Warner Brothers Studio Tour - recent tips please!

[Sparticle]

Hi - so I'm off to WB studio tour near Watford on Tuesday with a very exciting 10yo and my 75yo mum plus 15yo (not as excited ).

I would really appreciate some tips please to get the most out of the day!

We have 9am tickets and I'm planning to take sandwiches and water bottles but buy snacks when we're inside.

My mum has bad knees so I know we can pick up a portable seat to take round with us (and she's going to dose herself up on painkillers).

I know there is a free cloakroom but the weather looks wet on Tuesday - do we need to keep our coats on for that but will we overheat going round the tour?

What are the must sees/dos and any other tips please - all gratefully received!!

Pretend it's your 10 year olds birthday and they might get to open the doors to the great hall.

Don't bother with the butter beer it's horrible.

Take your time. The audio tour is worth upgrading for.

Keep your coats with you. You’ll need them half way round when you visit the Backlot Cafe (where they sell Butterbeer and where you can eat your own food and drinks). Just after the Backlot Cafe there’s an outside area with Privet Drive, the night bus and bridge. Also, it’s handy to be able to keep your phone and purse in your coat pockets because there are times when you’ll want to have your hands free!

Thank you both - much appreciated! @Forgottenmyphone are the picnic areas under cover if the weather is rubbish?

It’s brilliant, been several times. Avoid the shop, though, really pricey and second that the butter beer is horrible.

Don’t do this. What if it’s another child’s actual birthday & they choose your DC instead? It’s so selfish.

The butter beer ice cream is quite nice. The beer is horrible. It’s such a lovely day out. I’m sure you’ll have a great time.

My main tip (which is some years old so may no longer be appropriate) is that when you get into the first main sound stage (after you've gone through the Great Hall), leg it right to the end first. This is where you can do the green screen things like ride on a broomstick or cast spells with a wand and then they CGI the background in for a (very expensive) souvenir video. If you think you'll want to do this / have budgeted for it, get it done first when there's no queue. I did this when we had 9am tickets and the people who run the green screen bit were bemused as to why people were turning up so early, but the time before the queues were 90 mins long - this was mid-afternoon so I was probably completely overreacting at 9am, but I thought I would throw that in.

You can't re-enter the first sound stage once you've left, but you can go around and look at it in any order, and it actually makes sense for people to spread out, instead of all filing around in the same order.

Definitely take your time. There's so much to see. It's a real tribute to film-making, it's fascinating.

I went in October half term and wouldn't ever go back during school holidays again. Expect A LOT of people and to be pushed out of the way in the exhibits. Don't drink the butter beer, it's rank. As is the food. You'll need your coats for the outside area by the cafe.

Good luck getting out of the shop, especially if you're desperate for the toilet. I almost wet myself in a mad dash to find the loo.

Thanks for that tip. Can you remember how much the green screen extras were when you went for a ballpark idea?

@stoatyfox unfortunately we don't have the luxury of going outside of school hols!

It looks as if now the green screen package has to be pre-paid, I would guess as part of your ticket? https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/enhance-your-visit/ Maybe have a look at your booking and see if you can add it on.

I struggle to walk and a couple of staff members noticed and offered to fetch me chairs op! So your mum should be ok.

Ah thanks ☺️ Great name btw!

Can I just disagree with the butter beer haters and say I really liked it. If you like Cream Soda then it's basically the same. We only bought one to get the cup but we all really liked it. At £6.95 though and after a massive queue it might not be worth it.

The gift shop at the end is jam packed but there are two on the way round if you want to buy something. We bought 2 soft toys at £27 each!!! Now just languishing amongst the hoard of other soft toys in the toy hammock.

Also worth noting they do not have the same things in every shop so if you do want something get it then rather than waiting until the end.

Thanks for the info about the shops. I have pre-warned DD10 that she won't be getting a wand. It is actually her birthday in a month's time but I have already got all her presents, which may have been a mistake! DMum has said she will buy her some birthday presents though. DS says he isn't bothered about anything but I suspect the sweets etc may tempt him.

You don't have to pre book the green screen photos. We went last week and did the photos on the day. There were various packages, we did the cheapest which was £20 for two photos, but then discovered a card stapled to our receipt with a QR code on where we could download all the other pictures and the broomstick video. We had a great time, and even if you're not a HP fan which I'm not, it was still really interesting and brilliantly done.

After you have the initial show at the entrance, I would say hang right back at the great hall doors and take a photo with your hands on them - it looks like you're opening them (think this is an insta influencer tip, which I'm very much not!).

Other tip is to talk to the staff. They're all complete potter heads and are a mine of information - we learnt so much talking to them and it really added to the day. We didn't have butter beer as don't like cream soda but lots do. Food generally looked a bit rubbish we thought.

Thank you for that - I am glad you had a great time.

Ooh good tip about the doors, thanks!