If you're a Harry Potter fan, or like me, you're part of what we call the "Harry Potter Generation," you've probably thought about visiting the Warner Bros. studios in London at some point.
Today I'll tell you everything you need to know about the studios before you go, in great detail. I've prepared a video with all the detailed information, in case you want to go faster, you can find it HERE.
I remember being 14, Harry Potter was at its peak, the movies were coming out annually, and we still didn't know how it would end, as the last book hadn't been published yet. I was absolutely in love with the saga; it was my refuge and the place where I felt understood (like thousands of people from this and other generations), and I admired Emma Watson. I'd daydream all day, imagining that I was also an actress and was on a film set instead of in those tedious classrooms. Although today I'm grateful to have spent my childhood in a school classroom (and how fortunate I am for that!), for me, the magic of cinema is still unique and has never ceased to enchant me. That's why one of the best birthday gifts I've ever received was a ticket to the Harry Potter studios. Just how special it was already promised a lot. It did not disappoint.
One of the most special moments was seeing the sweater Hermione wore in the first movie, identical to one I owned (and which, of course, I always wanted to wear from then on), displayed there. It transported me back to that movie theater in Barcelona, where, at 9 years old, I first met Harry Potter. Difficult years were ahead for me, and it was that afternoon, unknowingly, that I began to build the person I would become, and to fall in love with the city that would make me dream and fight for my dreams.
TICKETS. The big question: where and when to buy your tickets. There are many types of tickets. I recommend the simplest one, which only includes access to the studios. Here's the link for tickets. And then, you freely decide how you want to get to the Studios.
Many tickets are also sold with transportation to the studios. Getting to the studios is easy; we'll tell you more about it later.
The only catch is that tickets sell out well in advance, so if you miss out on the official page, you'll find much more expensive tickets elsewhere or through agencies (if that happens, we'll give you the best link to buy tickets if they're sold out on the official website we'll give you the best link to buy tickets if they're sold out on the official website.
The early bird catches the worm, so if you want the best option, book your ticket in advance. During high season, they sell out up to 6 months ahead.
A question many people ask us when they come on our tours and have missed out on tickets is whether it's worth going to the studios without a ticket and asking for last-minute tickets. We asked 3 different people at the studios, and they all told us the same thing: don't do it. As you can imagine, there are no spare tickets, so it makes things very difficult for them when people show up at the ticket office without one. It's most likely that you'll have spent money on transport and almost 3 hours of your time going around in circles, for nothing. If you haven't managed to get tickets, you'll have to come back to London. We'll always be waiting for you, and anyway, you always come back to London.
HOW TO GET THERE? Okay, Sandra, I've got my ticket like you told me, without transport, from the website. Now, how do I get there?
The fastest way is by train. It departs from Euston station, right next to King's Cross (if you've listened to our podcast episode where we talk about Harry Potter, you'll already know that J.K. Rowling had this station in mind when describing King's Cross in the books).
Here's our favorite website to book your train ticket.
Depending on which area of London you're in, you can also take the overground. The overground is a subway line but it runs above ground (like a train) instead of underground. It doesn't pass through central London, but in this case, it will be perfect for you, as you're going even beyond Zone 6 of London. In fact, technically the studios are on the outskirts of London. But don't listen to me; the point is that with how well-connected this city is, you don't even need to know where the studios are.
Since knowledge is never a burden, and in case you're curious, we'll tell you that they're in Leavesden (by the way, a place with a lot of history and a very ancient enclave, but that's another story). Your destination, however, is this: Watford Junction.
The journey will take you about 30 minutes. It costs between 15 and 20 pounds return (depending on whether it's peak time or not).
If you have doubts about public transport in London, I've left you this video.
So now you know, train or overground to Watford Junction. And what happens when you get there?
You'll most likely get off the train with many other people going to the same place as you; in fact, there are signs at the station telling you to get off there if you're going to the studios. It's really so intuitive that there are no problems or mistakes; no one beats the British when it comes to organization and practicality.
When you exit the station, right at the door, you'll see a bus stop, with buses featuring huge Harry Potter letters. You just need to get on that bus, and pay attention because it's completely free. Show your ticket and that's it.
The only downside is that it's not the Knight Bus. But don't be too disappointed, because it takes you along a beautiful path, while showing you a video to get you excited about everything you're about to see and prepare you for your visit. And that's where the adventure truly begins. This journey will last approximately another 20 minutes.
To return to London, you have to do exactly the same thing, but in reverse. And don't worry, because the bus services run until the studios are empty, meaning that if they close, you can still catch a bus back. There are trains back to London.
