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Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

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Original poster

Harry Potter studio

23 replies

ClosedAuraOpenMind · 25/01/2022 20:45

Anyone been to Warner Bros Harry Potter studio recently?
Am slightly panicking because we've booked to go for this weekend, but I've not had any tickets sent - either by email or by post
Have the confirmation email, and the card I paid with though, so hoping there won't be issues?
But you can't phone customer services - they don't take incoming calls, I've emailed but they say there is a high volume so it's taking longer to deal with queries...
Just it's a biggish trip for us as it's for DDs birthday and she's HP obsessed, and we're travelling down from Scotland

other than that any other tips or anything I should know??

OP posts:

foxgoosefinch · 25/01/2022 21:01

Have a look on the emails - does one of them have the tickets as an attachment right at the bottom? I couldn’t find mine at first.

Similar to you I was there recently for DD’s birthday! It’s bigger than you expect so take comfy shoes - there’s a LOT of walking. My legs were killing me by the end of the day.

The food is okay and not as expensive as I anticipated - the food hall at the start before you go into the tour is nicer than the cafe inside the tour, so if you plan to eat there, it’s worth eating before or after the tour. DD was impressed by the ice creams and milkshakes.

However, any of the green screen photo “experiences” are INSANELY expensive, I let DD do the quidditch broom one and the wanted poster, because I thought: How expensive can it be? But it was TWENTY POUNDS A PHOTO so I ended up spending forty quid (!) as DD was insistent on having it as a birthday treat. Just so you know! (There’s another green screen —money siphoning exercise— “experience” by the train, so beware.)

Otherwise, I thought it was pretty fascinating and there is a lot to see. They’re currently doing some special effects demonstrations as well, and the staff are all lovely and very helpful and knowledgeable. We were there more than five hours! DD loved it despite a bit of crying when I refused to buy everyone a £32 special collection wand in the shop.

Overall I was really impressed - only the prices for the green screen photos left something of a bad impression. Otherwise it’s really very enjoyable, even if you don’t know that much about the books/films.

Have a great day!

Coffeeonmytoffee · 25/01/2022 21:03

It's brilliant and very well organised. You'll have an amazing time.

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ClosedAuraOpenMind · 25/01/2022 21:16

Have double checked the confirmation email and definitely no tickets attached - which makes sense as I wanted to attach the tickets to the leg of a toy Hedwig
and had definitely expected the expensive gift shop - but her DGPs have been primed and have given her money...
but thanks for the warning about the green screen photo bits
do you have to have their photographers take the pictures? just asking because when we went to Disney in Paris they let you just take your own photos at places (such as meeting princesses) and DH is a photographer so is pretty handy with a camera....

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minipie · 25/01/2022 21:18

We went just after New Year, it was great…!

… apart from the shop which was huge and slightly difficult as DCs wanted lots of stuff (obvs) and I was trying to find something that wasn’t insanely overpriced. And of course they were tired by then so not at their most reasonable. Strongly suggest setting a budget for the shop in advance!

Tips:

Pick up a (free) passport at the entrance hall, you collect stamps in it as you go around and it’s a nice souvenir. Mine also kept their Knight Bus cardboard lunchboxes (they flatten).

Agree best to eat at the start or end of your trip in the Food Hall. The cafe in the middle was very crowded.

If it will be your DD’s actual birthday on the day, tell them in advance, I have read they do something a bit special (let them open the big doors at the start) only what I have read though!

Don’t rush through as you can’t easily go backwards.

If you really can’t find your tickets, and aren’t getting email replies, try tweeting them with your booking ref, if it’s coming up to your booking date they may reply quicker. (I did this and got a reply the morning of our visit…!)

minipie · 25/01/2022 21:18

There’s no restrictions on taking photos except in the green screen areas. In fact they want people to take pics and share on SM

RampantIvy · 25/01/2022 21:29

Avoid the butterbeer. It is exceedingly sickly.

foxgoosefinch · 25/01/2022 21:37

Yes you can take photos and videos yourself anywhere inside, except the green screen experiences and the welcome film at the start - and there are lots of other photo op bits too. And yes too to keeping the Knight Bus lunchboxes! The passports are great and you stamp them as you go through the tour which DD really liked.

I particularly liked the great hall, Dumbledore’s office, Diagon Alley and Gringotts - there’s a fab immersive special effect in one of the Gringotts bits. And the giant model at the end is really impressive. The whole thing is lit and presented very well and you could take even more time then we did if you wanted to read all the info and look at all the video demonstrations.

The Butterbeer is hideously sweet though so beware unless you have a VERY sweet tooth - like cola with caramel sugar in and sweet foam on top. DD only managed half a cup

poshme · 25/01/2022 21:45

Ooh helpful thread!

