Fellow Potter People,
Just this last fall I was very blessed in being able to make a trip to Europe with my family. The last place we visited in a long line of places, was London, England. As soon as I learned that we would be making a stop in London, I informed my family that we absolutely HAD to go on the Harry Potter WB Studio Tour. Being the Harry Potter loving family that we are, no one objected. Here is my summary/review of the tour.
For the most part I'm going to try and post pictures in the order they are experienced on the tour. Now just a heads up... this is going to be pretty detailed with regard to what you can expect from the tour, so if you're planning on going on the tour in the future and want it ALL to be a complete surprise, then don't continue reading because some element of surprise will be lost if you read this beforehand. That being said, you can still read this and have plenty of new things to experience on the tour. I didn't capture even half of the things on camera that I could have. Everything is so wonderfully detailed you can't even begin to absorb it all. Even after getting back from the trip and looking through everyone's pictures, there were some pictures of props or models in other peoples photos that I never even saw while there. It's definitely something that needs to be experienced more than once. In summary, if you read this post you will get a detailed tour of the tour (what section leads to what section, tips and the like) but as for all the meticulous details of sets, props, costumes and everything else, you will see a few here but there are so many more to be seen on the actual tour, and so many that can be more fully appreciated in person.
Ok. Here we go!
To start. If you're planning a trip to London, whether it's specifically to experience the Harry Potter Studio Tour, or if the tour is just a happy coincidence of being in the area, it makes no difference, the first thing you want to do is go here
http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/en/tickets/individuals to purchase tickets. They're very reasonably priced for everything you will see on the tour. You're looking at £29 per adult ticket, or (depending on exchange rates at the time) approximately $45 USD. Child prices apply for anyone aged 5-15 years and those tickets are £21.50 or $33ish USD. They also have family packages and group rates available. It is very important that you purchase your tickets ahead of time or you won't be able to go on the tour. They are required in order to catch the bus which takes you to the studio. When purchasing tickets online, they also have a couple add-on options which you'll want to take into consideration. One of them is this...
This is called the souvenir guidebook. It's a pretty thin paperback book that sizes in at 8x11 inches and about 50 pages long. It costs £9.95 or $15.00 USD. Basically it's packed with behind the scenes information and "making of" facts. It's very informational and if you're into the magic of the movies, this is a good one to have. If you decide to forgo the guidebook while purchasing your tickets and later decide that you want one, don't worry because they are available in the gift shop as well. I'm guessing they're probably the same price but I ordered mine with my ticket so I didn't actually check the price on the shelved ones in the store. A suggestion though...I would purchase mine with my ticket because you're going to want to buy everything you see in the gift shop and if you're like me, you'll completely forget about the fact that you purchased the Souvenir Guidebook months earlier (even though you're holding it in your hand), and so you'll be able to put the money that originally would have been spent on the guidebook towards some other souvenir that you simply can't live without. That's my logic at least, though maybe you're better at sticking to a budget than me :)
The other add-on option is the digital guide for £4.95 ($7.50 USD). This is a guided audio/visual tour of the tour, directed by Tom Felton, or the lovely Draco Malfoy as he is known in the Harry Potter universe. This is another good one to have, at least for older children and adults. Younger children would probably lack the attention span for it. It's really interesting though if you want to hear fun facts and stories about the sets and the actors. It also helps guide you from location to location once you're in the more open, and slightly less directional area of the tour.
Pictured to the right is the digital guide. It's simply an iTouch that comes with a pair of headphones and a lanyard so you can hang it around your neck. The picture of Dobby is the tour ticket that you receive in exchange for your at home print out ones. Random fact...everyone that worked on the tour was extremely nice and helpful. For example, when you pre-order your digital guide and souvenir books, you receive tickets that look like the one pictured to the right, that then have to be exchanged for the actual item. We were really disappointed that we couldn't keep the tickets (they all have different characters pictured on them) so they simply gave us each a strip of unused ticket stock so that we could have one of each character. It may seem like something small but being the collectors of movie and travel memorabilia that we are, we were all ecstatic. I don't know if they'll continue to give it away. I noticed they were doing it for a lot of the tourists which would get costly after awhile, but hopefully they won't buckle down on the free stuff anytime soon.
