Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
When I started in the FIE study abroad program, they provided a list of events we could do. One that stood out to me was the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. I am a big fan of Harry Potter. I began watching the movies when I was a pre-teen. And a couple of years ago, I read all of the books. I read all seven in three weeks. As I said, I am a huge fan. In addition, one of the abroad courses I enrolled in was Harry Potter: Magic, Myth, and Meaning. Therefore, it was a no-brainer to do the studio tour.
I 100% recommend doing the studio tour if you are a fan of Harry Potter. The tour cost approximately 51 pounds. It is kid-friendly, adult-friendly, and a great experience whether you are a huge fan or just interested in the series. When we arrived, we had approximately two hours before our ride would pick us up. The beginning of the tour was what I expected. We walked through rooms with pictures and items from the series on display. Then we all huddled together to watch a video detailing the tour. Next, they ushered us into a space that resembled a movie theatre. When the video ended, the screen rose to the ceiling, and the famous doors leading to the Great Hall from the series appeared. My jaw dropped. We walked through the great hall and got to experience what it would be like to be in one of the scenes with special effects.
We then walked through a big room with countless original and famous things from the movies. It was crazy to walk through the different sets where they filmed. Once we made our way through the Forbidden Forest, we arrived at one of my favorite parts of the tour. We walked through platform 9 ¾. We were able to walk through the Hogwarts Express. After the train, we realized the bus would arrive to pick us up in 20 minutes, and we were only halfway through the tour. But my friends and I agreed we weren’t leaving without seeing the rest. So, we decided to pay for our own transportation home. It was the best decision. We ended up staying for another hour. Halfway through, we stopped in the cafeteria to eat food and the famous Harry Potter butterbeer. The butterbeer was the best part of the tour. We then were able to walk through more famous sets from the movie. We walked through Harry’s house, Gringotts bank, and more. We got to see some of the special effects from the movie and take lots of pictures. It was worth the money I had to pay for an uber home.
Overall this was a great experience. It was an interactive and worthwhile experience for fans of the series. My advice is to plan to be at the studio for at least three hours, prepare to become addicted to the butterbeer, and have plenty of storage on your phone for the photos. I rate the experience a 10/10.
By: Chloe Franklin