Warner Brothers Harry Potter Tour London
Warner Brothers Harry Potter Tour London is a must see for any fan of the Harry Potter series.
This post was originally posted on my old travel blog in 2015, but I wanted to share it with you here, so I hope you enjoy!
I can’t even begin to express the excitement that I had for this place. I don’t remember the last time I was as giddy as a child, and clearly I wasn’t the only adult there with these feelings. In fact, with the family I stood behind in line to get in, the father seemed to be most excited looking around with wonder filled eyes. This is something you don’t see or feel often, so it’s really amazing to think about how the magical world of Harry Potter has affected so many people world wide.
(Ps. Definitely playing a Harry Potter soundtrack on Youtube right now to get me in the proper mood to write this post!)
To see more pictures from this experience, you can check out my Harry Potter photo essay!
First thing’s first. I was in line for the tour so early so managed to get on the double decker bus first and went straight to the top. Actually that ended up not being a great idea… The design on the bus made it difficult to see and I ended up getting a headache. This bus was super exciting though. I was perfectly okay being a tourist for this and decided to go all out!
It’s a bit over an hour outside of London to get here, but the ride it quite lovely with a nice country view. As you get a few minutes away from the destination, a video comes on the tvs that hang from the ceiling and you start to get pumped! Now just a disclosure: I don’t cry frequently. I save my tears for times of devastation. However, when I finally saw the Warner Brothers Studio as we pulled into the parking lot, I surprised myself as I could feel some tears. No, I didn’t end up crying, but I was very overcome with emotion. This is something I had wanted to see for the past two years, and it was finally happening!
We were the first group to go in and even while you’re waiting in line to get in, they have things for you to look at. For example, you are first greeted by the infamous cupboard!
Once through the initial waiting area, you are brought into a theatre where they show a video filmed with Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and of course Daniel Radcliffe which then leads you into the first filming room of your tour!! (Seriously still excited about it as I type this!)
The tour takes a few hours and you get to see the areas where the filming actually took place! Now I can’t watch a Harry Potter movie without saying things like “I’ve been there!” “I know how that was done!” or “I’ve seen that in person!” I will make a future post with more photos of the experience, but for now here are some to give you a bit of an idea of the overall setup in the studio. (You can now check out the photo essay here!)
The caged area in the middle is a protected area that is filled with original props from filming.
GO, GO GRYFFINDOR!!…. Although personally, I’m a Hufflepuff.
This train was just put in a mere few weeks before my visit so I am soooo glad that I didn’t miss out on it! It was so exciting to be able to go onto the train and walk through it, although it was a lot more narrow than I had originally expected.
And of course some more props! In this room there is a tv going with one of the actors giving you some behind the scenes details on the makeup/costume side of things. So much technical work!
Diagon Alley! I was lucky enough to have this street to myself for a few minutes, so for that I would highly recommend going on the first available tour on the day you’re going! (I would also suggest a week day as there may be less visitors as children are in school and parents are working).
Now for the finale…….
Now again, remember how I mentioned I don’t cry (often)? Well I felt tears again. Walking into this room was completely surreal. I was alone at first and this model is a lot bigger than I had anticipated. This mixed with the powerful music playing around me, it was very overwhelming in the best way! Here’s a link to the song that was playing, maybe it can help you capture the moment from your computer.
So, do I recommend this trip while in England? YES YES YES! Well, if you’re into Harry Potter that is (obviously). If you like Harry Potter, then this is an experience that you won’t want to miss out on.
On one final note… Butterbeer = Disgusting. I’m sorry to break any dreams out there, and maybe you will like it. But for me, I personally hated it. I had purchased it ahead of time with my ticket, though I have no regrets. If I didn’t buy it, I would have been dying to know the taste. It was too sweet and made me feel a little bit unwell if I’m being completely honest. But if you want to try it, go for it! In fact, let me know if you like it!
Anyways, that’s it for today! Let me know in the comments if you really would like to see more photos from the Harry Potter tour and I’ll post them sooner than I had originally planned!
Related Posts
Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour London Photo Essay
How To Use The London Tube For The First Time
