I have learned something rather important about myself, I am a Harry Potter nerd. For years I have been suppressing my inner nerd, but it came to life when we went to see the Warner Brothers studio tour of Harry Potter. I want to walk around sporting a Hogwarts crest sweatshirt or Hufflepuff keychain. I want to own every Harry Potter book published. I want the quirky mugs, scarves, games, candy, throws, and costumes. I want to, but even with the awakening of my Harry Potter self, I am still too much a chicken! Props to all those nerds who proudly sport their nerdiness, I respect you!
Months ago when we were brainstorming what we wanted to do while we were here, we talked about visiting Harry Potter filming sites. Twelve years ago when I was here, that's all there was to do; find the random staircase here, a window there, a walkway there. How lucky are we that now there is sooo much more?! I stumbled across the studio tour idea just a few days ago. It looked like a perfect fit so I went to book tickets...uhh...they are booked out for two months! My hopes were dashed. I frantically searched for alternative options; resale tickets, last-minute ticket websites, anything that would get us to the studio before we flew out. I luckily found three tickets for Monday afternoon. I just needed one more, but that was hard to find. With the recent attack on London Bridge, a lot of families changed their plans and tickets were returned all day on Sunday. I had to act fast because the tickets may only last on WB's website for a couple minutes or so. Monday morning I finally found on random ticket that would work so Leesa could come with the boys. We were so relieved!
Since it was all rather last minutes I didn't have time to do a ton of research before we left. I had a general idea that we could see props and sets, but I had no idea there was so much to see. As soon as they opened those great doors to the Great Hall I was all smiles. I felt as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning and I couldn't stop smiling! We were just in the first room and Cambrie was already sick of smiling for me while I took pictures of her and McKenzie next to the doors, costumes, tables, fireplace, sconces, and House Cup counter. Smile! Smile! Smile!
Once through the Great Hall we were free to wander though the rest of soundstage J. It just kept going. We learned that Daniel Radcliffe was allergic to his scar and kept picking at it. He had a make-up artist next to him all the time slapping his hand down so he wouldn't continuously messing it up. We learned that the boys had to wear wigs frequently just because they would get hair cuts and it threw off the continuity of the shooting. There was just so much information.
Props and costumes from the Yule Ball
Poor Ron
I could picture almost every scene filmed on the staircases, the dormitories, Dumbledoor's office, Snape's classroom, the Burrow....
The kids could wave their hands and make some the props come to life and magically move.
I almost walked past the case containing the snitch, time turner, and Sorcerer's Stone without even realizing it. That would have been disappointing. I know what you're going to say, they're just props. I kept trying to tell myself that but I felt as though I was looking at something real, historic, and incredibly important. I've never felt that way about any movie prop before.
The whole walk though I found myself telling the stories to McKenzie who hasn't read the books but has seen the first movies, and Leesa who hasn't read they books either. For the first time ever I felt like I was the audio tour, but I can only imagine what tidbits were on the audio.
Dumbledoor's memory cabinet
All of the wands. They were all so unique! I had no idea.
The Mirror of Erised
The Invisibility Cloak
The cabinet of Horcruxes
Quidditch balls and robes
The Firebolt, Nimbus 2000, and Nimbus 2001
Up!
The door to the Chamber of Secrets
The whomping willow attacking the Weasley's car. Kelton thought it was hysterical
Practical effects. Cambrie is as large as Hagrid thanks to this split table and appropriately sized props.
The girls got to participate in a wand technique class. They learned five moves for attacking, defending, and showboating. McKenzie did a pretty good job following the techinques, I think Cambrie may have been a little embarrassed (that whole maturing thing), but it was fun to watch.
The Forbidden Forest
Bowing to Buckwheat the Hippogriff
After that massive room we moved into a room set aside for the Hogwarts Express. The kids tried to push the trolley though the brick platform. We walked down the aisles of the real Hogwarts Express and oohed and ahhed at the booths and the props all laid out, especially the treats trolley from Honeydukes.
And although we didn't buy the green screen footage, we participated in some green screen technology and pretended we were first year students on our way to Hogwarts, and that we were being pursues by dementors.
After three hours of roaming the studio, we needed some refreshments to keep going. We picked up some dinner and some official butterbeer!
Let me see those foamy mustaches! It was richer in caramel flavor than the one I made for Cambrie and the foam was incredibly foamy. I loved it. The girls actually said mine was better. Either way, I was ridiculously happy.
So was Daxton even though his was more of a mac 'n cheese mustache.
It was raining when it was time for us to go to the backlot to see the Knight Bus and Number Four Privet Drive. We ran from location to location to get pictures taken with the sets. But there was no way I was missing out on those!
You have to look really closely to see Kelton's little head peering over the edge.
I wonder if McKenzie will be a better driver than Ron...
....or Hagrid.
Wizard Chess. Those were big!
We wandered through the props department next and saw the renderings of all of the sets before they were built, working models for the mechanical props, and the process they used to make a lot of the non human characters.
The Book of Monsters
I wish this set was actually alive. How cool would it be to go wandering down the streets of Diagon Alley?!
Ollivanders
Wizarding equipment, Kelton just wanted his picture taken.
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
Quidditch supplies
Then we found the crown jewel of the art department, the scale model of Hogwarts they used for many of the whole castle exterior shots. The detail was amazing and I really felt as though I was seeing it from across a valley and if I could just get closer it would grow to full size.
The last stop on our tour was obviously the souvenir shop. The kids knew they each could choose a souvenir, and they had expected to choose authentic wands, but when they saw the numbers of items to choose from they had a hard time deciding. Cambrie settled on her very first charm for her charm bracelet, a Ravenclaw shield, McKenzie chose a Hedwig puppet, Kelton chose a lollipop, and I ended up with an umbrella. What an amazing, magical, memorable day. I can't wait to go back and re-read the books and re-watch the movies. What are they in the states when I need them?!
