It’s Movie Magic - Visiting the Harry Potter Studios
When we first moved here, visiting the Harry Potter Studios was on Mary Frances’ bucket list. For a self-described Harry Potter fanatic, having the studio in your backyard causes extreme excitement! I was more excited about the movie magic!
Planning:
Since we are also tourists, we thought we could easily book a tour at anytime. One may think that this visit can simply be arranged by showing up and paying, but all tickets must be purchased in advance. When we were initially researching possible times to go, we found plenty of times and dates available (but did not question why they were during the work week..) so we decided to just purchase them whenever we were available.Flash forward to November 2017, when we had a free day and wanted to go, so we looked online. They were sold out until February. Instantly, Mary Frances bought tickets for “Valentine’s Day” although I am not the biggest fan. I do love visiting the #1 tourist attraction though!Harry Potter Warner Brother Studios is located just outside Watford in a small village called Leavesden. From central London, there is a train from Euston Station to Watford Junction. Once you arrive at Watford, there is a special bus that will drop you off at the studios! From MK, you can catch the train or drive and we opted to drive because Sunday train service is slow and not that great.
Harry Potter World:
Entrance(s):
Once we pulled into the lot, you instantly see two huge studio lots - fittingly named J and K. I wonder where they received that inspiration! The first entrance, where you pick up your tickets, is surrounded by a courtyard of the famous “most wanted” or newspaper headlines that you see in the movies. It is really neat![gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="985,990"]We entered the first entrance and were greeted with the giant, famous Harry Potter scene of the boats approaching Hogwarts. Again, perfect timing because it fit the emotion and mood! Mary Frances was giddy with excitement similar to the group of primary (elementary) school kids! From there, you walk in this tunnel shaped as the famous Marauder’s Map and movie quotes. I think we stopped at every one for pictures…[gallery size="large" columns="2" ids="994,966"]After the tunnel, we arrived at the final entrance - surrounded by Starbucks, a cafe, and of course a giant gift shop! The actor’s and actresses’ headshots from the beginning to the end where surrounding the top of the room. Although we remember Daniel and Emma as ‘teenagers’ in the last film, we often forget that they were 11 years old when they began filming!The tour begins with a short documentary on how they discovered Harry Potter. The production secretary had to read the “lowest priority” books and she came back raving about it. Then, the movie magic began! Afterwards, the screen lifts and we were instantly in the Great Hall! It was really cool how they did it! Also, I kept wondering why they called the first book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” until Mary Frances reminded me that is the European / British title. We appropriately bought this book so we could have the special edition!
The Great Hall:
The Great Hall is filled with memorabilia and is the original set from the films. Obviously, it is missing some of the tables and props to accommodate for hundreds of tourists. It is nicely decorated with original costumes - especially the original robe worn by Harry Potter in the first film. I do not think pictures will do it justice as the Great Hall is truly massive. And this wasn’t including the ceiling! The ceiling was digitally enhanced so no point installing the roof!
[gallery size="large" columns="2" ids="995,984,987,991"]For Harry Potter junkies, the fun did not end there. Our next room was jam-packed with original sets, set pieces, Quidditch, props, potion labs, and fun Harry Potter facts! Rather than spoil the magic, here are my favorite hidden facts. The Gryffindor dorm rooms are so tiny that once Harry and Ron grew from 11 to 21 years old, their feet hug over the edges! One might ask what fills Dumbledore’s lair - well, most of the books are phone books decorated as ancient. Finally, the Ministry of Magic is designed after the old London Tube system with over 30,000 wood “ceramic” tiles. After experiencing London business rush hour firsthand, I can also say it fits that chaotic scene![gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="969,993,992,988"]We then were invited to walk through the Forbidden Forest. Yes, somehow, in the same studio as the Great Hall, they managed to fit the Forbidden Forest! The trees are gigantic and similar to the California Red Oaks. We learned about the process of putting together this massive forest and there are five different stages! The set artists did a fantastic job because it is so realistic.
Hogwarts Express:
One of the most iconic scenes in the first movie is Harry pushing his cart through Platform 9 3/4 to see the Hogwarts’ Express bright red train. There is also a lot of brilliant film directing in getting that shot by the way! The train is set on real trail tracks and is probably one of the only set pieces that is not fake. It is entirely real and full of the various scene props through the films. Of course, you can also get your picture in the train (and green screen) and visit the Railway gift shop.[gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="970,980"]
"Three Broomsticks":
Similar to Hermione inviting Harry to a butter beer, we were welcomed into what I am calling the Three Broomsticks for butter beer and butter beer ice cream. It is one of the four places in the world that serves it! Had certain people not been on a diet, I think we would have stopped for a refreshing beverage in the nice, warm room.
Outside Lot:
Did you know Harry Potter’s cottage and Privet Drive were right next to each other? And to get to one, you had to cross the Hogwarts Bridge? Neither did I! As we explored the very fake, but very real sets, it started snowing! It meant we spent more time in the cottage! The Privet house consists of only 1 floor and no, the Cupboard under the Staircase does not exists - it is only a door.[gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="981,974"]For the Hogwarts bridge, I was surprised to know that it is not mentioned in the books or the original movie script. The director felt they needed a bridge and now we have a very iconic movie scene! Mary Frances actually asked for a picture on the bridge! That is how I know how excited and happy she was to be standing on the bridge![gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="973,972"]
K Studio:
Inside the next studio houses all the true “behind the scenes” workings. For ten years, I can imagine how the graphic, set, and creative departments were one of the best units in the world. Outside of the amazing Weta in New Zealand, they were the best of the best! For example, for two minutes of screen time of one person, they spent over a year designing, testing, and creating the costume. It is truly incredible. The motto was: if you need it, we will find a way to create it!In between the fire-breathing dragon set and the costume design, we of course had to walk through Diagon Alley. Mary Frances said it is exactly like Harry Potter World - minus the few “shops” that are open for business in Orlando. We both were surprised how narrow the streets are for being one of the key sets in the movie! That is movie magic!
For the grand finale, we were introduced into the challenging world of set design and then creation. We could tell it must have taken months and years to design the sets. The studio employed artists to create these ideas from the book and those images formed the basis of the costumes and characters. The final room was a 1/24 scale of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Words cannot describe the dedication, work, and skill it took to build this scale. During filming, there were over 500 lights and each light had various filters and settings to achieve the desired effects. It is remarkable![gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="977,976"]
Movie Magic:
While not as thrilling or exciting as Harry Potter World in Orlando, Florida, the studios remind us that it took a legit army to design, create, build, direct, and act these 8 movies. For some people, they were on the crew for 10 years and did not take a break from “filming” because they were getting ready for the next one. We were transported into one of the great film series and fell for the movie magic!