Hi, We love Medieval Times!
The VIP seats are the first 3 rows (I think), so yes, if you want the 1st row, get there early. You are issued numbers when you get there, so if you are late, you could be as far back as the 3rd row. Still great seats. We sat on the front row & the only benifit was our knight gave roses to our girls 1st.
During the time that you are waiting to be seated, you are pretty much just hanging out in the lobby. There is LOTS to buy and if you are a drinker, the bar is open. They also have knighting & princess ceremonies. We got the princess ceremony for our DD. Priceless! The king brought her out in front of everyone & had her kneel in front of him. (she knelt down & put her hands in front of her like she was praying, very serious. she brought the house down!)
They proclaimed her a princess (did the sword touch on each shoulder like the knighting ceremony), then they presented her with a princess hat.
You will have a great time, but the gift shop can get expensive quickly. Be sure to save money for the pictures they take of you when you enter. They bring them to you during your meal. I won't tell you what they do to them, but it's cute. Hope this helped, Sbella