Harry Potter Tour Post
As threatened promised, here's the post with the pictures from the Potter Tour I took yesterday. It's picture heavy - you have been warned!!! Also I was going to be good and resize all the pictures and make them pretty...but there's alot of pictures, and I was too lazy this way you get to see all the detail!
I'm not sure how many of you know but it is possible to visit the WB studios in Leavesdon and tour round the various sound stages where the HP films were shot...a lot of the original sets are still up meaning you can literally walk down Diagon Alley amongst other places for the cheap as chips price of £28!!! They have a literal treasure trove of sets, props, costumes and art all from the films - it's a true feast for any Harry Potter Fan (there is also a gift shop at the end that is woefully expensive!).
OK - so the day began with Me, Kel and Craig (my old manager who is a HUGE HP fan) leaving good old Warrington and heading down South - we booked for the 12:30 tour so plenty of time for a few coffee stops along the way ;)
The studios are really well sign posted and as you turn into the entrance you are greeted by HUUUUUGE billboards like this one:
That's when the excitement really hits you - we picked up our tickets and headed inside:
Just inside the entrance are the handcasts the trio made at the final premiere in London...and there are huge pictures of the cast hung all around the room - the excitment truly starts to build here!
The cupboard under the stairs and pictures from the Dursleys:
After you walk past this bit you are lead into a cinema area, a short film is played, basically 'The Trio' explaining what you're about to see, it ends with them slipping through the doors to the great hall - when the screen lifts up and there are THE ACTUAL DOORS - you get to walk through the ACTUAL DOORS INTO THE ACTUAL GREAT HALL!!! (which is actually alot smaller than you'd think LOL).
The tables are all set up and there's a load of props and costumes for you to look at:
Then it's through more doors and onto part 1: This area has several actual sound stages where some of the filming was done and sooooo many props and costumes for you to ogle and take far too may pictures of - you get told at the beginning you have 3 hours and there are 3 parts to the tour (really though the 2nd part only take about half an hour so you can spend a bit of extra time here truly taking it all in).
Hogwarts Gates:
Boy's Dorm Room:
Gryffindor Common Room:
Invisibility Cloak:
The Leaky Cauldren:
The Mirror of Erised:
Potions Classroom:
Wands:
Dumbledor's Office:
Pensieve:
Horcruxes:
Tri-Wizards Cup & Golden Egg:
Soooo many other props and costumes:
Marauder's Map:
Gringott's Vault Door:
Chamber of Secret's Entrance Door:
Black Family Tapestry:
The Burrow Interior:
Umbridge's Office:
Ministry:
Onto part 2 - you go through a set of doors and onto PRIVET DRIVE - LITERALLY!!!
It's not just Privet Drive though - there's also Godric's Hollow, the Knight Bus, the Flying Ford Anglia, Hagrid's Bike and The Hogwart's Bridge - oh and the Tom Riddle's parents gravestone - not nearly as creepy in stunning sunshine btw!!
See...not nearly as creepy in the sunshine:
Once you've had your fill of butterbeer and spent as much time as you want here it's onto part 3
Can't remember what this section was called...all the models and animals and umm stuff!
Then you round the corner and it's DIAGON ALLEY!!! OMG!!
We couldn't find Knockturn Alley alas...the next part was stunning, it showed you some of the absolutely AMAZING art created during and for the film, truly it is spectacular - honestly, so beautiful. You're told at the start that a surpise awaits you at the end:
When you've had your fill of the wonderful art work you round a corner and the sight in the nest room is breathtaking - pictures do not do it justice. It's HOGWARTS. Well a scale model that is!!
It's the actual model used for all the exterior shots of the castle - it was originally based in Leavsedon but a train running under the studio made it impossible to film it there so it was shipped elsewhere for filming and was brought back and rebuilt here (it took over 2 months) for the tour.
When you've finished wondering round you go into the final room on the tour :( It's the interior set of Olivanders!! All the wandboxes now bear the names of every cast and crew member from the 8 films!
From here you go into the gift shop and sadly that's where the magic ends...I would definitely do it again.
For one thing, there was a whole section on the CGI/Green Screen stuff used in the film that we didn't get to see - there was a 40 minute wait...it's interactive you, get to see the magic behind quidditch and your picture taken flying on a broom etc. I want to see that bit next time I come and really just everything else again.
