Arabian Nights is a dinner theater in Kissimmee, Florida. It is one of the most popular shows that tourists visit while in Orlando. We were given free tickets so decided to check it out.
The doors opened at 4.30 although the main show started at 6.00 p.m. We arrived early to get good seats. We entered into a waiting room with some seats and a bar. A lady came up on the small stage and gave a pre-dinner show of dancing, while a gentleman performed acrobatics on a rope.
A few people went into the arena before us but they had paid an extra $15 for a V.I.P. evening. This gave them time with the performers and horses before the show and better seating.
The next people to enter were in wheelchairs, disabled and then families with young children. Finally they called us by rows.
The tables were long with bench style seating and rather cumbersome to climb into. Our settings for the meal were already placed including a salad. We each had a 12 ounce plastic glass and the servers came and poured beer, wine, or soda. This continued throughout the evening.
Our placemats had the menu selection on them.
Oven roasted prime rib of beef (served medium well)
Certified Black Angus chopped steak
Grilled boneless breast of chicken
Chicken tenders
Above served with steamed vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes and a dinner roll.
Dessert: A piece of the Princess’s Wedding Cake.
When everyone was seated our server came back and took our entrée order. We had just about finished our salad when the show began. As you probably guessed the story is of a young girl who finds her Prince and true love. During the performance you get to see plenty of horses, horse riders, and stunts on horses. The show proceeds while your entrée is delivered. The seating area on both sides is in almost darkness, and they could have given me any kind of meat, and I wouldn’t have known. Len ate all his meat and after he had finished I asked him if he had found the fat on the prime rib. He told me he couldn’t see it, so he must have eaten it. When I cut into the meat I could tell from the texture, which was meat and fat, so I managed pretty well. As the food was mass production it was as I expected, average.
The show continued as I we watched the artists standing on the horses and doing jumps and flips on them too. This was very impressive. We saw various themes with the horses and riders right up until the Princess marries her Prince and then we got our piece of wedding cake and coffee. I would have liked decaffeinated but we didn’t get a choice. Still in almost darkness the server came to our row, with the pot of coffee, and filled them without stopping. The piece of cake had a soft icing (frosting) on it, which was way too rich for me. I just ate the center and Len’s and mine. Being diabetic he lost out.
During this time the photograph was walking around and showing people their photographs. He had a flashlight so people could see them. The cost was $20 and I am not sure what they got for their money. He never got to us.
The show finished around 7.35 p.m. and the lights came up. We were given a card by our server, which stated:
“No service charge or gratuity has been added to your bill. A tip of $5 per adult and $3 per child is customary and appreciated by your server”.
Some couples did leave $10, while the four people next to me left nothing. We left a tip of $5 because we really didn’t get a chance to speak to our server. Yes, he did come by and refill my wine and Len’s soda, but this certainly wasn’t 2* dining, let alone anything better.
We had to climb back on top of our wooden seats to get out. We went down to the side of the arena and watched the horses playing. I also got to stroke a horse too.
If we had paid over $50 for these tickets we would have been really disappointed. Yes the horses, riders, and the costumes were lovely, but the hard wooden seats, I sat on my jacket for a while until I was too cold, and the food that we couldn’t see spoiled the evening entirely. I had put a beautiful silk blouse on and lucky for me, trousers. If I had worn a skirt it would have been around my waist to get into the seat.
I have to leave you with some exerts from their brochure:
“Arabian Nights an evening of enchantment and adventure. Experience a storybook tale of romance and intrigue. Beautiful and graceful horses combine with all the majesty and grandeur of a Broadway production to create the most unique and wonderful show in all the world. Dine on a sumptuous prime rib banquet prepared fro the Sultan himself. Join us for the adventure of a lifetime. It will live in your heart forever.
Fairy Tales come true. It can happen to you. Arabian Nights. We’ll win your heart!
Walter Farley’s Black stallion exclusively at Arabian Nights.
Voted #1 dinner attraction. Winner of every Orlando Sentinel Reader’s Poll.
Arabian Nights
Arabian Nights Blvd.
Kissimmee.
Telephone 1-800-553-6116.
Website www.arabian-nights.com
The entrance to Arabian Nights is from Hwy. 192 and is half a mile east of 1-4 interstate, exit 64. There are nightly shows.
I did drink about one and a half glasses of the blush wine and am glad to say that I could walk the short distance back to our