Back to the point, when you order your tickets you'll receive detailed instructions on when and where to meet the bus that will then take you to the studio. I believe they also offer information on the best way to get to that location dependent on what area of London you're staying in. Once you've ordered your tickets and have figured out all of the other details................some time will pass......and then YOU'LL BE IN LONDON!! Here is the bus you will catch to the studio. If you were worried about getting on the wrong one. Don't be. There's no way you could miss it or mistake it.
Upon boarding the bus you show the driver your tickets and if I remember right, I believe they asked for two pounds a person to be paid to the driver. I know there was a reason, I just don't remember what it was. It's a short ride to the studio, 15-20 minutes maybe. In that time they show you a video on the bus about the history of the WB studio, and about Harry Potter of course.
Then you will pull up in front of the studio and excitement will quickly set in, if it wasn't there already. DON'T FORGET TO LOOK TO THE RIGHT. This is what you'll see.
I couldn't believe how many people rushed right past these in their haste to get inside. They are massive so definitely don't miss out on a picture with the infamous chess pieces. I'm not going to post any pictures of me or my family simply because I don't know if they'd be comfortable with it, but if I WERE going to, I would do it for this picture just so you can get some idea of the scale of these things. We're talking huge.
When you're ready to go inside, use the right hand door and once again, LOOK TO THE RIGHT. This was another thing that people were quick to miss. If I can stress one thing throughout this entire thing it's that you need to take your time, go slow, open your eyes and look everywhere. Look up, look down, look to the side and to the other side because most likely there is something to be seen. Along those same lines, make sure you plan accordingly because this tour can easily become a day long event if you do it right, and even then you'll still probably feel like you've missed things. Anyway, when you make it through the entrance you'll see these to the right.
What adorable handprints, right? I actually have no idea how old they were when they made these, they just look like little hands. I've seen pictures of the trio making hand molds around the time that Prisoner of Azkaban was released but I'm not sure if these are the same ones. There actually may have been a plaque posted nearby that mentioned this information, but if there was I either didn't see it or didn't read it. This brings me back to the point that you need to pay attention to your surroundings and look everywhere. I would also advise that you read all the plaques. This is my main regret about my experience on the tour, that
I didn't spend more time reading all the tidbits of information that were posted near costumes, props and sets.
As soon as I walked through the second set of doors I was pretty sure I had died and gone to Harry Potter heaven. I knew from the moment I stepped inside that the tour would exceed all of my expectations. And it did. This is what the main lobby was comprised of...
Running the entire perimeter of the room were these massive poster prints of the characters.
In the corner of the lobby, hanging from the ceiling, was the Ford Anglia that Harry and Ron wreck in the whomping willow in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It's tough to get your picture taken with this simply because it's hanging so far above your head. It's still worth a shot though and if it doesn't turn out well, don't stress because in the outdoor lot portion of the tour, they actually have a Ford Anglia that you can crawl inside to have your picture taken.
Below is a shot of the souvenir shop. I know, right? They definitely know how to milk us Harry Potter fans for money. They're really ingenious about it too because the tour exits through the gift shop, so you're pretty much forced to walk through the entire thing. Good luck not spotting anything you have to have.
Upon entering the lobby you'll probably be distracted by all there is to see, but don't forget the most important things: exchange your online tickets for your hard copies, pick up your souvenir guidebooks and digital guides if you ordered them, and check any large bags. Once you've done all that and you've reached your tour start time, there's nothing left to do but get in line. They'll scan your tickets while you're in line and then you get to keep them afterward. As you're waiting in line you can check out Harry's cupboard under the stairs...it seems Aunt Petunia started using it for storage after Harry was given Dudley's second bedroom, though there is still a bed in there. I don't know why.
