A day at the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London

Ever since the first time, as a child, I picked up Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone – I have been amazed by this wonderful universe, having re-visited both the books and the movies numerous times. It should not come as a surprise then that the first thing I planned for my trip to London was a visit to the Harry Potter Studio.. As I booked my trip last minute, and in peak tourist season, the regular tickets were sold out, and I ended up somewhat reluctantly booking the VIP tour – but in the end I am so glad I did.

 

 

 

When I got off the train in Watford one of the first things I saw was a double-decker bus covered in pictures from the movies. My excitement increased as people in various Harry Potter related clothing lined up all around me – I really regretted not wearing my Hogwarts t-shirt. When we got to the studio everyone else was lead to this long line to get their tickets, and then to another massive line to enter the studio for a self guided visit. As for me, I met my guide at the VIP meeting point and she led me inside to meet with the rest of the group. We then entered the pre-tour video room before everyone else to see a quick video before we started our tour.

 

 

 

The first part of the VIP tour is a two hour guided visit, you start off in the Great Hall where you are the first ones to enter – a truly magical moment! When I was there they had a special Goblet of Fire exposition, and there was a really cool demonstration in the Great Hall where Harry´s name is thrown out of the Goblet of Fire – complete with the age spell in a circle around it. After this our wonderful guide brought us through all the different sets, showing us props and costumes, and sharing some really cool behind the scenes facts. It was incredible to see all the detail that went into these movies, one thing that truly impressed me was the Advanced Potions Making book where they had actually written a good amount of pages for the book which were then duplicated to create the full book – that way the extras in the movies could have the books open at any page and there would be text there. They also had a copy of the Half-Blood Prince version of the book, but that one was so precious that not even our guide was allowed to touch it.

 

 

 

Some other highlights included the big clock you can see in some of the movies, which was moving up on this massive wall. Dumbledoor’s office, complete with the telescope which was the most expensive prop made for the movie. The door to the Chamber of Secrets was also really cool, our guide explained that it does actually work but only the guy who made it is allowed to operate it as it is super difficult and easy to break. They had also built a replica of Platform 9 3/4 complete with the Hogwarts Express. In the forbidden forest we were able to meet Hagrid, Buckbeak and Aragog, which was really cool. They also had the complete set for Diagon Alley, which was really impressive – there were so many details both to the facades of the shops and the things displayed in the windows. We also spent time in one room dedicated to the special effects, which was so interesting. The coolest part about this was an animatronic head which looked exactly like Hagrid – this was apparently used in faraway shots of Hagrid standing next to others, where this head was placed on top of a tall basketball player in costume.

 

 

 

The most impressive room was the last room where you see a complete model of Hogwarts with all these incredible details. This model was actually used in aerial shots of Hogwarts in the movie as it was easier to use than CGI back then. When you enter this room most people were completely in awe of this impressive model, just like Harry the first time he laid eyes upon the castle. As you walk around the lights change from night to day and back, changing the colors of the castle along with it – there are even lights in most of the windows during the night time.

 

 

 

During the tour they took our food orders, and once we came back out to the restaurant our food was waiting for us. After a quick lunch break, and a chat with the other people on the tour we were allowed to go back inside and do a self-guided tour. Before this I stopped by the gift shop to buy a Hufflepuff sweater so I could show my house pride just like everyone else. I then got to bypass the line, and was lead straight back into the Great Hall. I was able to take my time studying the different sets and props on my own, and I even got to take a better look at the sets outside which we had not spent much time on on the tour.

 

 

 

There was also a photo package included in the tour as well as a video where you fly through various sets on a broomstick, again I got to skip the line to do these. Next to the Hogwarts Express there is a photo opportunity inside a set made to look like a cabin on the train, but the window is a green-screen. When they take your photo there is a voice that instructs you to look scared, excited, etc. After your photo has been taken it then shows a video on the green-screen of what you reacted to in order to show how difficult it could be for the actors at times.The last thing I did was the mandatory Butterbeer stop before I headed to the gift shop. I think the Butterbeer was colored cream soda with a butterscotch cream on top, very sweet and not at all what I thought it would be like. And it came in this really cute souvenir cup that I of course had to bring home with me.

 

 

 

While I was a bit reluctant to spend so much money on this tour, in the end I am so glad I did. Not only did I get this interesting tour and to see some of the props close up, I also did get treated as a VIP when I was in there on my own as well mainly by not having to stand in line for anything. It really is a magical place, and a place everyone should visit if they are ever in London.