“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
People are generally surprised by this: how could I not be a Harry Potter fan?
In my defense, I've spent literally my entire life reading fantasy**, and after being exposed to The Once and Future King, The Gammage Cup, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Borrowers, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Moon of Gomrath, The Black Cauldron, and The Dark Is Rising series - not to mention The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and obscure fare such as What Happened at Garry-Eustace at an early age, Harry Potter and his initiation to the world of magic didn't make the impression that it might otherwise have made on a neophyte to the world of fantasy.
However, it's one of those cultural phenomena that have had such a large influence on popular culture that I've picked up enough information through sheer exposure to fake my way through most conversations about either the books or the movies.***
Karli, on the other hand, fell in love with both the books and the film adaptations, and as such the tour was on the planning list for our honeymoon from the very start.
The studio is located in Leavesden, about 20 miles north west of London. We opt to skip the slightly pricey two hour bus ride from London and instead take the train to Watford Junction, where a bus service takes us the rest of the way to the studio grounds. We redeem our ticket voucher, and head inside.
It's a somewhat lengthy walk from the admission windows to the actual exhibition, but the organizers have cleverly added a full-length mural featuring well-chosen quotes from the books - which has the effect of making the walk longer, as we dodge around people doing group shots and selfies (as well as taking a few pictures ourselves).
Whereas most tours and experiences end up at the gift shop, Warner Brothers has decided to get their visitors coming and going: both the entrance and the exit to the tour require that ticket holders go through the gift shop. Our tickets have a specified entry time, so after a short browse we get in line to be part of the next entry group.
As it turns out, "tour" is a bit of a misnomer, although audio guides are available. In practice, almost all of the experience is self-guided. After an introduction by one of the studio's Interactors and a short video featuring actors from the movies, our group takes a quick look at The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive, then enters the Great Hall for a brief overview of the 150,000 square foot site and a quick look at the set and some costumes.
We are then ushered out into the Big Room so that the next group can enter, at which point we are left to our own resources in terms of making our way through the displays and sets from the seven movies. The website suggests that guests should plan for about three hours at the site - we came in at three and a half.
Even then, our visit could have easily gone longer. The Big Room offers an exhaustive (and somewhat exhausting) offering of sets, costumes and settings from the films, such as Dumbledore's study, Hagrid's hut, Dolores Umbridge's office (and pink suits), bedrooms from Hogwarts, the Gryffindor common room, the Weasley household, and the Death Eaters' meeting table.
The potions classroom set features animated spoons stirring steaming cauldrons, and the tomb of the Riddle family stands in grim solitude as the functional pendulum from the Hogwarts Clock Tower ponderously swings to and fro at one side of the room. Guests also have the opportunity to purchase a green-screened video of a wild broomstick ride, or just to catch their broom as it rises from the floor.
After leaving the Big Room, passing through the spider-filled Forbidden Forest, and stopping at Platform 9 3/4 to briefly board the Hogwarts Express, we take a break at the Backlot Café, where we both try the infamous Butterbeer.
To be honest, it's not as bad as some online reviews would suggest, although it's a shame that the foam is artificial rather than produced by actual bubbles. Based on the number of full glasses left on tables, it's obvious that not everyone finds it to their taste, although the lineup at the rinsing station indicates that people are certainly eager to retain the souvenir flagons.
The second part of the tour takes us outside to the backlot itself to see the Knight Bus, a section of the Hogwarts Bridge, and the Privet Drive home of the Dursleys, which includes a reproduction of the moment when the letters to Harry from Hogwarts burst out of the chimney.
From there we go back inside to the Practical Effects mask and model display, then take a stroll along the shops on Diagon Alley.
The final part of the tour looks at the creative process behind the films, showing the office of production designer Stuart Craig, a selection of technical drawings and concept illustrations, white card maquettes of Hogwarts and other structures, and finally a 1:24 scale physical model of Hogwarts itself which is approximately 50 feet across. This incredibly detailed model took the equivalent of 74 years worth of work-hours to produce.
Even as a non-fan, it's impossible not to be impressed by the exhibition, both by its sheer scale and the quality and quantity of exhibits and displays. Being able to take a sustained closeup look at the sets and props reveals the astonishing degree of attention to detail that the designers and creators brought to their work on the movies. The contributions made by all parties to the creation of Harry Potter's magical world is celebrated in a suitable fashion: the final display is a room full of wand boxes, with each and every participant in the movies recognized on a box label.
After spending some time (and some money) in the gift shop, we return to the bus stop and head back to London, a bit worn out but very impressed.
In the unlikely event that there's someone else who hasn't seen the movies reading this, I would unhesitatingly recommend the studio tour, fan or not. It's an incredible voyage through a different world, a testament to the skill, dedication and commitment of everyone involved in the movies, and completely worth the investment of time, travel and money.
- Sid
P.S. And there's a happy ending - I've agreed to watch the movies with Karli.
* I have to perjure myself a little here. I went to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them with Karli when it first came out in 2016, and really enjoyed it.
** Or having it read to me. My mother read the Narnia books to me as bedtime stories long before I could read them myself.
*** This is surprisingly easy to do, but always feels a bit dishonest. However, it's probably easier than having the conversation about not being a fan.
