Harry Potter Studio Tour

Many of the trips we've taken on our English journey have had connections to Harry Potter (such as the dining hall in Christ Church or Kings Cross/St. Pancras) but it's today's trip that has the most direct connection. Today we toured WB's Harry Potter studios.

Much like the Doctor Who Experience the studio tour is about the magic behind the scenes.  It has props, costumes, and sets galore and gives visitors the chance to partake in interactive experiences (such as wizard dueling and broom riding).  I've been a huge Harry Potter fan since I read the Prisoner of Azkaban back in high school (I was late to the party) and it was such a treat to experience the books and films in this way.  Admittedly, one of my favorite props today was the Marauder's Map.  Yes, I know it doesn't move but it was still awesome!

The studio had some of the original film sets as well.  One of my favorite's was Dumbledore's office.  You actually had the opportunity to step into the office and be surrounded by part of the set so you really felt like you were a part of the scene.

Dumbledore's office even had the sorting hat sitting on a shelf!

The level of detail on all the props and sets was astonishing!  You could never quite see this much detail in the films.  Dumbledore's office, for instance, was full of potion bottles, portraits, and mechanical doodads.  They even build a huge model of Hogwarts and the grounds for use in the films.  The model has lighting that changes for different times of the day and little lights in Hogwarts go on at night.

Pigwidgeon personally loved all the owls.

Owl Emporium

I loved seeing the reactions from children as they shared the experience with their families.  Their eyes lit up and they became so excited when they'd see a set or a prop they recognized.  Watching some children practicing wizard dueling today was absolutely amazing.  It looks like they had the choreographer in earlier than expected (they are bringing him in beginning on Friday) and they got personal instruction on what to do.  A few of us tried our hands at it too but without the instructor and it was so fun.

Another fantastic day for literature and film lovers alike!