handling food or drinks will be wearing gloves, too. Guests will also notice changes to the dining portion of the show, which consists of a four-course meal. In addition to disposable table cards, digital menus will be accessible through smartphones.
Queen Isabella shows off one of many hand sanitizer Queen Isabella and the Red and Green Knight mask-up inside the pumps found throughout Medieval Times. (Pablo Robles/Prog- Grand Ceremonial Arena. All team members will wear a mask at all ress Staff Photographer) times. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)
Guests who choose to opt out of the hands-on, utensil-less eating experience can request disposable silverware. And, yes, masks can come off while eating and drinking. “No need to have a mask while enjoying your feast or a refreshing beverage,” Medieval Times said on Facebook. To encourage social distancing, Medieval Times placed markers throughout Her Majesty’s halls. Tickets must be purchased in advance, as well, to help facilitate social distancing at the castle, the website states. As far as cleaning is concerned, Medieval Times states on their website that the Castle will be cleaned “thoroughly through the day and night,” with all high-touch areas disinfected multiple times per show. Hand sanitizer will be located throughout the castle, too. Off-limits to guests, however, is the Museum of Torture, which will remain closed, and pre-show meet-and-greets and post-
show autographs. “What we’ve managed is a plan that will ensure our guests and staff remain safe while maintaining the same majesty and grandeur that is expected of our tournaments,” Montaner said. Medieval Times raised its drawbridge on March 16 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Since, they’ve kept busy not only creating an extensive reopening plan, but also making masks. The Medieval Times costume shop, based in Dallas, made 10,000 masks using show costume material and donated them to frontline and essential workers. “As soon as things started changing in our world, one of our �irst priorities was, ‘What can we do? And how can we help?’” said Vive President Kristen Schascheck in a promotional video posted to Medieval Times’ YouTube. “Because we have the luxury of having all of these beautiful, durable fabrics here at our disposal, we thought masks
would be a good way to give back.” They are currently looking for volunteers to sew up to 2,500 masks they plan to donate locally. Those interested in volunteering can sign up on Medieval Times’ website. They’ll then receive everything they’ll need to make the masks: 50 pre-cut fabric pieces for the front of the mask, 50 pre-cut fabric pieces for back of the mask, 100 elastic pieces, one complete mask for reference, and one half-complete mask for reference. Leading up to reopening, Medieval Times also celebrated baby season at their ranch in Sanger, Texas, where 25 to 30 foals are born each year. Medieval Times in Orlando, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia reopened July 5. Castles in Dallas, Texas and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina will follow at an unspeci�ied date; and the rest of the castles have yet to make a reopening announcement. Information: medievaltimes.com
