Harry Potter has had a worldwide cultural impact that will resonate for years to come. With fans worldwide but no more books or films to look forward to just how will fans get their fix? If the Warner Brother Harry Potter Studio Tour the answer?
Well the short answer is yes! If you’re a Harry Potter fan this is an absolute must visit location. To be clear, this isn’t a Harry Potter based theme park, this is a Harry Potter studio tour of the actual sets and props used across all 8 films. And as such offers something for everyone, even those who aren’t hugely into the Potter world will be fascinated by the level of care and detail that goes into creating sets and props for films.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and you must specify a tour start time. Ticket prices (for 2013) range from £21.50 for a child (5 – 15 years) and £29 for an adult (16+). There are other options for families and if you want a digital guide, everyone is catered for. I didn’t take the digital guide option, but from what I could see of others making use of the guide it was a small touch screen device allowing you to get information about the sets and props in a multitude of languages.
Located 20 miles North-West of London the Harry Potter Studio Tour is very easy to get to. Driving was no problem and the onsite car park looked big enough to cope with most demands. However, worth noting my visit took place on a Friday at 2pm and not at a weekend or during a school holiday. As such you may find it far busier than I did and should plan ahead accordingly. There are other ways to arrive, including a bus service that runs directly to the studio itself.
Upon arrival you’ll be able to see hand prints of the cast taken at the premier of the last film. As you enter the lobby there are large photographs along the walls, the classic flying car in the air and the exit to the huge merchandise shop.
When queuing up for your tour the first thing you’ll be treated to is the set of the cupboard under the stairs. This provides a welcome distraction to waiting in line and gives you the first of many photo opportunities. Ushered into a small standing area you are first treated to a short film about how the first film came about before being moved into a seated cinema for a short introductory film about the studio by the three lead actors.
You’re then taken into one of the most impressive sets you’re ever likely to see in person…the Great Hall. This isn’t a replica, a mock up, this is the real deal, where all the films were shot. The detail is very impressive, with real flag stones on the floor and lots of details visible that you’ll never have seen in the film. After a short talk you’re then on a self guided tour which should last around 3 hours if you’re taking your time and stopping for rest breaks.
During this time you’ll be treated to numerous sets and props from all of the films split across two sound stages and an outdoor area. The temptation is to rush from one area to another, to try and take in as much as possible. But that’s the wrong was to do things as much of the amazement you’ll get will be from understanding the amazing level of detail the team put in to create something that might be seen on screen for seconds.
The first soundstage also contains a large CGI area where you can hope into the flying car and onto a broomstick to see how you’d look in the films. After the film section you pose for photographs which can be purchased, and a nice touch with the broom stick photos is that you’re provided with a Hogwarts outfit so you look the part.
After flying on a broomstick, looking round the common room, Dumbledoor’s town, Snape’s potion class and studying hundreds of props you might think you were ready to go home, but no, that’s just the first soundstage!
Existing the first soundstage leads to an outdoor area containing refreshments (including Butterbear), the famous house on Privet Drive and several other key sets. At all times during your tour you’re encourage to take photos and each area has been set out in a way that means you can get some key shots with the sets or large props.
The second soundstage opens with a review of how they created a lot of the monsters, showing off the masks and animatronics behind it all.
A highlight of the tour has to be Diagon Alley, life sized and looking amazing. If you didn’t look up to see the lighting rig you would think you were walking along a real alley with some very odd shops currently closed for business.
You’ll also get to see a lot of the concept artwork, with clearly recognisable characters and scenes on display. As well as concept drawings you can see the intricately built paper models of the sets, used to set up shots and plan filming. These are impressive, but the tour saves the best until last.
Walking up a ramp looking at the paper models you hear some classic potter music. As you round the corner you are treated to one of the most impressive parts of the tour, Hogwarts castle. This is the ‘miniature’ model used for all the filming and it looks amazing! I use the word miniature to mean it’s not a full size castle, but it’s by no means a small model, its huge.
After this impressive spectacle there is a small walk through a large stack of wands before exiting the tour into the merchandise shop. As a fan I’m sure you already have some merchandise, but believe me when I say there will be something in this shop you don’t have. It’s got the basics, such as your wands (lots of different types), Harry Potter glasses, and robes; but it also has a lot more such as replicas of Mad Eye Moody’s staff, Hermione’s dress, note books, Quaffle balls, crystal balls, paintings, replica props, jewellery…just so much that if you’re a collector you best save up before visiting.
It was nice to see the Harry Potter Studio Tour staff staff are all really friendly, the facilities are well maintained and overall this is a fantastic morning, afternoon or all day out place to visit. How long you spend will be entirely up to you. Our visit lasted around 3 hours, but the staff reported one visitor spent the full day, 9 hours(!), wandering around and taking everything in.
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, this is a much see attraction. The Harry Potter Warner Brother Studio Tour is well worth the asking price.
Tickets available from https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/
