Hogwarts in the Snow

Last December I spent an enchanting evening at the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour in London. Here are the highlights from the magical ‘Hogwarts in the Snow’, with photos, my top tips, and more. Check out my Instagram highlights for even more behind-the-scenes videos!

Happy Christmas Harry…

Christmastime always makes me think of Harry Potter. Growing up, the films always played on television in the run up to Christmas, and my sisters and I would watch them all. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is actually my go-to Christmas film. Hogwarts at Christmastime is the most magical setting possible. And every Christmas morning my sisters and I exchange the classic greeting, ‘Happy Christmas Harry…Happy Christmas Ron.’ (Yes we’re nerds!).

The best birthday gift ever…

If you hadn’t known already, you probably get the idea that I’m a massive Harry Potter fan. This only grew when I arrived in London in September 2013. A few of my first friends (from university/church) shared my mutual love for Harry Potter. That year we hung out watching the Harry Potter films on our laptops, and immediately started making plans to someday go to the Harry Potter Studios together. But life (and student budgets) got in the way, and years passed by without anything happening.

Then for my birthday in December 2016, the church family I used to live with gave me four tickets to Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour. It was an absolute dream come true, and one of the best gifts I have ever received! I had my heart set on going to ‘Hogwarts in the Snow’, so my three friends and I waited another whole year to go.

Finally, for my birthday in December 2017, I walked through the doors of the Harry Potter Studio. For four hours, my three friends and I discovered wonder after wonder as we wandered the sets and saw the exact stages and props that the cast and crew used to create these beloved films.

A thousand pictures…

There is so much I could say about our time at the Harry Potter Studio. But I think the cliché holds true that a picture is worth a thousand words – and I took about a thousand pictures (you think I’m joking… =P). I easily could have spent a whole day (or several) going through the wealth of Harry Potter resources put together. The whole experience is incredibly in-depth and very well done, and I could not recommend it more highly.

I tried my best to narrow down my photo selection for this post. Here are some of my favourite shots as we made our way through the studios, with some of my top tips at each stop. Let me take you through our experience of ‘Hogwarts in the Snow’:

WARNER BROS. HARRY POTTER STUDIO TOUR

The Gift Shop

Top Tip: Get to the studios earlier than your tour time and explore the Gift Shop. There are loads of fun delights to be found. Consider setting yourself a budget of what you’re willing to spend beforehand – it can be incredibly tempting to buy everything (and that’s not the most budget-friendly). My ticket came with a souvenir guide, which was the perfect memento to take home.

The Great Hall

Top Tip: Try to be at the front and/or back of the queue when entering the Great Hall. This way you can get a shot of the grand reveal before everyone steps inside; likewise you can get a shot of the Hall after it’s emptied and everyone has left. There is a time limit on how long you can spend in this room (the rest of the studio you can take at your own pace), so be strategic in getting the photos you want.

Hogwarts Props and Costumes

The Yule Ball

Hogwarts Hallways

Gryffindor Common Room

Potions Classroom

Dumbledore’s Office

Quidditch

Top Tip: Read the boards and watch some of the movies playing with all the behind-the-scenes information. I learned so much about the film-making process: from the floating candles in the Great Hall, to background on the soundtrack composers (I am a musician after all), to the animals they used onscreen! Sadly there isn’t time to take in absolutely everything, so pick and choose what you’re interested in.

Special Effects

Top Tip: Play around with some of the magical special effects. With the push of a button you can watch Lupin’s suitcase pack itself. You can also take a group photo in Hagrid’s hut with a nice giant-like perspective.

The Burrow

Top Tip: Make the sets move! Find the control boards to help Molly out and do some knitting, scrub a pot, and/or chop some food.

The Ministry of Magic

Top Tip: In addition to the sweeping larger sets, look out for Black’s family tree and Voldemort’s grave. You can also get a lesson in proper wand duelling, if you fancy.

The Forbidden Forest

Top Tip: (Try to) enjoy the immersive experience of being taken into the Forbidden Forest – I’m not going to lie, I squealed in fear a few times.

Platform 9¾ and the Hogwarts Express

Top Tip: Get photos with the Hogwarts Express, and entering Platform 9¾! There’s also a little gift shop in Kings Cross Station, but it’s not as extensive as the one outside the tour.

Privet Drive and the Knight Bus

Top Tip: The Knight Bus and the Weasley’s flying car make for more golden photo ops. You can also enter and explore the Dursley’s House on Privet Drive.

Magical Creatures

Top Tip: Try your hand (or rather your whole body) at making Dobby move onscreen.

Diagon Alley

Top Tip: Wait for the crowds to thin out a bit if you’d like to get some less crowded photos. I loved looking at all of the details in the various shop windows.

Artwork

Top Tip: There are truly stunning pieces of artwork and miniature models of Harry Potter sights, with some informative short movies to watch as well. But don’t linger here too long, because the best is yet to come…

Model of Hogwarts

Top Tip: For me this was the most moving and extraordinary part of the whole studio tour. Savour it and take it all in. The film soundtrack playing in the background perfectly accompanies the stunning large-scale model of Hogwarts. It’s such a grand way to end the tour, and a moment to never forget.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

Address: Warner Bros. Studio Tour, Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden WD25 7LR

 Tickets: http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/tickets

Hogwarts in the Snow – started mid-Nov and runs through 27^th Jan 2019

Final Tips:

• Book tickets as early as possible! Time slots can fill up months in advance.
• We opted to go for the final time slot of the evening (6:30pm). This worked well for us, and we ended up being the final people going through the whole studio (with the staff literally locking up behind us). It also wasn’t too crowded, ideal for photos.
• If you’re able, visit on your birthday! If you do, there’s a special little surprise for you at the start of the tour.
• Eat beforehand (we ate on the train ride there); you’ll be there for awhile and food in the studios is a bit pricey.
• Go with other Harry Potter fans – the experience is made all the more enjoyable if you have other obsessed friends to enjoy it with.
• Take your time, but make sure you leave enough time to fully appreciate the end (you don’t want to feel rushed). The average visit lasts about 3.5 hours, but we spent about 4 hours and easily could’ve stayed longer if it hadn’t closed.
• Savour and enjoy the whole experience – it honestly is pure joy and magic!
• Take as many photos as you can – they make beautiful memories.

Harry Potter Studio Tour vs Harry Potter World

I have been asked a number of times how the Harry Potter Studio Tour compares to Harry Potter World in Orlando, FL. I feel incredibly fortunate that I have gotten to visit both places in the span of half a year. (You can read my One Day Guide to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter here.) So I believe I can pretty accurately compare the two.

I’ll start off by saying that both absolutely have their own rightful place on a Harry Potter fan’s bucket list. Both visits are honestly two of the best experiences I have ever had in my life. They are also vastly different.

The Harry Potter Studio Tour, in London, is like an incredibly in-depth museum on all things Harry Potter. There is so much background information to explore and dig into. It’s amazing to see the actual props, costumes, and sets used in the filming of the movies, and to read about what went on behind-the-scenes of the movie. You can walk through at your own pace, slowly savouring the magic and wonder.

Harry Potter World, in Florida, feels more like you’ve actually entered the Harry Potter universe. You can physically walk through Hogwarts Castle, visit shops in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, hop on the Hogwarts Express, and go on amusement park rides that fully immerse you in the Harry Potter world. It’s an experience full of energy, that feels larger than life.

I hope you’re able to go to both sometime in your lifetime. And if you’re able to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London, I definitely recommend going to the ‘Hogwarts in the Snow’ exhibition – for me, it was absolute Christmas bliss.