Warner Bros Studio Tour London - 22nd August 2019

Today I travelled down to Leavesden near Watford to explore The Making of Harry Potter.

This is my second visit to the studios, but there are lots of new exhibits since my last visit. 

 (you can look back at my blog and see my first visit April 2015).

Firstly though - time to tick off another of my 92 football stadiums.

Vicarage Road.  Home to Watford FC.

Capacity: 21,577.

Here's the players entrance.

I purchased a pin badge for my collection.

The Graham Taylor statue.  Some people say he was Watford's greatest manager.

I even got to have a look inside as somebody kindly let me look in the new cafe which looks out into the stadium.

On to the Studios.

 There are so many special buses bringing tourist from all over the world to visit this special attraction.

Time to go in.

Aargh!

Waiting for our tour time, it looks like its time to eat.  I'm always hungry!

Something special from the chocolate frog cafe.
It wasn't all for me.

Time to enter the tour.

  Here's Harry's original bedroom in the cupboard under the stairs - 4 Privet Drive.

We've watched the pre-film it's now time to enter the great hall.

I would definitely choose the Gryffindor table.

Some of the original school uniforms.

What's for dinner then?

The house points tracker.  Gryffindor in the lead.

I wonder where this moving stair case would take me?

 Maybe to the Gryffindor common room.

Harry's bedroom.

The Griffin and entrance to Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore's office.

Time for a potion's lesson.

The Burrow and home to the Weasley's.

Time for my broom stick lesson.




What do you think?

The Weasley's car crashing into the whomping Willow tree.

Dolores Umbridge's cat mad office.

Time to enter The Forbidden Forest.

Buckbeck.

Aragog's Lair.

Spiders everywhere.

Patronus Charm - this film prop reflects onto the wall as Harry's stag patronus.

Platform  9 3/4.

I made it through the wall and onto the platform.

Time to board the Hogwarts Express.

But first some Butterbeer.
  I'm not really a fan it was a little bit too sweet.

The Knight bus.

 Let's see whats up here?

4 Privet Drive.

I hope the Dursley's are not home.

I think the owls are trying to deliver Harry's letter to attend Hogwarts.

Hagrid's motorbike and sidecar.

Fawkes - Dumbledore's phoenix.

Dobby the house elf.

Next the new Gringotts Wizarding Bank experience.

Costumes and prosthetics belonging to Bogrod, Griphook and other goblins.

Look at all the amazing marble columns and crystal chandeliers.

The costumes and prosthetics of the goblin bankers are incredible.

The desks have piles of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts (money) and many other props seen on the films.

It's incredible.

Thankfully we don't have to ride this down into the vaults like Harry did.

Entering the vaults.

The Lestrange Vault used to store the treasures of Bellatrix Lestrange including the Sword of Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup, one of Voldemort’s many Horcruxes.  

Can you see me holding the Gryffindor sword?

The escaping Ukrainian Iron belly dragon.  This special effects experience is amazing!

We made it to Diagon Alley.

Shall we buy an owl?

Finally the incredible Hogwarts Castle model.

Every courtyard, tower and turret is in incredible detail.

There are lights all over the model.
 The model was combined with digital effects to create realistic views of the exterior of the castle.

Time to buy some souvenirs in the shop.

I love Harry Potter!

Next we drove further into London to have dinner in another of our favourite places - Queen Elizabeth's Olympic Park.

Special dinner at Shake Shack.

Time to explore the former Olympic and Paralympic venue.  Can you see London Stadium now home to West Ham. (you can also see the tour of this stadium on a previous post on my blog)

The ArcelorMittal Orbit.

The Aquatic stadium.  I cannot wait to compete here one day.

Another fantastic day!