A Magical Day at Warner Bros. Studio London

During my recent holiday to London, I asked for a day away from my parents to finally do the Harry Potter tour at the Warner Bros. Studio in Watford, London. And what a day it had been!

Anyone who have spent a considerable amount of time with me knows my love for Harry Potter. I grew up with the books, and then the movies. I was one of those kids who waited for the release of each book and movie, and pretended school was Hogwarts and primary school Mathematics was Potions with Snape (that’s because we weren’t studying chemistry yet).

First I must warn you that this post is picture-heavy. If you aren’t interested in a Harry Potter spam, I would suggest you click that back button RIGHT NOW. If you’re still reading this, then… you may proceed. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The most important thing that you must know prior to visiting is:

“Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Tickets are not sold at the Studio Tour.”

The tickets at the official website sell out like hot cakes, therefore plan your trip way in advance to secure reasonably priced tickets. Alternatively, if you decided that you’re going only a week before the actual date, there are legit, third-party companies selling last minute tickets at a price. I booked mine through Golden Tours because it was the only site that offered tickets on the day I wanted to go, without costing an arm and a leg.

The price I paid included a return journey from Central London to the Studios, and timed entrance ticket. You could choose to enhance your experience with various upgrades of course, such as digital guides etc. The bus ride took around 45 minutes. We were entertained by the screening of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, setting the mood for the rest of the day.

There are special exhibitions featured throughout the year. The Goblet of Fire happened to be the centrepiece when I was there. Cue Dumbledore calmly asking Harry:

I spied the gift shop upon entering, but disciplined myself to save it for the last. I know I was going to spend galleons in there, and I don’t want to have to lug my treasures around. First stop was the iconic Great Hall.

This was where all Hogwarts students gathered for study sessions, hang outs and the best part – FEASTS. The plates were empty the day I visited, the kitchen elves must have been on a holiday. As I’ve mentioned above, the current showcase featured the events from the fourth book, the Goblet of Fire. We were treated to the moment where Fred and George, who had consumed an Ageing Potion in order to bypass the Age Line to put their names into the Goblet of Fire, only for their plan to backfire, turning them into old men.

After marvelling at the tiny details we might have missed while watching the movie, and checking out which house was leading on the magical scoreboard (Ravenclaw, with Gryffindor a close second), we head into the exhibition proper featuring movie sets, props, costumes and interactive displays. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Refreshments at the Yule Ball

Multicoloured taps in the Prefect’s Bathroom

Gryffindor Boy’s Dorm

Entrance to Dumbledore’s Office. Password?

Dumbledore’s Office

Hagrid’s Hut feat. Fang the dog
The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets

Snape’s Potions classroom and the self-stirring cauldrons

The wall of Educational Decrees that came crumbling down on Prof. Umbridge

While you can’t enter any of the sets, you get to see some interesting magical artefacts like the literal self-stirring cauldron, self-sustaining fire in the Gryffindor Common Room and stand before the Mirror of Erised.

There were interactive displays across the exhibitions; a chance to summon a broom or duel with another person. I shamelessly volunteered to summon a broom because, why not? If I were part of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, I would definitely try for the Chaser position. What about you?

The next part took a darker turn, walking through the Floo network fireplaces, entrances to the Ministry of Magic. The Magic is Might statue was prominently featured here. The bodies of Muggles, hundreds of men, women and children are seen crushed under the weight of the marble column. I walked by Professor Dolores Umbridge’s pink office and could have sworn I heard her screeching: “I will have order!”

I couldn’t run fast enough from the Riddle Gravestone, only to encounter the huge-ass spider Aragog, and Buckbeak in the Forbidden Forest.

Escaping the dark clutches of the Forbidden Forest, I found myself reemerging into the light. Well, sort of. At least the lighter side of the Harry Potter universe. PLATFORM 9 3/4! I’ve been to the wall at the actual King’s Cross, so taking a photo while running into a brick wall hadn’t enticed me as much as seeing the Hogwarts Express idling on the track before me.

The train looks pretty comfortable, way comfortable than some of the trains I’ve been on on my travels. My favourite part of the train journey will probably when the lady comes by with the trolley with an array of mouthwatering snacks. You can easily guess which is my favourite shop in Hogsmeade.

“Anything off the trolley, dears?”
“We’ll take the lot!”

Finally, I see the light! I’ve successfully completed half the exhibition and it was time to be watered and fed. My first Butterbeer experience was at the Wizarding World Osaka, and it was quite different from this one. This one was served in a tinier mug, but was more flavourful and had a thicker, proper froth than the one I had in Osaka. It tastes like a mix of butterscotch and cream soda, really. You can get them in the boring old standard cups, or in these collectable mugs for an extra charge.

Oh yes, for the die-hard fans like me… do ask for the passport. I had to ask because I noted the staff only gave them to kids, who – in my opinion – would not treasure it as much as we big kids do. You go around the studio and get the pages stamped on selected exhibitions. No, they aren’t your mainstream ink stamps. You’d have to press hard on the heavy duty levers to get it embossed on your paper. The harder you press, the deeper the details.

After the short break, I headed outside for the Knight Bus parked outside Privet Drive, which was coincidentally in the same neighbourhood as the Potter’s House in Godric’s Hollow. Bonus: The Wooden Bridge Seamus blew up during the Battle of Hogwarts was there too! Oh, and Mr Weasley’s enchanted Ford Anglia.

The next half of the tour featured the more technical aspects to producing Harry Potter. From prosthetics and makeup for the scary mermaids in the lake to the ugly baby Mandrakes and even our good friend Hedwig (may she rest in peace). I considered getting my sister the Monsters Book of Monsters, but it doesn’t really chew off the person’s limbs, so I gave it a miss.

Me on a bad day

Fawkes the Phoenix

“Take it away, Ern! It’s gonna be a bumpy ride!”

I have a tiny obsession with clutter. Especially well designed, unique clutter. By default, I love the artwork that had been created for the Harry Potter universe. They are so incredibly detailed, colourful and magical. I’d stick Quidditch World Cup posters, editions of the Quibbler and even sweet wrappers all over my room if I could.

Speaking of sweets, our next stop is DIAGON ALLEY. If you’re going there via Floo Network, remember to say the name very, VERY clearly. Or you’ll end up in the Vanishing Cabinet in Knockturn Alley.

Last, but not least…

I spent quite a while in this room, just marvelling at the model of Hogwarts Castle. It was massive! Imagine the amount of effort, time and skills needed to construct this beauty. Just sitting on the bench, looking up at the model and surrounded by the magical soundtrack… I could easily get lost in my head thinking how lucky I was to finally be here.

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour is a must go for anyone who grew up with Harry Potter, especially for those who’d been a media student like me. I learnt so much about the behind the scenes and the work put in to make the movies an international phenomenon. Nothing could beat being on set, though. But just getting a glimpse of it was a huge tick off my bucket list.

Worth every penny, and the fortune I spent at the gift shop.