Last week I was invited down to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London for a VIP preview of their Hogwarts In The Snow sets and I couldn’t have been more excited! I grabbed my Potter obsessed pal Lucy and we hopped on a train to Watford Junction to visit Harry and the gang under the incredibly impressive roof of the Warner Brother’s studios – where they actually filmed Harry Potter! Joe and I visited the studios last year but missed the arrival of the Hogwarts Express so I was eager to have another go round and give Butterbeer another chance!
We arrived at the studios after hours for our own personal look around with other members of the press and were greeted with a rather impressive looking blue smoking cocktail that looked like it had come straight out of potions class – it was delicious! We popped our coats in the cloakroom and walked through the doors into the great hall to explore the studios!
The studios were set up with all the usual props and sets from the films – wigs, costumes, small props and whole rooms with extra stations for Hogwarts In The Snow letting us into little secrets of filming. The Great Hall was laid out with a Christmas Day feast and we even got to learn how to re-create fire with water vapour and all the types of fake snow that’s needed to create a winter wonderland scene.
We rode on broomsticks and in the Weasley’s flying car before hopping aboard the Hogwarts Express and enjoying more drinks and Christmas nibbles on platform 9 3/4! the Hogwarts Express is so impressive…and HUGE! You can wander inside and walk the corridors where the actors took their first journey to that famous Wizard School and even take a picture with your trolley ready to board!
Next it was time to try some Butterbeer – I wasn’t a fan last time – and like a pint of muggle beer I think you can get a good one and a bad one because this time it was delicious! We wandered outside to take a look at the Knight Bus, knock on the doors of Privet Drive and walk along Hogwarts bridge when it started (fake)snowing!!! It was so magical and we wandered around the outdoor sets for a good 10 minutes dancing in the snow and admiring the huge wizard chess pieces in the corner.
Next it’s on to anamatronics and boy are these impressive. We came face to face with Buckbeak and were let into the secrets of what it takes to control all the animals and masks you see in the film before taking a wander up Diagon Alley. To think the actors walked and ran up these cobbles is mind blowing and completely surreal.
The big finale comes at the end with Hogwarts itself covered in snow in all it’s miniature 360 glory. Such an incredible model with the most amazing detail! We finished in the gift shop and I couldn’t resist getting Joe and Harry Potter Beer Mug and a Chocolate Wand as he couldn’t make the event – you can buy everything from robes to house hoodies, chocolate frogs to replica wands so bring your wallets! Our goodie bags had a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans which provided a lot of entertainment on the train home – Earwax and Vomit were a real highlight…!
Watch My Vlog From The Event!
We had such a lovely evening at the Studios, it really is such a magical place and the new snowy add-ons are a lot of fun – if you’re a Potter fan you have to go! Book your tickets on the WB Studio Tour website here.
Have you been to the WB Studio Tour? What would you be most excited to see?
Leave me a comment below or tweet me @xameliax! #hogwartsinthesnow
xax