Platform Nine And Three
| Hogwarts Express |
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The ride on the Hogwarts Express starts from King’s Cross railway stationplatform 9+3â4, which is hidden from view, and reached by walking through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10.
Rowling discovered after the books were published that she had confused the layout of King’s Cross with that of Euston station, and that platforms 9 and 10 at King’s Cross were not the ones between which she had meant her magical platform to be placed. There is no platform between lines 9 and 10 at King’s Cross. To solve this, the filmmakers re-numbered platforms 4 and 5 for the duration of filming. In reality, at both King’s Cross and Euston, platforms 9 and 10 are separated by railway lines. The exterior shots in the film are of the St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel, which is part of St Pancras station, adjacent to King’s Cross station. From the outside St Pancras is much more visually dramatic than King’s Cross.
Harry Potter & The Cursed Child At The Palace Theatre
Harry Potter & The Cursed Child is a two-part play that is set 19 years after the events of The Deathly Hallows. It continues the story of Harry Potter and introduces Potterheads to his youngest son, Albus Potter. Dive right back into the world of Harry Potter at the Palace Theatre in London with this award-winning stage production that promises magical on-stage illusions and world-class performances.
Two Amazing Lands At Two Theme Parks
Please note that youll need admission to Universal Studios Florida and Universals Islands of Adventure to experience all of the wonders of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A Park-to-Park admission ticket or an Annual Pass will grant you access to both parks, as well as the Hogwarts Express.
Travel Tip: Staying at one of Universal Orlando Resorts official hotels will allow you to enter The Wizarding World of Harry Potter up to one hour before the parks open with Early Park Admission.
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Rannoch Moor Bridge Of Orchy
Which Films? Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 .
Which Scenes? Hogwarts Express briefly travels through this area in Half-Blood Prince and the Dementors stop the train in this area at the beginning of Deathly Hallows Part 1.
Would you believe this Harry Potter location in Scotland isnt most known for its appearance in the wizard boy series? Corrour Station in Rannoch Moor played a prominent role in the 1996 British cult classic Trainspotting and its 2017 sequel. But the moors burnt orange and strangely flat landscape offer an eery setting for the later, darker Harry Potter films.
How to Get There
Via Car Rannoch Moor Viewpoint is on the A82, the main road between Glasgow and Fort William. I started off using the postcode PA36 4AG but our Sat Nav/GPS directed us to turn right down some random side road which is very incorrect. Keep on the A82 until you reach the Rannoch Moor Viewpoint and there is a small layby you can pull into to park which might be tricky if the road is particularly busy. And it sometimes is during summer but in spring/winter itll be really quiet!
Via Public Transport Though its not the exact Harry Potter location, taking the train from Fort William or Glasgow to Corrour Station as I mentioned above is the best way to visit the general Rannoch Moor area via public transport. Ive written a whole separate guide on visiting Corrour Station from Glasgow which you can find below
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Option D: New College Oxford
Last but not least, we have The New College in Oxford, which makes a special appearance in Goblet of Fire, most notably when everyone is taunting Harry with their Potter Stinks badges .
We then see the courtyard especially well when Malfoy is being a jerk to Harry while straddling a giant oak tree for some reason, and Mad Eye Moody comes out and turns him into a ferret. Good stuff.
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In Search Of The Hogwarts Express In Scotland
Who hasnt dreamed of receiving a letter signed by Albus Dumbledore himself inviting us to Hogwarts? While you wait for the letter, you can enjoy travelling on the famous Hogwarts Express. If youre in Inverness, you can hop on board this steam train by booking the Highlands Tour.
Youll also cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct, one of the most popular Harry Potter filming locations a unique experience!
Privet Drive Little Whinging Surrey
Only true Potterheads will take a trip to the suburbs to visit Harrys childhood home. 4 Privet Drive was where we first met Harry and the unpleasant Dursley family in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. Technically, the home for the movies was filmed in Berkshire, so youll find all the crowds taking their pictures at 12 Picket Post Close in Martins Heron.
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Black Park In England
Black Park was used as a filming location for the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid’s hut. The first scenes of the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone take place in the Black Park. However, certain scenes were on a built set rather than in the park.
The park is actually a popular outdoor filming location. It has been used for other films such as Robin Hood, Goldfinger, Batman, Sleepy Hollow, Bugsy Malone, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Monty Python’s And Now for Something Completely Different.
How To Find The Setting For Different Classes & Offices At Hogwarts
While Im still awaiting my Hogwarts acceptance letter, I can still say that Ive stopped by a few different Hogwarts classes over the past few years!
