What Is The Harry Potter Tour Like

Harry Potter Destinations You Can Visit In Real Life

J.K. Rowling probably couldnt have imagined how successful the Harry Potter series would be, and even though the series has ended, many people are still totally obsessed with Harry Potter. If youre a true Potterhead , you absolutely have to check out these Harry Potter destinations so you can tap into your inner wizard.

How To Get To The Warner Bros Studio Tour In London:

Despite its name, the Warner Bros Studio London is actually located in Leavesden, which is northwest of London.

While booking a tour/private transport is the easiest and most convenient way to get there, it is still quite painless to reach via public transit, as a shuttle bus runs from Watford Junction railway station.

To get to the Watford Junction station, you need to make use of Londons overground system.

Not sure about the best route to get there? Check out this handy trip planner. The tours website recommends that you arrive at Watford Junction 45 minutes prior to your tour time.

Remember to bring change, as the cost for the shuttle bus is 2 pounds each way.

NOTE: Leave a lot of leeway for you to get there. We definitely got lost a few times due to the transfers, and were stressed to the max! For a more stress-free experience, consider prebooking a tour that comes with transport. Heres one for under $100USD.

Tip Number Six: Take Advantage Of The Free Stuff

Yes, there are some free things! Most notably the free Harry Potter studio tour Passports that you can pick up for the kids in the lobby guides were giving them out or you can ask for them from the information desk.

These passports are a great little souvenir, with spaces on each page for embossed stamps that the kids will find on their way around the tour.

There are also clues to help locate golden snitches that are hidden throughout the tour, and a couple of extra pages with puzzles and questions to entertain the kids.

Pick up a free Harry Potter Passport for the kids!Look out for all six stamps for your passport!

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Inkheart Takes You To A World Where Books Come To Life

Yes, you heard it right. In the 2008 film Inkheart, a man named Mo is able to bring book characters out into the real world. And eventually, that causes trouble because Mo also ends up setting an evil villain free. Inkheart stars Brendan Fraser as Mo. He is joined by Sienna Guillory, Helen Mirren, Paul Bettany, and Eliza Bennett.

Harry Potter Studio Tour Tickets Info:

I first visited this attraction in 2014 and it was a hot mess then, and has only grown in popularity in the past few years.

If this Harry Potter set tour is a must-do for you, then make sure you book your tickets WELL in advance or you risk not being able to go!

Luckily, even when tickets are sold out on the main site, there are tours you can book online that will have tickets available for sold out dates.

Sometimes, booking with a tour is worthwhile because you not only guarantee your tickets, you also get the convenience of private transport there, which is nice and much less stressful than using public transport yourself.

Here is a breakdown of different Harry Potter Studio tour options that include transport. For your convenience, I also lay out their costs and what they have to offer:

Tickets can also be purchased online from the studio itself here.

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In The Chronicles Of Narnia Trilogy Children Keep Crossing Into Another World To Fight Evil

Just like other franchise films, the kids starring in The Chronicles of Narnia were grown up by the time the series released its third and final film in 2010. The films four main characters were portrayed by Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, and Anna Popplewell. And when Moseley spoke about the last Narnia film with Rotten Tomatoes, he explained, In very simple terms, the first film was a childrens Narnia. This film is going to be an adult Narnia, and I say that with every implication as in were fighting adults this time, were not fighting mythical creatures anymore.

Explore The Harry Potter Movie Sets

Relive some of the most significant scenes by wandering through sets that were actually used in the movies. Pop into the Great Hall which played an essential role in many scenes, venture into the Forbidden Forest and wait for the Hogwarts Express locomotive at Platform 9¾. This Harry Potter World is also home to Diagon Alley and some of its buildings such as Gringotts Bank and Ollivanders wand shop.

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Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Tour Coming To Ireland This Month

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone releasing in cinemas, the iconic Platform 9 ¾ Trolley will be coming to Ireland this month.

The installation allows fans to recreate the moment when Harry first made it on to Platform 9 ¾, by running through a magical brick wall in Londons Kings Cross station, before taking the 11am train to Hogwarts, which it did every year on September 1st.

The trolley, a symbol of the gateway between the Muggle and wizarding world, is situated on the concourse of Kings Cross Station, alongside the Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾, and is visited every year by over two million people.

It serves as a symbol of the Harry Potter legacy for the last two decades, but now cities across the UK and Ireland will be able to experience the magic too.

