Now, it’s time to uncover the secrets of the magician’s world and peep into it… But… something very important! This post is completely banned for muggles! Please, if you are muggle… you don’t read the contents… Definitely, you will not understand it… And for everyone else… welcome to the world of magic… A world where the handbags do not have a bottom, the fireplaces serve teleportation, The Quidditch is the most famous game, and the most elite school is… Hogwarts! Welcome to Harry Potter Studio Tour in London !
Where is the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London ?
Warner Brothers Studio is located outside of London’s center, at Watford. If you are not by car, you have to get to Easton Station. From there, the train leaves for Watford Janction (West Midlands Trains). After about 20-30 minutes you’ll be at the small train station… With the exit of it you are see large guiding signs and it will not be difficult to find the special bus. Parked just outside the station, the two-story vehicle is well-branded with scenes from the film. You are showing your studio pass, you pay a ticket for the bus (£ 2.50) and ride up! Well, it’s not like the Knight bus, but for 15 minutes it takes us to the entrance…
P.S. If you hard to find the location of the studio, you can see detailed information HERE.
How to buy tickets?
So… the tickets… I will start with an interesting ranking that I read soon… The ranking is on the TicketLens online portal, which published a list of „The 20 most expensive attractions in the world“. And the winner is…? That’s right, Harry Potter studio tour in London! You already know that the entry fee is not cheap – 45 pounds for a standard ticket. Of course, there are different varieties that you may find HERE. It is obligatory to book a ticket in advance! It is valid for a certain day and hour.
Our case was quite interesting… I really wanted to go and watched for tickets at least a month earlier, but there were no free hours for the whole week of our stay… About a week before our trip, I had already resigned to the idea that I would not be able to visit it… And my girlfriend had walked and we were set to miss it… So up to 2 days before our departure date… I decided to check again for free hours and… surprise! So, follow the site regularly! :
P.S. For children there are passports in which are collecting stamps from different areas during the tour. Do not miss to take… if you have a child! :
In the studio
Okay … we found where the studio is located, we bought a ticket in advance and only remains to come our visit time and to cross the threshold of the Great Hall! We go to the curving tail around the Triwizard Cup and and we enjoy some details in the reception like the Weasley Family car hanging from the ceiling and the Cupboard Under the Stairs, where the story of Harry started… And while we wait to get in, I feel obliged to explain something to you… I suppose you’ve probably been reading the books or watching the movies to get here, and at best thing – you are real fans! But to make clear… Guys… if you have no interest in Harry Potter… do not waste your time… You will not find it interesting here…
For the rest … all of us who have slept with the concepts of this,how looks the magical world of Harry, Ron and Hermione and we wanted to be their friends… We dreamed of receiving a letter from Hogwarts with our name, we dressed like magicians, we even had magic sticks, we know most of the spells by heart and even sometimes we think that with one swing of his hand and saying “Accio Nutela”, the jar of chocolate will come to us… And the books we’ve worn them everywhere, and we’ve been used every free minute to read what’s going on with your favorite characters… I remember how I waited impatiently for the Christmas vacation in school, so I can be all day at home and read the new fifth book… Let me confess… the third book is the only one I have read three times… others only two… So… For all of us… this world is revealed in its full glory…
Let’s look behind the doors of the Great Hall
It is time! The group goes into a dark room… It all starts with a video, in which screenwriters, directors and J. K. Rowling tells what Harry Potter means to them… And so they say that every real fan will thrilled with joy.. Follows The convocation front of the big doors and the question: “Accidentally someone has a birthday?”. And if you’re lucky to have a birthday right then, it’s your honor to open the giant doors of the Great Hall… If not, then the smallest ones will do it 🙂
Crossing the threshold, we fall into Harry Potter’s magical world! The huge room with the long tables of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff… Do you imagine… for all your years in Hogwarts, our favorite heroes have been eating here? Everything is so real… The stone fireplaces, the utensils, the stamps and flags of every home… You can imagine every detail… And let’s not forget that the hall was changing every time, depending on the occasion… In the studio is also decorated differently… for example Halloween and Christmas. Then she is the most beautiful… And the images of the teachers are arranged on the High Table. Including Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody, who teaches the DADA (Defence Against the Dark Arts) in the fourth part.
During our visit, the studio was focused on the fourth film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Exactly the goblet is exposed front of the teacher’s table and the slightly aged twins of Weasley, tried to cheat the age limit to participate in the Triwizard Tournament… Do you have courage to put your name in the goblet?