From Juliet's Bridge, we offer transfers with professional Spanish-speaking drivers. You can find more details here.
The price is 190 pounds for a round trip for up to 5 people. The ideal thing about going with this service is that it includes accommodation pickup, more comfort as you are picked up and dropped off directly at the studios, and the possibility of having a personal driver waiting for you. Of course, it is a more expensive service and since you will be traveling by car, the arrival time may depend more on traffic and the area where you are staying, but to give you an idea, the journey is approximately 1 hour.
WHAT TO EXPECT? Okay, we've gotten through all the tedious and boring stuff. Pull out your wand because here comes the good part.
Many times you ask what's in the studios and what's the difference between these and the ones in Orlando. Well, these studios are a film set. It's literally the place where all this film crew and actors went daily to work on the movies. That's where, for 10 years, they worked tirelessly to create the true magic of Harry Potter. In other words, the place we all dreamed of going as children.
It's not an amusement park, nor is it a place to go and get your adrenaline pumping. It's more like a holy place for fans of the saga.
This film set was not meant to be kept, as is generally the case with all movies. They recreate them, build them, and then dismantle them, and another team occupies the studio for another movie. I can't imagine how much it must cost to dismantle them, honestly. Truly, until you see with your own eyes the hours and hours of work involved, you don't quite believe it. Obviously, it's not in vain, and it doesn't have another function, nor would there be space in the world to leave all these sets assembled, so they create it for filming and then dismantle everything.
The success of the Harry Potter films was so great that they decided to use all the material they had and turn these studios into a museum.
What exactly does this mean? Well, you'll see a thousand objects (props, as they call them in English) and material that was used during the films, and even entire film sets. They've prepared a tour with a little bit of everything so you can learn, uncover all the secrets, and see a summary of those 10 years of work. This means that not all sets are the "real" ones.
Some, like Diagon Alley or the Great Hall, are. The reason for this is quite evident. They needed these sets in all the movies, so they assembled them and left them assembled. Others, such as the Ministry of Magic (which, according to the actor who plays Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe, is the most impressive he saw), were dismantled, and now a small part is exhibited so you can imagine it. Some are reused several times for different purposes, and some will be right next to each other during filming. For example, (I'm making this up), they say that on one side was Dumbledore's office, and on the other, the Malfoys' dining room... the magic of cinema!.
The tour is huge, you can easily spend about 4 hours inside these studios, and it's easy to imagine these actors with golf carts going from one side of the studios to the other.
They also show you the work of the entire crew behind the scenes: carpenters, electricians, cameramen, focus pullers, makeup artists, hairdressers, special effects artists, inventors, painters... true artists who create wonders. Wigs, specially designed machines for the movies, and fake masks (like Mrs. Doubtfire's) for a thousand characters are on display.
What we liked most was a kind of backpack with Hagrid's face, so real it was even impressive to see! The extra had to put it on to appear much bigger. In the books, Hagrid is 10 feet tall, but in the movies, despite all efforts, they could only make him look a maximum of 8 feet tall. It's not that easy!
Other curiosities we discovered and liked were decorative details. For example, in Dumbledore's office, you can see a thousand books in the background. They are old phone books (obviously, nobody uses them anymore) covered in leather to give them the look of antique books. Or the more than 350 paintings seen throughout the films at Hogwarts, which were hand-painted. Many members of the film crew posed to be painted live and appear in a painting during the films.
You'll have the opportunity to take photos, some imitating techniques they use for camera effects. Although there are a couple of photographs you'll have to pay for. For example, you can record a video of yourself flying on a broomstick in front of the iconic green screen, and the price of that video is 16 pounds.
And there aren't just one or two, but four trolleys for you to take photos as if you were entering platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross (these ones are free).
In short, a tour that offers a lot and that you'll thoroughly enjoy if you're a true wizard.
RECOMMENDATIONS. You already know how to get there and what you'll see, but I still have some tips, notes, recommendations, or whatever you want to call them, that might be useful.
- Keep in mind that everything is in English. Yes, we don't understand why, but everything is only in English. It's not a huge problem, really, because you can easily translate the texts, and it's more about seeing than hearing. But all the staff working there, who know absolutely everything about the movies, speak English. Similarly, the way you enter the studios (which is a surprise) includes content only... in English. You're in luck, many of the instructions they'll give you, we're also telling you in this post ;).
