travel

HOGWARTS IN THE SNOW.

HARRY POTTER STUDIO TOUR IN THE SNOW.

It was recently my birthday, so what better way to spend it than getting into the Christmas spirit at Hogwarts. I always end up doing something Christmassy for my birthday as it’s the end of November. I have heard about how stunning the Harry Potter Studios look when they have the Christmas snow, so wanted to see it for myself.

To start with, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan, I’ll be honest and say that I do love the books more. This is only because there is so much detail in the books and a few loved characters that aren’t in the films (Peeves as a main example). However if Warner Bros were to include all the details then the films would have been really long, so I think they’ve done an incredible job with how the films turned out.

I love how even though I’ve lost count at how many times I’ve watched the films, you can watch them over again and still get that magical feeling you get when you watched the franchise for the first time.

I’m a Hufflepuff through and through. My favourite films are The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Order Of The Phoenix. My favourite characters would be Sirius and the Weasley twins. If I could have a pet to take to Hogwarts it would be a cat. I am actually loving the Fantastic Beasts series (obviously because Newt is a Hufflepuff too). I didn’t enjoy the Cursed Child book (I haven’t seen the show yet).

Beginning The Tour.

If you’ve never been to the studio tour in London before, I would highly recommend it. Just seeing the props and sets in person is incredible and really brings the films to life.

You start the tour by entering a cinema room, with short interviews on a screen talking to the cast. The screen then lifts to reveal the Hogwarts entrance. You will then enter the doors to see the Grand Hall, it looks beautiful! As I was visiting during the Christmas theme, the tables had been set up with Christmas food and the Yule Ball.

Hogwarts moving staircase — ***The Moving Staircase.***

The Prop Room.

The next part of the tour will take an hour or two to take a good look around. It is full of props, interviews on small screens, costumes, display sets, and interactive zones. You can see Hagrids Hut, Dumbledore’s Office, and the Burrow. Then as you walk around, you’ll see the Ministry and the Malfoy Manor table. This area is huge and has so much information and amazing areas to see. You really do need to take your time to digest it all.

This area also has the interactive area where you can ride brooms for quidditch and learn how to cast spells with your wand.

The opening to the Chambers of secrets — **The Chamber Of Secrets Entrance.**

The Forbidden Forrest.

After this main area, you then enter the Forbidden Forrest. If you are afraid of spiders, I recommend you take the path on your right after you see Buckbeak.

If you go to the path on the left, you will be met by large spiders falling above you and Aragog. There are interactive buttons that let you control the wind and lightning too which look amazing. You can also see a patronus that you can control with lighting up. There is a shop as you exit the Forrest too.

Forbidden Forrest entrance — **The Entrance To The Forbidden Forrest.**

The Hogwarts Express

Now comes an area that made me really happy and excited, the Hogwarts Express! You can hear the sound of the train as you go around the corner and see the smoke.

This is the place to have your photo taken on platform 9 3/4’s. If you visit the lovely shops on the platform too, you can pay to have a notebook personalised. You can also hop onboard the train and see what the carriages look like. After this area you will see the cafe which you can try butterbeer and food.

Outside The Studios.

Once you’ve finished the butterbeer and are ready to go, it’s time to step outside to visit the Knightbus. You can also visit Harry’s House in Privet Drive, see the famous bridge at Hogwarts and James and Lily’s house. There is also the car and motorbike you can hop on for a few pics. This area had snow too and felt so Christmassy.

Special Effects.

The next part of the tour is so interesting. It takes you through all the prosthetics and how they made the special effects. As a huge fan of makeup and art, I loved seeing this part. I was amazed how they made special features to bring the film to life.

Afterwards, is one of my favourite parts, Gringotts. The goblins looked so realistic, and the size of the bank is amazing. There is also the Dragon burning fire.

Diagon Alley.

After a trip to Gringotts, you’ll find yourself in Diagon Alley. You can see Ollivanders, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, Madam Malkins Robes and Quality Quidditch Supplies.

The last part of the tour takes you through all the film set designs, models and paintings. There’s so much thought and process that goes into making films, so seeing it all in real life and the design process is amazing.