We booked the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – the Making of Harry Potter with return transportation from Central London. Our bus was supposed to have screens on the headrests to be able to watch Harry Potter movies unfortunately they weren’t working.
We were excited to walk in the footsteps of Harry Potter and explore the wonders of the Wizarding World.
The anticipation of entering the Great Hall was palpable.
As we stepped into the Great Hall we were transported immediately into the infamous World of Harry Potter.
Serving as the backdrop to some of the film series’ most iconic scenes such as the Yule Ball and the Battle of Hogwarts, the Great Hall was first built for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2000 and was used as a key set for six more films.
The spectacular Great Hall includes the costumes of students from each Hogwarts house plus two large tables which are set for dinner; at the top of the room is the teachers’ table where the Hogwarts Professors sat.
Next, we explored all the wonderful Interior sets watching detailed videos and in person talks on how the props were made. Our Kidsetter was captivated.
Next, we entered the Forbidden Forest. While shooting for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, scenic artists created backdrops that were up to six hundred feet in length. The Forbidden Forest seen at the Studio Tour is filled with 19 trees each with a diameter of over 12 feet. Our Kidsetter was a little nervous being in the forest and seeing the size of this spider was terrifying for me !
Once we had been spooked by the Forbidden Forest it was a relief to find ourselves on Platform 9 ¾. The Hogwarts Express locomotive transported hundreds of students from Platform 9 ¾ to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Most of the scenes that take place on Platform 9 ¾ were actually shot on location at King’s Cross Station in London, however, during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, part of the station platform was recreated on a soundstage at Leavesden, complete with the track and the train.
The Hogwarts Express provided the background for the very first shot ever captured for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and then, ten years later, for the very last shot of the entire series in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
The real locomotive and passenger carriages were used on locations throughout the United Kingdom to create the exterior views of the train while a special interior carriage set (built on the soundstages at Leavesden) was used for all of the scenes that take place inside the train. Visual effects artists replaced the green screen background in the windows with moving backdrops and special effects like hopping Chocolate Frogs and flying Dementors.
Professor Sprout’s greenhouse is a favourite set from the Harry Potter film series, where Hogwart’s students were taught their Herbology lessons with Professor Pomona Sprout. Our Kidsetter loved pulling out a Mandrake and hearing it squeal.
From Harry Potter first discovering Diagon Alley to the famous trio escaping on a Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon in their quest for a Horcrux, Gringotts Wizarding Bank played an important role in the Harry Potter film series.
Lined by towering marble pillars, the grand banking hall is decorated with three magnificent crystal chandeliers and finished with real brass leaf.
Entering The Vaults was exhilarating as we anticipated the arrival of the fire breathing dragon. This is part of a new feature at Harry Potter’s Warner Bros Studio Tour in London. It was truly impressive !
Whilst it was fun walking down The Diagon Alley set observing the shop fronts we couldn’t help but reminisce about our time at Universal Studios in Florida were we able to enter the shops and be fully immersed in the Harry Potter world.
Next, we wandered through to the Art department and undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of the art department is the intricately detailed model of Hogwarts castle. A team of 86 artists and crewmembers built the first version of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The work on the model was so extensive that if one was to add all the man hours that have gone into building and reworking the model, it would come to over 74 years.
Once we had explored the behind-the-scenes 3.5 hour tour our bus was ready to depart, returning us to London. Unfortunately, there was not broomstick or Royal Enfield motorcycle to return us much to our disappointment. 😊