The tour starts with a short film. It was maybe 5 minutes long and all about how Harry Potter quickly took the world by storm. I'm not ashamed to say that I most definitely shed some tears during this. Once the movie is over you enter through the Great Hall. This moment was probably one of my favorite things about the tour. The way they unveil the doors to the Great Hall and the fact that you've just watched this slightly emotional video, makes the whole thing magical. You should've heard the exclamations from the crowd. I won't say exactly how the unveiling occurs because I want to leave an element of surprise, though you may be able to figure it out from what I've said already. After the video is over you'll be taken into the care of your tour guide. He will guide you through the doors and into the Great Hall meanwhile offering all sorts of information for you to soak in with regard to the cast and the filming. We had a wonderful tour guide, though I'm sure they're all pretty great. These are all die hard Harry Potter fans and given where they work, how could they not enjoy their job or not be good at it? The Great Hall is the only portion of the tour that is guided. They have a short routine delivered by the tour guide, then you're offered a few minutes to take pictures inside, and then they quickly but nicely tell you to get out. Because this is the guided portion of the tour they have to keep on a tight schedule so groups can continue to file in and out. Once you exit the Great Hall it's a complete free-for-all. You can look at anything and everything, take as many pictures as you want, read every plaque and pretty much take as much time as you want. This is the portion of the tour when your digital guide comes in handy.
Once you've exited the Great Hall you'll enter a wide hallway that's lined with all sorts of information about the directors, screen writer, the Yule ball, makeup, costumes and other stuff that I'm sure I've forgotten to mention.
As you reach the end of the hallway you'll round a very slight corner and will come across the Gryffindor common room and the boys dormitory. These sets were so incredibly small, especially the boys dormitory. They look so much larger in the films. That's the magic of the movies! Despite being small they are crammed with so much detail. Take a good look. Fun factoid. They designed the beds for 11 year old boys and as the boys grew the beds quickly became too small but they never built bigger ones so the boys simply had to curl their legs into their chests in order to fit inside for filming.
Once you pass the common room you'll reach a large open warehouse that is lined with numerous sets around the perimeter.
You'll see Dumbledore's office.
Umbridge's office
The Ministry of Magic
The Potions Classroom
The Burrow
and Hagrid's Hut
Interspersed with all of the sets are hundreds of props and costumes.
The last thing you'll see before you head to the outdoor lot section of the tour is a display case packed full of all the paper artifacts and graphic design pieces from the movies including newspapers, books, letters, Zonkos and Honeydukes treats, and Weasley joke shop pieces.
Just a heads up. As you go through the warehouse with all the sets, they also have a place where you can dress up in Quidditch robes and have your picture taken on a broom so it appears as though you're playing Quidditch. It's quite expensive though if you decide to buy the picture. I wanna say it costs £20 ($30 USD). I'm not 100% positive on that price, in fact I'm not even 50% sure that it's accurate. A friend of mine told me that that's how much it costs, but I didn't want to wait in the massive line to have my picture taken so I didn't see for myself. If you want a picture of you playing Quidditch though, this is the place to do it. Just be prepared to pay a small fortune for the photograph. Now that I think about it, if you're even the least bit interested in having your picture taken, I would at least check it out because who knows how accurate my estimate is on the cost. Maybe it's actually only £10. Definitely look into it.
Once you're done exploring all the sets, and by exploring I mean looking from behind the ropes and railings designed to keep you OFF the sets, you'll head to the outdoor portion of the studio. This area was really fun because you were actually able to sit on things, go inside and right up to things. Before this point, the only set you're able to walk onto is the Great Hall.
