Warner Brothers Studio Tour, “The Making of Harry Potter”

In all of England, the kids were most excited about our trip to the Warner Bros. Studio for “The Making of Harry Potter” tour. My mom, Tom and I were also pretty excited about this.

Prior to purchasing tickets, my dad did not know a boggart from a hippogriff, that quidditch is a sport or that a galleon is wizarding money. We required that he read at least the first book and watch the first movie before he came with us. 

I don’t know if he is a wizard or a Muggle, but he is certainly a good sport.

someone on staff saw Dad's shirt and brought him a letter! ha ha! Background is the set of the Dursley house.

Just the summer before, we had been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando. So, it was hard not to compare the two. And while some things feel the same (well done to Universal for making the theme park so real) there are some key differences in their focus. 

Universal is really about making you feel you are a part of the world of Harry Potter, with the wand experience, eating at The Leaky Cauldron, and shopping in Diagon Alley. Plus, some roller coasters thrown in for good fun. 

The Warner Brothers Studio tour is all about the movie-making side of things. The sets, the costumes, how the special effects are done, the different roles that the production team had, the behind-the-scenes stories, all that film-making magic. And we were here for it!

The Lobby had a huge dragon hanging.

There are many sites all over England that were used in the making of Harry Potter, but most of it was shot on the sets of the Warner Brothers studios just outside London. 

The Great Hall set was huge!! 

Then there were the common rooms, the potions room, divination class, the Yule ball, the Weasley’s house!!!

In one of the lots, where the sets were next to each other, there would be short shows that came through every 30 minutes or so.

The sets just kept going on and on!

We even took turns being directed on a green screen broomstick ride. 

Jimmy's version!

And, when we finished the whole day, we ended it in proper British style with an afternoon tea of butter beer scones, white chocolate golden snitches, Hogwarts meat pies, and Dumbledore’s Sherbet Lemon macaroons. 

Mischief managed!