Hola chicos, I’m incredibly excited to tell you about the great opportunity that Nick and I received to be invited to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London near Watford. In celebration of the upcoming 15th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour has now opened the set of number four, Privet Drive for a brief period, from May 27 to June 6.
Nick and I were excited to go to this event because we have talked about visiting the studios for a long time, so it was a dream to be able to attend. The doors to the Dursley’s home (Where Harry Potter first lives with his Uncle and Aunt), at the Warner Bros Studio Tour London, were opened for the first time in May and it will officially be open to the public for this week only. How exciting is that? We were able to see the house where all this amazing adventure started.
We made a sneak peak video showing highlights if our visit which you can see below:
- Arrival at the Lobby
When we arrived we were greeted by the organisers and given some drinks. I was so excited to go around and browse everything. They had a display near the entrance of the Cupboard Under the Stairs in the Dursley’s home where Harry Potter used to sleep. It was very cool!
2. The Great Hall
We were all asked to gather in a cinema room to watch a short movie which gave us an introduction and welcome to the tour. After the movie finished we were immediately transported to the doors of the Great Hall, where so many famous scenes were shot. It was magical to see the Hall as the doors opened! It is massive and we were able to see the dinner tables all set up. There were also mannequins displaying the uniforms of various characters. I loved this Hall!
3. The Big Room
We then moved next door where all the props where on display. This room was huge with lots of little areas showing parts of the various movies, such as the The Yule Ball, The Chocolate Feast, Ron Weasley’s house, The Burrow, the treasures stored in Dumbledore’s office, the Dormitory, the living room, The Science Room, magic props, Hair and Make Up, Hogwart’s Castle Clock Tower, etc.
We also saw for the first time in the Studio Tour the Dursleys’ costumes which proved to be a rich source of inspiration for Costume Designer Judianna Makovsky. She remembers them being the most fun to dress, creating clothes that appeared out of date and pretentious for Mr and Mrs Dursley, as well as hideous jumpers for young Dudley.
They were also showcasing the equipment that was used to shoot Harry’s Hogwarts letters through the letterbox of number four, Privet Drive. The machine, which was specially created for the film by academy aware winning Special Effects Supervisor John Richardson. You can see this part in my video.
We went to the green screen room where you can have a video taken on a broomstick ride. This was really fun. We had to wear a Gryffindor robes and then fly all the way through London. You can see my video of this below:
3. Platform 9 3/4
We then went on to Platform 9¾ to see the Hogwarts Express. It is possible to walk through the train and see all the carriages that were set up like they were shown in the movies. They also had the famous trolley with Harry’s luggage and of course I had to have my picture taken!
4. Dursley’s Home: 4 Privet Drive
We then walked through to a large cafe area which I think is their main cafe but they had it all set up for the event as it is fronted onto the backlot (where the 4 Privet Drive house is located). There were delicious canapes and drinks for us to enjoy. They were also offering Butterbeer and also Butterbeer Ice cream. I was not a fan of the butterbeer (its a non-alcoholic soft drink with cream that is very sweet) but I loved the Butterbeer Ice Cream. It was delicious! We were able to see the huge knight bus, The Dursley’s family home and the Hogwarts Bridge through the glass windows. We were very excited to be able to see it all in person.
We were then introduced to Fiona Shaw, who played Aunt Petunia in the film franchise, who returned to the set and welcomed all of us to her house. It was a magical moment!
Harry Potter fans will remember number 4, Privet Drive as the Muggle home where Harry spent most of his childhood with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Cousin Dudley. During production, set decorators were tasked with filling the house with quirky pieces of furniture and had lots of fun sourcing the ugliest sofas, worst tiles and most unattractive curtains possible which is on display in the dressed set.
We had the opportunity to walk through the front door and look into the Dursleys’ front room where hundreds of Harry’s Hogwarts letters (created by MinaLima, the graphic designers for all eight Harry Potter film) were suspended in the air as though they’d just flown through the fireplace as they did in the iconic scene from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
The letter that started Harry’s adventure at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and featured so prominently in the film that an astonishing 10,000 of these envelopes were created for the first Harry Potter film and were even printed on extra lightweight paper so the owls could carry them. This was just AMAZING!
5. Special Effects Room and Diagon Alley
After moving on from the magical backlot area we went to the special effects room. This room is fantastic. You really can see how they did all these effects. You don’t realise how much is put into filming a movie like this until you see the work that goes on behind the cameras. There was also some very scary things. We saw a huge spider (Aragog from the Chamber of Secrets) and of course I had a picture with it!