As soon as you exit the indoor portion you'll find yourself in the perfect location to buy Butterbeer! There are two separate stands. One that sells snacks and one that sells Butterbeer. If you're hungry grab a snack, but whatever you do...TRY THE BUTTERBEER! I was pleasantly surprised by it and found it to be quite delicious. If there were one thing I would change about the tour though, it would be this. I think in the outdoor area they need to build a Three Broomsticks so that you can grab something REAL to eat, rather than just snacks. We didn't eat anything and only had Butterbeer. By the time we reached the end of the tour we were near fainting from being so starving. Definitely try the Butterbeer but I would also advise grabbing a little something to eat as well, even if it is just snack food. They also offer two options when purchasing your Butterbeer. You can order it in a disposable cup or can pay a couple pounds more in order to get a sturdy souvenir cup with the Butterbeer logo on it. I've seen the mugs you get at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (which I have not yet been to) and they seem a lot nicer than the ones you get on the tour. I wouldn't be surprised if at some point in time they upgrade the ones on the tour to the mugs with handles like the ones from the Wizarding World of HP.
After you've enjoyed your refreshments, it's time to explore the outdoor sets and props.
You can't actually go IN the knight bus but you can go ON it. There's an area where you step up on to the bus so you can have your picture taken and so you can look through the window to the inside of the bus.
You can go right up to the door of Number 4 Privet Drive and have your picture taken. Use the door knocker while you're at it. Is anyone home?
Then walk up to the gate of the Potter's cottage!
You'll also want to check out the Hogwarts Bridge. That's right, the one that Neville and Seamus so skillfully blow up in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2. You're actually allowed to walk across it...when it isn't wet. It was blocked off when we were there due to rain, but hello. It's London. Good luck catching the tour on a dry day.
In this same area they also have the Ford Anglia that you can crawl inside, as well as Hagrids motorbike, not the one from Sirius but the one that he and Harry use in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1. You can climb on it as well for a lovely photo op. I don't have pictures to post of these simply because my family is in all of them and like I said, I don't want to post any pictures with family members in them.
As you leave the outdoor section you'll pass a full set of these guys...
Once you head back indoors you'll enter the department that was dedicated to magical creatures, and animatronics. There is a massive amount of stuff to be seen in this room so go slow.
Who knew that wasn't the real actress the entire time?
The next thing you'll see is....drum roll please...DIAGON ALLEY! This was another one of my favorite places despite not being able to go into any of the shops, but that's what the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is for. If they let people roam the sets freely they'd be destroyed in seconds so I totally understand the reasoning behind it. Anyway, there are so many stores on this one street that you never really see in any of the films. It's lovely.
Be sure to look in all the windows of the shops, especially the Weasley's joke shop.
After reaching the end of Diagon Alley you'll enter a section all about the designing of sets and props including drawings, schematics, models and concept art. I love movies and am fascinated by what all is involved in making them so I found this portion to be quite fascinating.
Then you'll finally reach Hogwarts. I don't even know what to say about this portion of the tour. I literally just stood there staring at it for the longest time. It's a beautiful piece of artwork. Keep in mind that it's a model of Hogwarts so don't be expecting a full size castle, obviously. It's a very large model though. You can stand in front of it to have your picture taken and it will still feel like it's quite massive. They also have computer screens set up around the perimeter of the model that you should have a look at. It shows how they incorporated all the shots of the actors into the shots they filmed of the model. It's very interesting.
As you leave Hogwarts, the final room you'll enter before reaching the gift shop (which signifies the end of the tour) is a room jam packed with wand boxes. It's not the actual Ollivander's set but the walls are all lined with hundreds and hundreds of wand boxes. I didn't realize this before we went on the tour but apparently every actor and film maker that ever worked on a Potter film has their own wand and wand box in this room. If I would have realized that I would have paid closer attention to the print on the end of the boxes and there are a few I probably would have sought out.
As you leave "Ollivanders", you'll enter the gift shop but before you go check out all the souvenirs the place has to offer, be sure to get a good look at the Lovegoods printing press!!