Can you go to the food hall at the end of your tour? It's not clear form
The map.

foxgoosefinch · 25/01/2022 21:50

Yes the food hall is outside the tour, so you can go to it afterwards too.

I mentioned the staff upthread, but I have to say it was striking how much they all seemed to be enjoying their jobs! Either they employ a lot of dedicated HP fans, or they’ve all been brainwashed by extreme customer service training, but either way they were all unusually enthusiastic and helpful

Also it was all very clean, including the loos and the food hall.

RampantIvy · 25/01/2022 22:02

I mentioned the staff upthread, but I have to say it was striking how much they all seemed to be enjoying their jobs!

Yes, they do don't they. I think they must all be HP fans.

MasterJames · 25/01/2022 22:04

It's wonderful, we went last half-term.

coronafiona · 25/01/2022 22:07

There should be a QR code on the email somewhere you just scan at the entrance.
It's really interesting I loved it.

minipie · 25/01/2022 22:14

Yes we spoke to one staff member who’d been an extra in one of the movies! I wonder if they tried to keep on some of the (huuuuuge numbers of) people who had worked on the films.

The artistry on some of the stuff is mindblowing. Clearly the movies were done on a “money no object” basis. It’s a museum of cinema, set design, costume/make up and special effects, just as much as it is a shrine to HP.

ReiltinDubh · 25/01/2022 22:19

Ooh great thread - I'm bringing my ds in March for his birthday too
Where do you get the maps are they online? And is it a guided tour or do you wander around yourselves?

Charliesgotachocolatefactory · 25/01/2022 22:21

It’s probably the best thing I’ve taken the kids to, it was just marvellous - the attention to detail is incredible! (Look for the cones in the car park, as an example)

The only downside is that the shop at the end is insanely expensive - we’re talking truly insane. Absolutely ridiculous. Kind of left us with a slightly bad taste in our mouth after such a wonderful experience as we were having to say no to the kids on some things.

minipie · 25/01/2022 22:23

There’s a map on their website, you can download it or print it. But it wasn’t really needed tbh as you just follow the trail.

There’s a bit at the start where some people speak but after that you wander round on your own. There’s lots of staff around though who will answer questions about HP/ the movies if you want.

The2Omicronnies · 25/01/2022 22:36

Agree with eating something substantial beforehand; we’d bargained on stopping at the cafe half way round, but it was heaving. I’d estimate a 30 min queue. By the end of the tour, I was shaking with hunger and had a headache. Entirely my fault I know!

carolsforxmas · 25/01/2022 22:39

It's fab, have been a couple of times. A couple of other posters have already mentioned it but at the start of the tour they will ask if anyone is celebrating a birthday and they can go up and open the doors of the Great Hall to start the tour.

CountingToThree · 25/01/2022 22:46

We went just before Christmas are ordered etickets which were a pdf attached to an email. We only ordered a couple of days ahead so they came straight through.

M&s do some hp chocolates now so I got a few of their chocolate frogs to keep the kids going. If they don't have wands already you can get quite cheap ones off eBay for about £8 to avoid paying the astounding shop prices!

ReiltinDubh · 25/01/2022 22:50

Thanks minipie think I will print it off so ds can study it before we go ha.
That is a bit worrying re the cafe inside - we'll be staying in a hotel in London and getting the tour bus from King's Cross so probably won't have the opportunity to stop at the food Hall before hand to fill ourselves up. Both of us tend to hangry and hanxious so will have to bring plenty of snacks. Really is a great thread, now I can be prepared! Love mumsnet

foxgoosefinch · 25/01/2022 23:45

Also, literally every child there was dressed in some kind of Harry Potter outfit - lots in costume with Hogwarts uniforms and cloaks, but also plenty wearing some of the HP clothes that are about at the moment (eg Hogwarts tutu skirts, the HP stuff from H&M or M&S). So definitely bring some kind of costume or HP outfit for your DC or they might feel left out. There was a wand demonstration featuring a video of the man who choreographed the wand battles, explaining how to pose with your wand - so if they have a toy wand with them they can practice doing the poses.

Despite the tons of kids, I was surprised that there were also a lot of middle aged adults visiting on their own without kids! But as a pp says it’s like a museum of film special effects and set design too - I would have liked to spend more time looking at the bits on how the animatronics work and the prosthetics, which were fascinating.

Original poster

ClosedAuraOpenMind · 26/01/2022 14:45

thanks for all the tips and advice!
I have tickets sorted now, and DD will definitely be wearing her robe and clutching a wand....
we're staying at a hotel in central London so I can make sure we eat a hearty breakfast before heading off too

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ElphabaFlies · 26/01/2022 15:01

A member of staff opens the Great Hall doors at the moment because of touch point. Echo others - go slow, savour it! Lots of places to sit down. We took snacks and a sandwich in and had coffee before and after - the butterbeer ice cream half way round is much nicer than the drink!

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