Are you ready for some tips for the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London? Keep reading!
As a self-proclaimed Potter nerd, one of things I was most looking forward to on my trip was the Harry Potter Studio Tour. This is a completely different experience than going to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida or California. The studio tour is magical because it contains all the sets, props, visual effects and costumes that were used during the filming of the 8 movies. The attention to detail is just staggering and you really get to see all the work that went into these things. Some of which were probably on screen for 5 seconds but they did it anyway! My hat goes off to all the people behind the scenes of the Harry Potter films!
Get Behind the Scenes
You start off with a film and then enter through the great hall (as it should be). I don’t want to post too many pictures or give too much away so I don’t ruin the magic for you! Hopefully this gives you enough of a taste that you go see if for yourself!
Dumbledore’s office was so amazing!
There are several spots here where you can take your photo with the luggage rack and platform 9 3/4. So, if there is a long line for one, just pop down to the next one!
There is an area outside where you get to see Privet Drive, the Knight Bus, the covered bridge from Hogwarts and more.
There is also an area for Diagon alley!
The piece de resistance, the scale model of Hogwarts! This was one of my favorite things to see!
Every one of these labels was hand written by someone, isn’t that amazing?!
Now to the nitty gritty…
Tickets: must be purchased in advance here. I would look a couple months ahead of time to make sure you get the date and time that you want.
Entrance time: make sure you pick your entrance time wisely. You need to be able to get there and be in line by your ticket time. If you are late, you may not be allowed in.
Getting there (train): I took the train from London which was really easy. The stop for the studio tour is Watford station. The train ride is 20 mins. Don’t get on the slow train (like I did), it will take almost an hour. So, make sure you check the time the train leaves and the time it will arrive at the station too! There is a shuttle that will take you to the studio tour. This takes another 15 mins from the train station and costs £2.50. Bring cash with you for the shuttle as this is the only form of payment they accept. If you want to know more or other options like driving, check out this part of the website for more info.
Time: I think I was there for about 4 hours after my arrival time. I explored some places very slowly and others more quickly. This is the benefit of going by yourself! There were several things which I didn’t do such as ride a broom against a green screen which would add more time. There were quite long lines for these!
Food: There is food available here. I stopped at the Backlot Cafe where they serve the butter beer. This version tasted quite different from what I had in FL. This was more of a pop with a thick, sweet foam on the top. Not bad but I do prefer the one I had at the Wizarding World better! There is also hot food at this cafe and it was a nice break since it comes about halfway through the tour. Since it was raining, the cafe was very busy and there were no spots to sit at the time. There is also a cafe at the entrance so you could eat there before or after your tour if you wanted to.
Themes: The Studio Tour has different themes. If you go in the fall, the theme is the Dark Arts and the great hall is decorated for Halloween. Or go in the winter where everything is decorated for the Yule Ball. If you can make it during one of these times, that would be so special 🙂
If you want any more information about my trip here, let me know in the comments!