Let me just say that this tour is phenomenal and I recommend it to anyone, whether a crazed fan or not, but I offer a word of caution. If you aren't quite familiar with how movies are made, then seeing all these places from the movies as 3 sided sets in a warehouse can be rather shocking. Obviously we all know it's a movie, but that fact is made more aware when you realize that scenes in the Burrow were filmed right across from the ones in Hagrids hut, and when you realize this, it can ruin your perception of the magical world that the film makers so carefully created for us. That being said, I personally know it's a movie, but I can also quite easily forget about the fact that things in the movies aren't what they seem. I've never had trouble immersing myself in fictional worlds to the point that they become very real for me and so despite seeing all of these props and sets I can easily see them as just that, props and sets. But as soon as I watch a Harry Potter film, all of that knowledge goes right out the window and I'm quickly placed back into the same magical world that I created in my head so many years ago in which Hagrids hut is back on the hillside and the potions classroom is in Hogwarts and the Weasley's kitchen is in the lowest level of the burrow which is located in the middle of who knows where. Nothing anybody says or shows me will ever shatter that world for me. That's just me though, and that's just how my brain works. If seeing all of these things will forever ruin your perception of J.K. Rowling's world, then I don't know if it's worth it. But if you're like me and can easily switch between reality and magic, then this Making of Harry Potter: WB Studio Tour is definitely something you should experience, and quite possibly experience over and over again. It exceeded all of my expectations and I'm sure it will do the same for you.
General Tips For Tour Attendance
1. Pack light-you have to check all oversized bags (backpacks and the like)
2. Plan ample time because the tour can be a day long event. I realize this summary doesn't convey that. It may only take 5 minutes to read it but that's because I didn't want to overload it with too many pictures or too many details (other than tips or the way it's run) so that there's still something to be surprised about when you eventually see it, though seeing this stuff in pictures doesn't even begin to compare to seeing it in person. Just to give you an idea, we were in the building for at least 5 hours though I probably could have spent more time looking around and soaking everything in. Between the actual tour time and the travel time to get there and back, you won't have a whole lot of time to do other tourist activities in the same day. Keep that in mind when making other plans.
3. Make yourself a budget otherwise you may go a little overboard in the souvenir shop
4. Read the plaques
5. If you've been taking the tour slowly, make sure you eat something once you get to the outdoor lot.
It falls about 1/2 to 2/3s of the way through the tour and you'll be STARVING if you wait until the end to eat anything.
6. Try Butterbeer
7. Take lots of pictures
8. GO SLOWLY AND LOOK ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE. I can't stress this enough.
9. LISTEN. The music they have playing in the background is comprised of all the movie scores and it's carefully selected so that it easily plays with your emotions. There were a couple different places in the tour where I started to tear up and even my father admitted the same
10. Have fun and enjoy the magical time you're undoubtedly going to have!!
If you have any questions about the tour be sure to ask them in the comments and I will try to answer them the best that I can. Also, if you head on over to my Harry Potter Facebook page which is linked at the top of this blog (you might as well "like" it while you're there), you can check out all the pictures I took on the tour. Well not ALL of them because I took about 600, but there are a lot more on FB then I wanted to post here simply because it would have resulted in a mile long post!! I hope you enjoyed reading this and that you learned something from it and I hope you get a chance to experience this amazing tour soon.
Side note: This isn't something you'll see on the tour, but while you're in London you should definitely make a pit stop at King's Cross station so you can see...
If you hop on the Underground you can easily get to King's Cross and it's worth it just to say you've been there and so you can get a picture of yourself pushing a cart onto Platform 9 3/4s. We were there really late at night, and even then, as soon as we left another group rushed up right behind us, giddy with excitement. It's definitely something to be seen.
THANKS FOR READING!!
"When I'm 80 years old and sitting in my rocking chair, I'll be reading Harry Potter. And my family will say to me, ' After all this time?' And I will say, 'Always.' -- Alan Rickman
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My Souvenir Haul From the WB Harry Potter Studio Tour: London
