Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Harry Potter Studio Tour

25 replies

youvegottobekidding · 17/07/2018 16:22

Would really like to do this, but fear we have left it late to book yet again for summer hols. Would be travelling from South Yorkshire, DH says he'd drive there & back in the day. The only times they have available are at the moment are around 6pm, which I'm thinking is too late on the day - I'm not sure how it works - would we arrive half an hour before (which then would seem quite a waste of a day iukwim?) or would we arrive early on the day, get to walk around then go for our guided tour which is the time on the ticket? So I guess what I am asking is, is the time that you book the time you have to arrive/enter the studios? Or if you've booked an evening slot can you arrive earlier in the day & walk around? Do I make sense?!!

OP posts:
tribpot · 17/07/2018 16:27

You do make sense but I'm afraid you do have to arrive basically at the time on your ticket. They won't let you in first thing for a guided tour at 6.

It is a fantastic experience and worth doing. A long drive - I've just done it from West Yorkshire but over 2 days - so not really feasible with a 6pm entry unless you stay over.

Plenty of other things to do on the way down if you want to make a day of it, e.g. Whipsnade Zoo and the National Space Centre, plus Roman stuff at St Albans. I only go for the 9 o'clock tour, though, as it is mobbed later in the day (probably a bit quieter by 6).

Specky12 · 17/07/2018 16:33

It took us around 4 hours to get round, and was amazing!

Phosphorus · 17/07/2018 16:34

If you mean a normal ticket, without a personal guide, they won't let you walk around before your slot.

There's nothing to see in the local area either, it's just a giant hanger from the outside.

Once your slot opens, the people with those tickets go through (no extras get in, because part of the first 30 mins involves a seated bit with fixed numbers).

Then you walk yourself around until you want to leave.

There's no point in getting there early unless you want to sit in Starbucks in the foyer.

For the distance you are travelling I'd wait for an early slot, and stay all day!

And buy the butter beer and ice cream in souvenir cups, they are the best and cheapest things there. Grin

Specky12 · 17/07/2018 16:35

You can go in earlier and there is a cafe and entrance bit with things to look at and the shop. When we went for a 4.30 tour we got there at 2.30 and spent an hour or so eating and looking in the shop, then they let us go in earlier so we went in at 3.30 instead.

Original poster
youvegottobekidding · 17/07/2018 18:33

It looks as though we'll have to wait 'til Oct now. I've been looking on website & the odd date for July /Aug with a better time does pop up, but when I try to add it to the basket it comes up with an error of number of tickets exceeds spaces! I only want I family ticket!! 😩 It does it whatever I choose now, even though I've refreshed the page/updated it etc. Oh well, something to look forward to for Oct half term!

OP posts:
Phosphorus · 17/07/2018 21:24

If there is any chance you could go during the Christmas/Hogwarts in the Snow, I'd go then.

It is excellent. Xmas Grin

Very festive, and a really nice start or end to Christmas.

StillRowing · 17/07/2018 21:28

I second waiting for Christmas! It’s beautiful with the snow. We drive down from Birmingham and always go for an early slot

Honeyroar · 17/07/2018 21:41

We live in West Yorkshire, we've driven down in the day and back for our first visit, but we went again at Xmas and drove down, stayed over at a hotel in Watdord and went at 11am to HPS then drove home. It was much less tiring.

We got our Xmas tickets through Superbreaks - even though the HPS site was saying it was booked up. It cost £70/adult to stay at the Jury's Inn in Watford with breakfast including HPS tickets. It's worth looking on their site.

I've been in summer and at Xmas and agree that Xmas is extra special.

sickmumma · 18/07/2018 18:47

We did exactly the same! Didn't realise it got booked up so far in advance! We ended up going at the end of September for DS birthday instead (he turned 8) and we had a fantastic time! So much fun and really recommend! X

AnotherDayAnotherName745 · 18/07/2018 18:52

You can go in earlier and there is a cafe and...
No, you can go in just the cafe and shop earlier, not the actual thing.
I wish I could say there's other fun stuff nearby OP, but I know Watford well...and there's not Grin

hugoagogo · 18/07/2018 18:54

Keep trying the website, if I remember rightly, they release more tickets in batches.
Just because they are all looking sold out now, doesn't mean there's no hope.

hugoagogo · 18/07/2018 18:56

Plenty of chicken shops though Grin

bestofme · 18/07/2018 18:58

I'd book October half term as they do a Halloween theme or at Christmas for the winter/ Christmas theme. It's definitely worth going if you love the films and always worth going back another time as they add extra exhibits and themes for the time of the year. Hope you get there soon and enjoy Smile

SciFiFan2015 · 18/07/2018 19:01

We've been and were there for almost 8 hours. Still didn't see everything or take part in everything. The shop is amazing so you could go in there first. Get an early slot and make a day of it. It's amazing.

Amortentia · 18/07/2018 19:01

You can go in before your slot starts, I’ve done it twice. If you can’t do the drive in one day there is a Travelodge 10 minutes away, I’ve managed to book it for £45 for a family room.

Phosphorus · 19/07/2018 08:54

Amortentia it's vanishingly unlikely you'd be allowed in earlier, especially if you are in a family group.

You'd be relying on people not having turned up for their slot, or it not being fully booked (admittedly slightly more likely for a late evening booking).

If you get there a couple of hours early, you'll be kicking your heels in Starbucks or the gift shop.

herecomesthsun · 24/07/2018 19:22

Is it best to get there really early then? How many hours do people think it takes to go round?

Phosphorus · 24/07/2018 20:15

If it's your first go, or likely to be a one off, give it a whole day.

The halfway point at the cafe/lunch stop is a good break.

You really don't want to rush it. [hgrin]

reluctantbrit · 25/07/2018 14:08

We had a slot at 9.30am and got out at 4pm, that included a coffee at the end, nosing around the giftshop and lunch. So around 5 hours just for the tour.

It is tiring, you are on your feet the whole time. There are seats and I needed them thanks to a knee injury but otherwise you stand and walk. It is highly unlikely you really want the drive back on the same day.

DD is a massive fan and while DH was very!!! reluctant to go he enjoyed it as well from a technical side as they show how the animation works.

Friends did the trip as an after school one (only 1/2 day school), had a 3.30pm slot but they had been there before and skipped some parts to just look at what was interesting to them. Then you can do it in 2 hours.

ProfessorMoody · 25/07/2018 14:10

I have to disagree with most of the people on this thread.

I've been over 20 times and you can ignore the time on your ticket. They let you in earlier if you want to go in earlier. I've had 6pm tickets and gone in at 9:30am on multiple occasions.

LoniceraJaponica · 25/07/2018 14:17

I disagree with a pp about the butterbeer. It is rank. It is sickly and vile. The "wet waste" barrel nearby is used regularly by disappointed customers Grin

hornbeam · 25/07/2018 14:19

You can easily spend a couple of hours in the gift shop Grin which is in the main entrance area near the cafe. You can do that first, then queue up at your slot time to go through to the studios.

ProfessorMoody · 25/07/2018 15:40

Butterbeer is bloody lovely.

LoniceraJaponica · 25/07/2018 16:35

Oh no it isn't Grin

Honeyroar · 25/07/2018 17:36

We've never been allowed in early, despite asking.

We took 4 hours in January- and we'd been before, so skimmed past a fair bit.

I loved Butterbeer, but husband hated it!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page