We then went to Diagon Alley. This place was amazing. It looks so real. There were lots of shops but they were closed although the windows looked fantastic!
6. Art Department & Model Room
This was the last part of the tour. The model was massive and really impressive. It was just amazing to be able to see it in front of you.
We were so lucky to be invited to this preview event. It was one of the highlights of my blogging year for sure. We were so excited to be one of the first people to get a look inside Number 4 Privet Drive before it opened to the public.
We loved the studios. It is a must for all Harry Potter fans, but even if you are not a fan (who wouldn’t be really? …not many people lol) it is still an amazing experience for everybody.
To purchase tickets please visit the Studio Tour website. The ticket prices are adults £35, children £27 and Family (2+2) £107. Tickets for a specific date and time slot must be pre-booked by calling the Studio Tour’s Visitor Services Team on 0345 084 0900. Please note that you can’t buy them on the door.
Nick and I would like to say a massive thank you to the Warner Bros. Studios for this amazing experience. We will certainly remember it for a long time. Now Nick and I would love to go back with our girls and show them everything! That would be a lovely experience! 🙂
Have you been to the Warner Bros Studio Tour before? Do you plan to go? What do you think of the Dursley’s Home and the Hogwarts acceptance letters? Please leave me a comment as I would love to know what you think.
*Disclaimer: we were invited to this event but all the opinions are my own.
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
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I’ve seen many posts about the Warner Bros studios and I keep nudging my man to take me there. Everytime I read the posts I enjoy hearing about other experiences of it and read enviously about what everyone got up to. It sounds like you had a fab time and it’s an experience as well as a day out. Lovely that you managed to do it as a couple too! Must nudge my man a little harder!! Thanks for hosting #kcacols
My little boy is getting into Harry Potter now, I think a trip to the studios is in order! #KCACOLS
I am a major Harry Potter nerd so I have massively green eyes at this. I’d love to walk down Diagon Alley and imagine the scene of the Yule Ball, I’m not sure that I’d be a fan of butterbeer to drink either but the ice cream sounds yummy #KCACOLS
This looks absolutely amazing – what fun! #KCACOLS
Sounds like you had an amazing time and your pictures are, as always, fab. Loving the broomstick ride – that looks like a lot of fun. x #KCACOLS
This just looks so cool! If we ever manage to get away from Wales for the day I really want to go on the tour. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan, so it would just be awesome. 🙂 #KCACOLS
omg! the preteen is just dying to go here!! I have to take her.. sounds fab! I think I’ve just found 1 thing to do during the 6weeks holiday lol 🙂 #kcacols
Am I allowed to say i just don’t get Harry Potter? I know I’m a little unusual, my kids are all fans. OK now I’ve got that bit out the way I will say the event looks fab and the backdrops and stage scenes very impressive. a real treat to be on this tour. #KCACOLS
I’m a huge Harry Potter fan! What a fantastic experience – looks like you had an amazing time and saw some fantastic sets, costumes etc from all of the movies. I’ve always been amazed by how the set designers etc were able to create such a magical world. it must have been awesome to see it in person. Next time we’re in London… #KCACOLS
Love this! I am not a fan, (don’t egg me!) so I am sure I don’t appreciate this as much as your other readers will. That said, I love the artwork and the photos you took. Great job! #KCACOLS
Oh what an absolute treat! I haven’t had the opportunity of going yet but my son went with a friend and loved it. I love the video of you flying – how cool is that? Also, the Dursley’s front room with all the suspended letters – it looks so real amazing. Glad you had such a good day and hopefully one day I’ll get the opportunity to go – there’s something about the wands that intrigue me – as if by magic I’d become a wizard! #KCACOLS
We went here last year and it was fantastic!! I’m so glad you had a fun day; you’ve made me want to go again xx #KCACOLS
I know a few people who would absolutely love this! I never really got into the Harry Potter series myself but I’d still love to go and see this! My friend visited and said making the videos was harder than it looked as she couldn’t stop laughing!! #KCACOLS
I love that broom ride mini movie, how cool is that! Living in Australia I wot get there any time soon so it is great to hear all about it from you1! #Kcacols
This looks fab and I’m not a Harry Potter fan. I confess I’ve never watched any of the films all the way through! #kcacols
I would love to go here! My hubby and I love Harry Potter and have talked about going here lots of times. Looks like you had an amazing day, I love the video of you flying around on the broomstick!!xx #kcacols
Wow – what an amazing experience! I love Harry Potter so would have been thrilled to attend this event! All the photos look incredible and I love the broom ride video! I hope it is a place I manage to visit one day. I have only ever heard good things about it 🙂 #KCACOLS
This looks like FUN! Although I must admit I had no idea what it was about when I clicked it having never read or seen Harry Potter. Maybe the kids will get into it one day… #KCACOLS
It looks like so much fun! I Have wanted to visit for ages now and I will definitely be going next time I’m down 🙂
Great Post!!
