Earlier this month we were really lucky to be invited to a blogger event which took place at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour at Leavesden near Watford. While we were there, we had a chance to take the tour about the making of Harry Potter. It was an unforgettable experience that we all really enjoyed.
When we found out a few weeks beforehand that we were going to be taking the Harry Potter tour, I decided it was time to introduce 4-year-old Lara to the Harry Potter movies. She had initially found them scary but was totally swept along by the school theme and the magical elements so she was REALLY really really excited when we arrived at the studios.
I think that the Warner Bros. Studio Tour would be better suited to slightly older children but I don't think the magic was lost on Lara. I think a child who better understood the challenges of film-making and appreciated the difference between fantasy and reality would really be fascinated to see all of the different sets and costumes and props on display.
And there were a whole lot of costumes and props! Lara most enjoyed seeing the different sets - the Gryffindor common room, the Great Hall at Hogwarts, The Knight Bus and Harry Potter's house. She didn't totally understand the concept of a green-screen to film against for special effects so I think the 'have your photo taken on a broomstick' area was a bit lost on her!
Lara did though very much enjoy learning wand skills and hasn't stopped practicing them since!
Elsewhere on the tour you can sample a glass of Butterbeer or take a seat in the Weasley's flying car.
For me, I think the most magical areas of the studio tour were the set from Diagon-Alley and the final show-piece which is the full model of Hogwarts school. You first see the model in its initial concept drawings, then paper scale models and then finally you walk in to a beautifully lit room where you can walk around the school in 360 degrees as the music plays and the lighting changes. It was awesome.
I think that the Warner Bros. Harry Potter tour is a great family day out for fans of the books and the movies and I think it is educational as well as just pure entertainment.
Click on the image above to see my full set of photos from the day!