- You can take photos of ALMOST everything. Except for the first 10 minutes, when they prohibit you from taking photographs (or politely ask you not to, since they're English). For the rest of the tour, you can photograph and record as much as you want. Even so, try not to reveal too many secrets to your friends or acquaintances who are going to visit the studios, we firmly believe that magic needs an element of surprise.
- Bring your own food. Midway through the tour, you'll reach a dining area with a restaurant. The restaurant food is quite poor quality for a rather high price. So, if you want to eat well, bring your own food, even if it's just a sandwich, a bottle of water, and some nuts. Plus, you'll save yourself the queues. They move fast, but during high season, no matter how fast they go, it's too much "lost" time. If you feel like trying butterbeer, go ahead... for us, there's no doubt, it's absolutely awful! That said, keep in mind that you won't be able to eat or drink (excluding water, of course) during the tour, only in this restaurant or the one at the entrance.
- Use of the cloakroom. When you arrive at the studios, they will offer you a completely free cloakroom service. You can leave whatever you want there, but keep in mind that a part (albeit small) of the tour is outdoors, so if you visit the studios in cold weather, your coat will not be superfluous. We didn't leave it, in fact, at times, even indoors, it came in handy. Obviously, it's up to you, but keep this in mind. The same goes if you're bringing your own food. You'll have to carry it with you, as you'll only return to the cloakroom when you finish the entire tour.
- Keep in mind that what's seen, is seen. The tour is designed to be one-way, so enjoy everything you see because you'll be leaving it behind and won't return to it.
- No need to be ultra punctual. Obviously, I don't mean you can arrive 3 hours late, but they are quite flexible. As long as you have a ticket and arrive more or less within your time slot, you're fine. In fact, most likely, by the time you arrive, go to the bathroom, grab a coffee, and join the queue for the tour entrance, you'll end up entering later. This means that if, for whatever reason, your train is delayed, the bus doesn't arrive, or you have any miscalculation in your schedule, you don't have to worry because they will let you in.
- Don't buy a ticket with transport. I think it's already clear, but just in case, or if you've come straight to this section. It's very easy to get to the studios, so don't pay extra. Buy the simple ticket and get to the studios yourself by train. The round-trip train fare is about 20 pounds, and you can pay easily by tapping your credit or debit card at the station turnstiles or with your Oyster card (if you have doubts about transport, on our Instagram we have the reel "Quick guide to transport in London" that will resolve all your questions regarding this).
- Don't go to the studios without a ticket. Again, just in case it wasn't clear, you have practically no chance of arriving there and getting into the studios last minute. So don't waste your visiting time in London trying to get a ticket at the counter.
- Don't be afraid to go in costume. Many people ask us if it's crazy to go in costume, and we assure you it's NOT. Many people go in costume, and you can even bring a wand or a scarf to take photos like a true professional. If you go in costume, you won't be alone.
- And finally, a warning. On the tour, you'll find a thousand effects, sounds, smoke, lights, and they modify the shows, but they will do small shows with actors simulating Death Eaters. It's forbidden to touch them and they won't touch you, but if you're with scared little ones (as I was), explain to them what they're going to see. In fact, the fun of the studios is discovering the magic behind all those effects, so it's ideal for losing your "fear." Similarly, if for some reason something scares you a lot (for example, spiders) let a team member know and they will help you avoid the areas where you might see something that makes you suffer. The truth is that the whole team is great. They love their job and will help you with everything.
And because we love interesting facts, here are two:
- These studios were created during the Second World War, in 1940, and were actually built to be airfields, where they constructed and stored planes and light aircraft for the war. In the 90s, given their size, they were converted into studios for James Bond movies. They used these studios because there were no other available and they needed a new one. Since 2001, their destiny was sealed when Harry Potter arrived.
- Technically, these studios are not in London, but in Hertfordshire. If you're a literature buff, this name will sound familiar, as the Bennet family from Pride and Prejudice lives in Hertfordshire (but it takes them half a day by carriage to reach London, not the 40 minutes it will take you).
With all this, I think you're more than ready for this special and magical visit. But most importantly, remember that you're there to have a good time, and that, as we say on our tours, magic exists if you know how to see it. The magic is carried by you and the thousands of fans who visit this place daily, so enjoy it and enjoy your visit to this wonderful place.
If you want more, our Harry Potter tours are as magical as the studios. We visit filming locations and share with you a thousand details and secrets of the saga and of the cult and filming locations in London.
You can book a private tour: https://www.julietsbridge.com/products/the-harry-potter-london-tour
or sign up for a Free Tour: https://www.julietsbridge.com/products/free-tour-harry-potter
I look forward to meeting you.
Until then,
Mischief managed