Lx
http://workingmumy.blogspot.com
#KCACOLS
It looks amazing. When my two are older, I definitely want to pay this place a visit – or, perhaps, I’ll just go by myself before they get big enough! #KCACOLS
Wow! Looks amazing! Definitely soemwhere we’ll be visiting in the future.
Great pictures 🙂 thanks for sharing #KCACOLS
Being a massive Harry Potter fan I just loved reading this. Your photos are fab and it looks like an amazing day out. Never been to the Warner bros studios but dying to go even more now! Oh and I’m sure the kids would quite enjoy it too! Ha.
Also just wanted to say thanks for hosting #KCACOLS, I’m very much new to the world of blogging and I’m loving reading all the fab posts on here 🙂 S xx
This looks like a brilliant day out. I love the broom stick ride, that is very cool. My friend’s kids love Harry Potter and went to the London studios for his birthday, they had an amazing time. I would like to try butterbeer the drink and the ice cream, it sounds so nice.
Amanda. #kcacols
This looks amazing!! I would love to visit! It looks like you had a great time too 🙂
#KCACOLS
Ah, I have a friend who is Harry Potter obsessed who would love this! Great photos 🙂
#KCACOLS
Looks like you had a fantastic time at the studios. That broomstick ride is so coool!
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I love Harry Potter and this tour looks amazing! So many things to see! Lucky you! #KCACOLS
Love the broomstick picture! This looks like a fab family day out. #KCACOLS
I haven’t been for a while now and it seems like they have added more – it looks so amazing! Rather jealous! x #KCACOLS
Have thought about going here several times. It looks like something maybe for the older kiddie if we can find a sitter for the younger ones. Can’t believe it’s been 15 years though!
Ooh I’m so envious – I love Harry Potter and would have loved to do this! I must get round to doing the studio tour sometime soon.
#KCACOLS
So jealous! I’ve been meaning to go to the studios for years as I’m a huge HP fan. I want to experience all those things and have some butter beer. I am looking forward to the day that my three year old will be interested enough and able to concentrate through the whole of the Philosopher’s Stone. 🙂 #KCACOLS
As others have said, time to get into Harry Potter! This looks awesome!
Oh my goodness I am so jealous of your tour! The flying broomstick film is brilliant and I am glad to see that you husband was enjoying his guiness in the other film 😉 Looks like you had fab time 🙂 x #KCACOLS
This looks so awesome! Really want to go now! The broom ride is great! #KCACOLS
Wow! What an amazing experience! It looks fab! I must show my sister as she is a HUGE Harry Potter fan!! Fantastic post. Thank you for hosting. #KCACOLS
I could not be more jealous of you right now! I have been a huge Harry Potter fan since I was about 12 years old. I cannot believe you got to see all of this up close! Thanks for sharing all of the pictures. #KCACOLS
I’ve never got into Harry Potter but my OH loves the books/films so I keep meaning to take him to the studios, so great to hear about this new area, glad you enjoyed! Xx #KCACOLS
wow, if you are a HP fan then this is a must! sadly I never got in to it :/ I just didn’t get the appeal?! #KCACOLS
They’ve completely changed this since we last went so we’re hoping to go again in the summer holidays. Thanks for the taster, it looks amazing!
Oh wow this looks like such a fantastic tour…You and Nick both looked liked you thoroughly enjoyed it too! Great pictures. Thanks for sharing your experience I really enjoyed reading it.