That's all folks!!
I'm not sure how many of you know but it is possible to visit the WB studios in Leavesdon and tour round the various sound stages where the HP films were shot...a lot of the original sets are still up meaning you can literally walk down Diagon Alley amongst other places for the cheap as chips price of £28!!! They have a literal treasure trove of sets, props, costumes and art all from the films - it's a true feast for any Harry Potter Fan (there is also a gift shop at the end that is woefully expensive!).
OK - so the day began with Me, Kel and Craig (my old manager who is a HUGE HP fan) leaving good old Warrington and heading down South - we booked for the 12:30 tour so plenty of time for a few coffee stops along the way ;)
The studios are really well sign posted and as you turn into the entrance you are greeted by HUUUUUGE billboards like this one:
That's when the excitement really hits you - we picked up our tickets and headed inside:
Just inside the entrance are the handcasts the trio made at the final premiere in London...and there are huge pictures of the cast hung all around the room - the excitment truly starts to build here!
The cupboard under the stairs and pictures from the Dursleys:
After you walk past this bit you are lead into a cinema area, a short film is played, basically 'The Trio' explaining what you're about to see, it ends with them slipping through the doors to the great hall - when the screen lifts up and there are THE ACTUAL DOORS - you get to walk through the ACTUAL DOORS INTO THE ACTUAL GREAT HALL!!! (which is actually alot smaller than you'd think LOL).
The tables are all set up and there's a load of props and costumes for you to look at:
Then it's through more doors and onto part 1: This area has several actual sound stages where some of the filming was done and sooooo many props and costumes for you to ogle and take far too may pictures of - you get told at the beginning you have 3 hours and there are 3 parts to the tour (really though the 2nd part only take about half an hour so you can spend a bit of extra time here truly taking it all in).
Hogwarts Gates:
Boy's Dorm Room:
Gryffindor Common Room:
Invisibility Cloak:
The Leaky Cauldren:
The Mirror of Erised:
Potions Classroom:
Wands:
Dumbledor's Office:
Pensieve:
Horcruxes:
Tri-Wizards Cup & Golden Egg:
Soooo many other props and costumes:
Marauder's Map:
Gringott's Vault Door:
Chamber of Secret's Entrance Door:
Black Family Tapestry:
The Burrow Interior:
Umbridge's Office:
Ministry:
Onto part 2 - you go through a set of doors and onto PRIVET DRIVE - LITERALLY!!!
It's not just Privet Drive though - there's also Godric's Hollow, the Knight Bus, the Flying Ford Anglia, Hagrid's Bike and The Hogwart's Bridge - oh and the Tom Riddle's parents gravestone - not nearly as creepy in stunning sunshine btw!!
See...not nearly as creepy in the sunshine:
Once you've had your fill of butterbeer and spent as much time as you want here it's onto part 3
Can't remember what this section was called...all the models and animals and umm stuff!
Then you round the corner and it's DIAGON ALLEY!!! OMG!!
We couldn't find Knockturn Alley alas...the next part was stunning, it showed you some of the absolutely AMAZING art created during and for the film, truly it is spectacular - honestly, so beautiful. You're told at the start that a surpise awaits you at the end:
When you've had your fill of the wonderful art work you round a corner and the sight in the nest room is breathtaking - pictures do not do it justice. It's HOGWARTS. Well a scale model that is!!
It's the actual model used for all the exterior shots of the castle - it was originally based in Leavsedon but a train running under the studio made it impossible to film it there so it was shipped elsewhere for filming and was brought back and rebuilt here (it took over 2 months) for the tour.
When you've finished wondering round you go into the final room on the tour :( It's the interior set of Olivanders!! All the wandboxes now bear the names of every cast and crew member from the 8 films!
From here you go into the gift shop and sadly that's where the magic ends...I would definitely do it again.
For one thing, there was a whole section on the CGI/Green Screen stuff used in the film that we didn't get to see - there was a 40 minute wait...it's interactive you, get to see the magic behind quidditch and your picture taken flying on a broom etc. I want to see that bit next time I come and really just everything else again.
That's all folks!!