Do you remember the Christmas Ball when Hermione comes up with Viktor Krum? Well, they were gone, but their costumes are there… And for Hermione’s dress, Jany Temime (costume designer in the movie team) says: “Hermione’s dress had to be special. I wanted her to look like a magical dress that would make all the kids feel as she came into the room…”. You can see more interesting decorations from the ball, like the icy castle for example… Oh… and do not miss the chocolate temptations… A phoenix cake looked amazing!
In The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Here, the group is divided and you have the freedom to view what you want and as long as you want. You can enjoy of everything seen! We start from the moving stairs, one of the most impressive things from our acquaintance with Harry in the first part… Suspended paintings around the stairs create the illusion that we are in the Hogwarts corridors.
Don’t miss the cranns from the Prefects’ Bathroom, who deceive that water flows from them… There are many elements from the movies… A corridor that looks much longer than it is in reality… the Gryffindor’s common room is also beautiful, with every detail on it… It just transfers you to the evenings when the three friends were sitting in front of the fireplace and plotting plans…
The director’s office
Going past the giant clock, we find ourselves in front of the gargoyle, guarding the entrance to Professor Dumbledore’s office… I stand beside him and say: “Sherbet lemon”… Nothing… Try again… And again nothing… And suddenly I remembered that the professor had mentioned me that he would change it: “Acid Pops” – I shout loudly and… we find ourselves in the director’s office! The portraits of his former inhabitants are strictly seen on the walls and a few old books are duly arranged on the desk. We also notice the many crystal bottles filled with the memories of the whitewashed magician…
Interesting are also some key items from the seven books, such as the Golden Egg from the fourth part, The Philosopher’s Stone, Harry’s Snitch, the Horcruxes and many other… The magic sticks of the main characters in the series are also displayed…
Snape’s office and Hagrid’s hut
We are now in front of Snape’s office where mysterious potions are prepared on slow fire… You can only wonder what is boiled in the pots, while watching how, with the help of magic, the sticks smoothly mix the liquid inside… From the shelves I looked around for the Gillyweed, but I could not find…
Shortly after is Hagrid’s hut… Overcrowded with any junks, the house of the favorite of all the hero emits great coziness! You can’t get inside, but it’s enough to peer through open windows…
The favorite of all – Quidditch
I mentioned at the beginning for the Quidditch… the most famous sport! And we Bulgarians can be proud with a very important role in it! Viktor Krum… the hero of the fourth book is a Bulgarian! Not to mention that in the final of the Quidditch World Cup meet Ireland and Bulgaria! Unfortunately, we are losing from the Irish, but Victor Krum is catching the snitch! Interestingly, the world championships have their continuation, even though the books are over… And in 2014, Bulgaria managed to grab the trophy! The whole story of the final can be found HERE.
So… You can see all the elements of the game, the complete set of balls, and the fastest broom in the world – Firebolt! It accelerates from 0 to 250 km / h in 10 seconds! The studio features interactive activities such as calling a broom or riding a broom. They make professional pictures and you get them… for a fee, of course.
The Burrow – the house of the Weasley family
The road passes through a few doors used in different parts of the films, the Hagrid’s motor and again the Weasley’s car. Namely in their home we find ourselves after seconds… The Burrow… so cozy and friendly! Two lonely hooks knit one more scarf (probably a gift to one of the sons of Weasley), dishes are washed by themselves and dinner is prepared with the help of some of Mrs. Weasley’s favorite cookie tricks…
Tom Riddle’s Gravestone
We’re going to somewhat darker parts of the studio… Except for the pink spot in the corner of the hall, which is Dolores Umbridge’s office, all other exposed items are slightly dark… Interesting is the family tree of Sirius Black, the Death Eaters around the table with the enormous Nagini and of course… Tom Riddle’s Gravestone! Here is also the monument in the Ministry of Magic and part of the interior of the ministry of the movie “Fantastic Beasts”.
Into the Forbidden Forest
And here comes the new part of the attractions that was discovered shortly before our arrival – the Forbidden Forest! We had the opportunity to walk between the roots of the huge trees and feel the feeling of being in this mysterious forest… And at one moment… the lights go out, there are thunder, fog… And the spiders attack! 😀
Hogwarts Express – on the way to the castle
If you can still get out of the woods, then a new trip follows! This time, we tighten the suitcases and get on Hogwarts Express! That’s right, here you will see the authentic train leading the students to the castle! In addition to the steam locomotive, you can also get into the compartments and explore them. Each of them is decorated with some scene of the movies…
Do not miss the various issues of Daily Prophet and the many letters… Look at the red envelope… The Howler who was written by Molly Weasley to Ron… How little the envelope looks, and what were the consequences of opening it…?