To mark the milestone anniversary a replica trolley is touring five locations across England,, Scotland, Wales and now the island of Ireland.

Muggles, witches and wizards alike will be able to get a photo of them appearing to run through the wall, to reach Platform 9 ¾, where the Hogwarts Express departs from.

The tour began on 16th October in Edinburgh Waverley station, then moved to Birmingham New Street on 23rd October, is currently at Cardiff Central Station until 28th October and will next visit:

• Belfast Lanyon Place Station 29th 31st October
• Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin – 5th – 7th November

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My youngest wasnt scared by anything we saw there and she enjoyed the interactive parts of it, but the rest went over her head. We need to go back once shes Pottered out when she can marvel like her sister at being in the real Great Hall, at being able to knock on the door of 4 Privet Drive and at ambling up Diagon Alley.

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When To Visit The Harry Potter Studio Tour

As with many of Londons best attractions, theres no bad time to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour. Logic dictates weekday visits will be a little quieter, but the sheer size of the tour means youre rarely going to be crowded.

Much like Hogwarts itself, the Harry Potter Studio Tour tends to go all out for big annual events. Around late September, the Dark Arts take over, filling the Great Hall with floating pumpkins, lollipops, and red apples, and giving Diagon Alley a decidedly creepy makeover in honour of Halloween. There are also live Death Eater duels which demonstrate how the wand combat scenes were filmed, and the week of Halloween itself, there are a series of impressive dinner experiences, known as Hogwarts After Dark.

For Christmas, the tour welcomes Hogwarts in the Snow, a stunning transformation into a snow-dusted wonderland. The Great Hall is bedecked with huge trees and other festive fancies, whilst the rest of the tour gets a Yuletide makeover. As with Halloween, theres a pretty spectacular Christmas dinner up for grabs, which makes for an unforgettable festive treat.

Interactive Elements Of The Studio Tour

Like using your magic wand at the Wizarding Worlds in Orlando and Hollywood, there are some interactive pats of The Making of Harry Potter. Be sure to start them at the beginning of the tour or you wont be able to complete them.

The Harry Potter Studio Tour Passport

As part of your ticket you can grab a paper passport that guides you to specific passport stamp spots throughout the tour. Generally you cant miss these as a crowd will line up to stamp their own passports at each spot.

The Passport is great for families with younger kids since it teaches Harry Potter trivia too.

The Golden Snitch Scavenger Hunt

Another reason to grab a Passport: it also guides you through a scavenger hunt during the Harry Potter studio tour! Youll need to look for golden snitches everywhere and there are hints to help you find them.

You can start looking for golden snitches in the Great Hall and the scavenger hunt lasts until the Model Room. This is a great activity to keep older kids engaged as some are really hard to find!

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Ok So The Big Question Is Are The Harry Potter Studios Worth The Money

In short yes. The Harry Potter Studios are worth the money.

Its pretty much impossible to talk about why you should go on the Harry Potter Studio Tour without confronting the fact that tickets are hella expensive.

£47 for adults and £38 for children over 5 is no laughing matter particularly when you add transport and accommodation to that too.

Even though the tickets are expensive, Id say that the experience is absolutely worth it its been brilliantly done so much so that I know people whove been back a couple of times over the years.

Want to book a tour instead? Choose from these tours from London.

Tip Number Five: Decide Beforehand What Youre Willing To Spend On And What Youre Not

This is an expensive day out. Before we had even arrived at the Harry Potter studio tour, wed spent £150+ on tickets and travel alone , and £17-something on train fares).

So given that we had spent a heap before even walking through the door, keeping further costs down to a minimum was high on my priority list!

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What Youll Experience At The Harry Potter Studio Tour

As I mentioned above, it could take up to six hours to make your way through the Harry Potter studio tour. In my first version of this post, I tried to break it down hour by hour to help you get through the entire thing but now Ill just cover what youll experience at The Making of Harry Potter studio tour in order. I also provide estimated times for each section but it may take longer depending on crowds.

How Much Time Should You Plan For Your Tour

We spent five hours at the studio lot. We might have stayed even longer if our kids were more interested in the art of film making. The special effects and set design sections of the studio tour are both interesting and educational. We also skipped all of the photo opportunities where you pay to get your photo taken against a green screen. You may want to allow more time for waiting in line if you want the photos. Be aware that the photos are quite pricey!