Over time, many Hogwarts offices/classes moved to film at the Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, in the initial films many classrooms were shot on location for authenticity.
Here are some Hogwarts classroom locations you can visit in real life.
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Eilean Na Moine In Loch Eilt
Which Films? Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 .
Which Scenes? Harry and Lupin take a walk next to this island whilst chatting about Dementors and Hagrid skips stones here after attending Buckbeaks sentencing in Prisoner of Azkaban, briefly seen from the window of the Hogwarts Express in Goblet of Fire and the island is the setting of Dumbledores grave in Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Deathly Hallows Part 2.
I love these tiny little islands covered in trees dotted around in some Scottish lochs. I think if pixies exist, theyd live somewhere like these tiny islands. Eilean na Moine in Loch Eilt was the picturesque wee island used in the Harry Potter movies, though you might not remember it being in such a small loch close to the banks! Thats because Eilean na Moine was often CGId into Loch Arkaig in the later Harry Potter films, which is a much bigger, wider loch.
How to Get There
Then, its just a short walk down a worn path through the trees to see the island up close.
Where To Buy The Must
You already know theres plenty of places to purchase wands, robes, sweets, and souvenirs in the Wizarding World, but if you want to be extra prepared you can purchase many of these items on Universals website before you even arrive at the Harry Potter theme parks.
You can also get them in your hotel, at the large souvenir stores at the entrance to both Universals Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, or at the Universal Studios Store at CityWalk. The biggest benefit to buying your merch outside of the park areas is that youll have more time to experience the rides and appreciate the attention to detail that went into making the areas feel like Harry Potters world. Window shopping and browsing is more fun than standing in line, anyway.
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Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
| Cover art of the first UK edition |
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a written by British author and is the third in the series. The book follows , a young , in his third year at . Along with friends and , Harry investigates , an escaped prisoner from , the wizard prison, believed to be one of ‘s old allies.
The book was published in the United Kingdom on 8 July 1999 by and in the United States on 8 September 1999 by . Rowling found the book easy to write, finishing it just a year after she began writing it. The book sold 68,000 copies in just three days after its release in the United Kingdom and since has sold over three million in the country. The book won the 1999 , the , and the 2000 and was short-listed for other awards, including the .
The was released in 2004, grossing more than $796 million and earning critical acclaim. Video games loosely based on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban were also released for several platforms, and most obtained favourable reviews.
The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Diagon Alley: A History
On the same day that Universal Studios Hollywoods Hogsmeade was revealed, Universal also announced that the Wizarding World in Orlando would be getting an expansion, although it would be nearly a year-and-a-half before it would finally clarify just what that expansion would entail: on May 8, 2013, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley was confirmed to be arriving at next-door Universal Studios Florida.
Much like Hogsmeade before it, Universal tried to keep everything as top-secret as possible, but nearly every major attraction, restaurant, and shop leaked out into the rumor mill months, if not years, before the company officially tipped its hand. This was primarily due to Diagon Alleys preliminary design work having started before even Hogsmeade was completed Stuart Craig, the movie seriess production designer, started sketching the layout of a Leaky Cauldron restaurant after he completed the blueprints for The Three Broomsticks, and Universal Creative began toying around with the idea of a real, live Hogwarts Express that would connect its two Orlando parks as far back as 2010.
When the announcement on December 2, 2011 was made that Amity, the home of the beloved Jaws ride, was going to be imminently shut down, it was received by the world at large as being the very first confirmation that Diagon Alley was, indeed, going to be inserted at Universal Studios.
Harry Potter
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Visiting The Hogwarts Hospital Wing
While in Oxford, you can also pop into the Hogwarts infirmary, which filmed on location at the Oxford Divinity School with its exquisite fan vaulting.
Scenes at the Infirmary for the first two films were shot on location .
It also makes a small cameo appearance in Goblet of Fire, in the scene where McGonagall has to teach the students how to dance leading up to the Yule Ball.
The infirmary was subsequently recreated at Leavesden Studios for its later appearances from the Prisoner of Azkaban onwards.
I got to sneak a peek at this while I was in Oxford and while it looks very different than in the film , it was still a gorgeous stop.
Reptile House At London Zoo
The London Zoo is located just north of central London, and is the oldest scientific zoos in the world.
The London Zoo is where Harry first discovers he can talk to snakes in The Sorcerers Stone. Hes in the Reptile House.
When Harry starts speaking in parsletongue, the window to the snake enclosure disappears. A Burmese python is set free and Dudley falls into the pit.
