Ready for the magic? Truthfully, I will never forget this experience. We all won't. So - Where did we end up on Day #2?
The marvellous, and magical, the one and only...
Harry Potter Studio Tour at Warner Bros Studios - The Making of Harry Potter.
*Weeks later, and I'm still dreaming about this place!
First of all - Definitely book your tickets prior. We booked our tickets months in advance. The first time we looked for tickets, the dates were all taken. We were lucky enough to have an opening pop up. We seized that opportunity quick smart. It was the only tour that we booked during our time in London. Everything else was planned at random - "Let's go with the flow!"
Our tour wasn't until 1:00pm that day, which gave us enough time to enjoy some breakfast at Caffee Concreto (Mentioned in our previous blog post - There are so many around - We tried another one just for fun!) - paired with a lovely, crisp morning stroll around Oxford Street and Regent Street. We thought that would do us! We had a big adventure awaiting us...! *Squeals in excitement*
To make our journey to Warner Bros Studios a little easier, (We were with my brother, sister-in-law and baby nephew) - We opted to have a private driver pick us up from our hotel. It would be a 45-60 minute drive, depending on the traffic. Convinient, easy, no fuss.
We were all so excited to get there.
*Just seeing the entrance (pictured below) had us super eager to get on in and experience the magic!
*Image references -
#1: The entrance - We have arrived! (It was very windy!)
#2: Once you pass security - You are greeted by the Norwegian Ridgeback
#3: The entrance to The Great Hall
#4: The statues surrounding The Great Hall doors
SOME BITS AND PIECES TO TAKE NOTE OF:
- You will be checked by security before entering (Bags and all).
- (The staff are beyond lovely!) You are given a booklet upon entering where you can look out for all the hidden snitches around the tour. Being hands free is helpful! In the booklet, there is also sections were you can collect particular stamps which are also spread out throughout the tour for a bit of fun!
- The tour is very pram friendly (Apart from the beginning of the tour when you are taken into a theatre room for an introduction. Once they opened the grand doors to the Great Hall to start the tour - People were very excited and were happy to trample over the pram - In which I told people to "just calm down" - Other than that - Working your way through the tour is indeed, child friendly.
- We thought 3 hours would be enough - We were so wrong. Three hours is enough time to get you half way through the tour!
- The Butterbeer is an absolute MUST. Dreams do come true! (There were vegan and gluten free options on the menu too which was music to my gluten free/dairy free ears!) The Butterbeer is gluten free - Woo!
- Be prepared to be blown away!
*Image references -
#5: Wigs of cast members - Costume and hair and make up display
#6: The Prefects Bathroom - Rainbow Taps
#7: Entry to Professor Albus Dumbedore's office
#8: Dumbledore's memory vials
Have a read of this informative article about the Rainbow Bathroom Taps.
So, so fascinating! - https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a853416/harry-potter-warner-bros-studio-tour-goblet-of-fire-prefects-bathroom/
#9: Slytherin's Common Room
#10: The Potions Class
#11: Hagrid's Hut
#12: The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets
*We took so many photos, but they certainly don't do the experience justice.
"Step on to authentic sets, discover the magic behind spellbinding special effects and explore the behind-the-scenes secrets of the Harry Potter film series. Discover the iconic Hogwarts Great Hall and explore the Forbidden Forest, board the original Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 ¾ and step foot into Gringotts Wizarding Bank, all before wandering down Diagon Alley. Located at the Studios where all eight films were produced, the Studio Tour showcases the British talent and artistry that went into the making of the Wizarding World, relive the magic through the eyes of the filmmakers who brought the films to life."
*Continue reading the full write up here: https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/our-history/ - (Totally worth the read for more interesting facts!)
*Image references -#13: The Burrow - The Weasley's House
#14: Herbology Classroom
#15: Gringott's Bank and The Invisibility Cloak
#16: The vault keeping the Philosopher's Stone safe
To give you an idea of how long we were there for...
If we could have stayed longer - We absolutely would have.
I'm still speechless.
The gift shop in itself - Make sure you leave enough time to have a proper look through. You will never find Harry Potter memorabilia like that anywhere.
On that note - Thank you for reading!
Until then - Be well, be safe, be curious and explore mindfully.
We thank you for being here.
One half of Joopiter's Sun,
Vicki.