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What Happens Once You Arrive

If youve printed off your tickets, you can go right in. If you havent, youll have to stop by the ticket window, or use one of the convenient machines. You can arrive earlier than your time slot and hang out in the entry room until your time arrives. They may even allow you in early, depending on the flow of things for the day. Once your slot arrives, youll be ushered into a room to see a short film, then taken to the start of the tour.

If you didnt already know, the tour is completely self-guided. If you dont know everything you already wanted or needed to know about the set, the costumes, and the filming, then you should pay for the audio guide. I found it to be completely invaluable and fun to listen to.

This is when youll enter the Great Hall and are set free to explore the set at your leisure. Seriously, you can stay as long as you like. To get you super excited for what youll see, here is a short video I filmed while I was there:

The video gives you a pretty good idea how the set is laid out. The Great Hall is all dressed up for dinner, and near the end of the room are some of the great costumes on character models. Next, youll go into the set warehouse, where many different displays are set up. Theres one for set design and costume design. Theres a section full of the portraits that were commissioned for the movies.

I personally loved the set decoration from the Yule Ball.

Harry Potter Walking And Bus Tours

A Harry Potter bus tour that lasts two and half hours guides muggles around some of the most iconic locations from the films including the famous Platform 9 ¾ and Leaky Cauldron Pub.

Our Harry Potter walking tour based in London shows the streets of London through the lens of the Harry Potter world. Infiltrate the Ministry of Magic just like Ron, Harry and Hermione with the help of live commentary and a knowledgeable tour guide.

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Interactive Opportunities At Warner Bros Studio Tour London The Making Of Harry Potter

As well as the sets and props there are also a few interactive things you can do at the Studio. For example, at Weasley’s Burrow there is plenty to do.

There is a wand choreography demonstration , featuring a video demonstrating correct wand moves very popular with the kids as they see themselves perform in front of two mirrors, much like the mirror of âErised.â

If you wish to âride a broomstickâ you can pay extra , to perform in front of a green screenâ, on to which a marvellous Hogwarts background is super imposed, and as a memento take home with you your choice of photograph, DVD or HD USB. This attraction is a highlight so it is best to check out the queues and make your timings accordingly. Note, photography is not allowed in this area.

Outside you can also have your photo taken in the original Ford Anglia car, like Harry and Ron, and even wobble yourself over Hogwarts Bridge!

Throughout there are interactive touch-screen boards which play videos showing the cast and crew, or information about the making of the films, such as the ‘Mauruader’s Map’ board, and around the magnificent Hogwarts Castle.

Dark Arts: Malfoy Manor The Ministry Of Magic & Umbridges Office

• Suggested time: 10-15 minutes

After the SFX & VFX exhibits, you move into a bit darker section of The Making of Harry Potter studio tour: sets, costumes, and props focused on the Dark Arts. Youll see parts of Malfoy Manor, the Ministry of Magic, and Umbridges office. What I loved about this part was the attention to detail from the real Black family tapestry to the hand-painted tiles used in many of these sets in later movies to the towering Magic is Might monolith.

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Magical Harry Potter Platform 9 Trolley Tour Coming To Ireland

THE Magical Harry Potter Platform 9 ¾ trolley tour coming to Ireland this week.

The special tour is to celebrate the 20th anniversary since the first film in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, came out in cinemas.

The Harry Potter tour was launched thanks to the fan community for their love and support over the past two decades.

The trolley will make its first stop in Ireland in Belfast Lanyon Place Station this Friday until Sunday.

The tour will then make its way down to Dublin next week in Dundrum Town Centre on the 5th till the 7th of November.

Warner Bros Studio Tour London The Making Of Harry Potter

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London The Making of Harry Potter is a walkthrough exhibition and studio tour in Leavesden, southeast England, owned by Warner Bros. and operated by their Studio Tours division. It is located within Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, near Watford, in southwest Hertfordshire, and houses a permanent exhibit of authentic costumes, props and sets utilized in the production of the Harry Potter films, as well as behind-the-scenes production of visual effects. The tour is contained in Soundstages J and K, which were specially built for the attraction, and is separate from the studio’s actual production facilities.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London opened to the public in 2012 and has since welcomed up to 6,000 visitors a day during peak times. TripAdvisor reported that Warner Bros. Studio Tour London The Making of Harry Potter has been the highest-rated attraction worldwide every year since the tour opened.

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