We go outdoors
Before we go out in the open, we get to the place to eat and drink. Keep in mind that prices are relatively high… Yet it is worthwhile to try the famous Butterbeer! The price varies depending on how big the beer you want and in what glass (branded glasses are more expensive) 😀 But whatever cup you choose… the taste is same! Namely – as if someone had a ball of vanilla ice cream in my glass of beer… Yet… it is worth trying!
Going to the open area you will see first the Knight Bus! The purple triple-decker bus gathered the wizards who stayed till late out by streets of London… It is enough just to pick up your magic wand and he arrives… It passes through the sidewalks without worry, and pillars and mailboxes make way for it… Traveling with it is a whole adventure, given the high speed with which it is moving and the lack of seats. You can also look inside where you can see the well- arranged beds…
The next stop is Privet Drive 4… That’s right… the house of the Dursley family! You can shoot at the entrance and cross the threshold… You will see the living room and the scattered letters everywhere, who Harry’s uncle was trying to hide from him…
More interesting things are the house of Harry’s parents, where are visible the remnants of their meeting with Lord Voldemort… But you can’t go in. In the middle of the site is Hogwarts Bridge. Walking along the famous wooden bridge is a must! There are several of the chess pieces from Ron’s Chess Party in the first film and other interesting things…
Gadgets and masks used in movies
The first hall after the courtyard reveals most of the secrets of some creatures and belongings in the series… You will see many faces of goblins and other interesting creatures… We also see Hagrid’s mask, because in fact the image of the beloved giant is a very well made suit, worn by actor Robbie Coltrane! Here you really understand how much work is behind the output of the big screen…
The Magic of Diagon Ali
I’m not sure if In the magician’s world has a more famous street than Diagon Ali… To me personally was a favorite moment when Harry found himself in this magical place for the first time… Walking along it, you will feel as if you are in the first school year in Hogwarts! The street we have painted thousands of times in our imagination… Little shops for mantles, owls and all sorts of things… Ollivender… what will be the magic stick that suits you most…? If I have to get a favorite out of all the shops… I would choose “Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour”… I wonder how to get to the only table above the showcase…? Yes… in the sorcerer’s world is not difficult…
P.S. Do you want to walk on Diagon Ali? With just one click, you can get there -> Have a nice walk!
The Hogwarts Castle
We are already at the end of the tour… We come to the hall with the most mock-ups. There are such of the different cabinets of the castle, the Whomping Willow, the wooden bridge seen from the outside and others… The most impressive part is the large hall where the castle is located! The day inside runs a little faster than reality and Hogwarts’s daytime and nightlife landscapes are changing before us! An evening with the illuminated lamps is magnetic! Winter is also interesting, when everything is covered with snow! It’s great… to every one detail! And it was an attractive place for marriage suggestions from Harry Potter’s most avid fans… Right next to us a boy kneels and propose to his girlfriend! In the dark, we felt very few people what was going on, but glad it was that she said “Yes” 😀
The end of the tour
The last hall has many boxes of magic sticks… at first glance… Actually, they are not real boxes, just a decoration… Each is labeled with the name of one of the actors and the filmmaking team… And the staff kindly direct you to find one of your favorites more easily…
The exit takes us back to the shop so you do not waste time there when you arrive. You can easily tour it, look at all sorts of souvenirs and everything about Harry Potter.
Besides the store, we left for the end and the ground around the entrance. There are several of the chess pieces from the first film, and the whole is covered with news from “Daily Prophet”. It’s worthwhile to look at it while waiting for the bus to go back…
The whole lap took us about 3 hours, without hurry. But the interesting thing is that the studio is constantly being updated and new attractions continue to be released. Recently I saw that Gringotts can also be visited! Surely the tour is not a cheap destination and would certainly not be of interest to people who are not fans of the series… For everyone else, there is an opportunity to experience the emotion called Harry Potter again… To live again your favorite moments… To see live things they have drawn many times in their imagination… For all fans… the experience is worth it!
“After all this time? Always…!”