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St Pancras Renaissance Hotel
Movie: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.Shot: St Pancras Renaissance Hotel was used as the entrance to Kings Cross station in Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.Fact: The Renaissance Hotel has been seen worldwide by millions as a filming location for not only Harry Potter films, but also 102 Dalmatians, Batman, Richard III and others.Closest tube station: Kings Cross St. Pancras, 5 min walk.Price: Free.
Where To Stay In Scotland To Explore The Harry Potter Locations
You could technically stay in Mallaig, Fort William or even Glen Coe for part of your trip to explore the Harry Potter locations in the area, but staying in Fort William definitely makes the most logistical sense. Here are some great options for accommodation in Fort William depending on your budget.
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The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Vacation
In a common misconception that has floated around since opening day, many guests believe that both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley are their own theme parks, a misunderstanding probably born from the fact that, in Universals initial marketing push back in 2010, it referred to Hogsmeade as a theme park within a theme park. Its since dropped that language, thankfully enough, and you do not need to buy an additional ticket to visit the Wizarding Worlds. However, if you wish to ride the Hogwarts Express between the two lands, you will need to purchase a park-to-park ticket. Fortuitously enough, Universal has installed ticket booths at the entrances to each station, where guests can upgrade their tickets if they happened to overlooked this caveat.
For our very best vacation planning tips, check out the wealth of informational pages in our Insiders Guide to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, including how to beat the crowds, the full rundown on early park admission, and where to find the best food and souvenirs on offer and more!
Was A Real Castle Used In ‘harry Potter’
Hogwarts is a mixture of locations that have been filmed to make look as if they are all part of the castle, with some parts built. For example, the iconic wooden bridge was invented for something to connect the Hogwarts grounds to Hagrid’s hut and first features in the third ‘Harry Potter’ movie. The bridge was constructed from wood and fiberglass, and there is only one section of the bridge built to scale. The rest was either a miniature version or CGI.
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Alnwick Castle is one of the real-life locations used to film Hogwarts, and features in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The castle can be found in Northumberland, England. Many of the exterior shots are filmed in Scotland, with the bridge that the Hogwarts Express chugs along being a very popular tourist sight.
Many other locations from the movies can be found in London, such as King’s Cross Station , the London Zoo whose Reptile House featured in the second Harry Potter movie and St Paul’s Cathedral, whose stunning spiraling staircases were used for some of the Hogwarts shots in the later Harry Potter movies.
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What Harry Potter Sites Can I Visit From Edinburgh
Theres a popular misconception that Edinburgh was a Harry Potter filming location.
Edinburgh does have a strong Harry Potter connection, as it was the home of J.K. Rowling. However, none of the Harry Potter films were filmed in Edinburgh.
That said, Rowling wrote the majority of the books in Edinburgh, and many locations in the city are believed to have served as inspiration for places and even characters in the books.
Weve put together a guide to the key Harry Potter locations in Edinburgh, as well as a guide to the cafes where Harry Potter was written in Edinburgh, to help you find these.
However, as already mentioned, none of the films were actually shot in Edinburgh.
From Edinburgh though, you can take day trips to many of the actual Harry Potter filming locations. These include Glenfinnan Viaduct, Alnwick Castle, Loch Shiel, Loch Etive, and many more.
St Pancras International Station
While the scenes featuring Platform 9 3/4 were filmed inside Kings Cross Station, the exterior shots instead featured St. Pancras International Station, located just across from the main entrance of Kings Cross.
The majestic Gothic exterior of St. Pancras International Station and the adjoining St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel can be spotted in the “Chamber of Secrets”, where the Weasleys parked their flying car that Harry and Ron later take off in for their misadventures.
You can visit St. Pancras International Station, Platform 9 3/4 and several other filming locations as part of this Harry Potter bus tour of London while being ferried in style on a luxury coach.
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Hampstead Garden Aka Hermiones Hood
Appeared in: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
How can we forget that sad little scene in Deathly Hallows Part 1 when Hermione takes running away from home to the next level by using Obliviate on her parents and erasing herself from their memory?
Well, the real-life house that stood in as Hermiones swanky pad is actually located in the suburb of Hampstead Garden in Heathgate, London. Since the Grangers are dentists, this is a very nice neighbourhood, and when the house went on sale a few years back, it had a tidy little asking price of £2,400,000. No charm could make me Obliviate the fact that I cant afford that.
PS: Random geek out moment, did you ever notice that Hermiones mom is Catelyn Stark from Game of Thrones? Does that technically make Hermione Robb Starks half-sister in the twisty universe of nerdy fiction? Anyway