P.s. I love the clip of you getting to fly around on the broomstick through London to hogwarts. Xx #KCACOLS
Wow what a lovely event! We went a few months ago and it was as amazing as I had imagined it was! As big Harry Potter fans, me and my sister had a great time! I loved Diagon Alley and the model was just incredible! It would have been great to see inside 4 Privet Drive but we had already booked and visited before they announced the opening 🙂
#KCACOLS
WOW, SO MANY AMAZING PARTS TO YOUR TOUR. DIAGON ALLEY AND THE GREAT HALL WOULD DEFINITELY BE MY MUST-SEES. IT’S INCREDIBLE TO SEE IT ALL. THANKS FOR HOSTING #KCACOLS
I have to confess, I have never watched any of the films or read any of the books, so the whole Harry Potter craze is totally lost on me!! My husband loves Harry Potter though and would love to go here and actually it looks like an amazing day out! How fabulous that you were invited on the tour! #KCACOLS
My eldest read Harry Potter at school this year, so we are all now Potter fans! My boys would absolutely love this, I’ll have to start saving up for them! I loved your broomstick ride, it was excellent, and not a hair out of place lol! Thanks for hosting #KCACOLS
Wow, what a fabulous experience – I’ve never been to the Warner Bros studios but would absolutely love to go – especially after reading this! I think I would be in complete awe of the Great Hall. I bet Bella was so jealous of Mum and Dad! Great pics xx #KCACOLS
Looks like a lovely day and I really like the fact that there is stuff to do unlike other exhibitions X #kcacols
Oh my goodness, my son went through Potter fever long ago, but my daughter is such a potter-junkie it is not even funny and she is only 5. I am so jealous, I have to admit I love the books and movies (not as much as my daughter) but I love them! #KCACOLS
What a fabulous and magical tour! My daughter Emily, in particular, would adore this. She is crazy about Harry Potter. #KCACOLS
My name is themotherhubblog and I have never seen Harry Potter movie. phew, I said it. Amazing you got to meet Fiona Shaw , shes a legend #kcacols
I love Harry Potter nd would love to go! Those plans look amazing on the walls xx
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Oh I am so jealous I would love to go to privet drive! Glad you both had a good time lovey xx #KCACOLS xx
My husband would absolutely love this! To be honest I think I would too, but he loves HP! It is his thirtieth next year and I think we will go then 🙂 #KCACOLS
Oh I really want to go there. I’m going to have another look at the site as I’m visiting the kids peruvian cousins in london this weekend! Quite expensive for a family ticket but sometimes you just have to grin and hand over the cash to get to see some of these events. Thanks for such an indepth post on it and thanks as usual for hosting your linky.
mainy x
#KCACOLS
I LOVE HArry Potter and this look absolutely amazing. I am so sad that it is so far from me and so getting there is just a little too much at the moment. Looking at your pics and videos, I can’t wait ! #KCACOLS
Looks like a fab day! It always amazes me the amount of effort and work that goes in to creating things that you may only see for a second on screen, looks like so much fun and love the pics x #KCACOLS
Not a huge Harry Potter fan watched the films but not read the books but I am so jealous you got to see this it looks amazing especially the letters wow! x
This is amazing, I’m so very jealous!! Especially of the broom ride 🙂 My parents don’t live too far from here but saving our trip for when my little girl is a bit older… Thank you for hosting #KCACOLS xxx
I absolutely love the broom ride. that’s awesome. I think Cygnet is probably too young to go to a Harry Potter event so I might just have to go on my own. Pen x
I do think this was an incredibly well designed set of films if nothing else. Looks like you had a blast. #kcacols
I’m so jealous! It looks amazing! I really want to go (I especially want to do the Hogwarts at winter they do around Christmas), but think it makes more sense to wait until the kids are old enough to appreciate it. I also really want butterbeer – creamy & sweet is exactly my thing! #KCACOLS
It’s an amazing place isn’t it? I can’t wait to go back again
It really does look like a magical place, but I’m really not a Harry Potter fan, so it all means nothing to me lol! It looks like you had a fab time though, and I am sure it is a ‘must see’ for any Harry Potter fan! #KCACOLS xx
It looks and sounds like a great trip and so exciting. We’ve been in the WB tour in LA and saw some bits and pieces from Harry Potter in their exhibit there. There was an incredibly realistic Hermiony. Thanks for hosting, I did read last week but didn’t get to comment so popping back #kcacols x
AHHHH I am so jealous – we have been to the studio tour but I was two weeks post C-section with Pie and to be honest it was all a bit stressful! You are so lucky to go to such and event, and the pictures are fab. Looks like you had an amazing day. I think I will have to book to go again and take Pie now as he is such a big fan. Thanks for hosting #kcacols
Even though I’m not a Harry Potter fan this looks awesome! such a good day out glad you had fun! #kcacols
oh gosh this looks so fun! i’m not even a huge fan of harry potter but i love it, it’s like a theme park! 🙂 how much is it? #KCACOLS