Credit: Warner Bros.For the third year in a row, The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London — The Making of Harry Potter has been given an extra sprinkling of magic to celebrate all things mischievous from the Harry Potter films, from the Weasley twins’ many pranks and antics — particularly in their efforts to thwart the wicked headmistress Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) — to mischief of the more “managed” kind, with Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak revealing its magical secrets to guests. And nothing says mischief more than Cornish Pixies, which can be found all over the studios as their cage has been left wide open (thanks, Gilderoy Lockhart!).
After enjoying a coffee or some delicious afternoon tea in the Lobby Area (whose walls are adorned with moving graphics from the films and where a giant Hungarian Horntail dragon is suspended from the ceiling), your tour begins with a peek inside Harry Potter’s bedroom under the stairs, before a celebratory look at the history of the film series and its impact on pop culture, with commentary from JK Rowling.
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Then it’s onto the theater room, where you’re prepared by none other than Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson (on the screen, of course) to enter the Great Hall — which is literally on the other side of the screen (one of the most impressive effects on the tour).
The Great Hall is as magical as ever — countless props adorn the two tables on either side that run the length of the hall while Fred and George Weasley hover on their brooms. On the stage is a costume/mannequin of Umbridge, who’s facilitating the O.W.L examinations.
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Before leaving, guests are treated to a magical pyrotechnics display as Fred and George release their Weasley’s Wildfire Whiz-bangs, creating a magical menagerie of color and anarchy, as seen in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).
Then it’s out into the vast atrium, the Interior Sets, where you won’t know where to start. Costumes, common rooms, the Weasley’s living room from the Burrows, Hagrid’s Hut, the Room of Requirement, Albus Dumbledore‘s office, photo opportunities with flying brooms and the flying car as seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), and so much more. So much, in fact, it’s quite riddikulus!
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Perhaps the most impressive area here is the Ministry of Magic area, where you can re-live the horrors of watching Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters torture Professor Charity Burbage as seen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010), and marvel at the intimidating “Magic is Might” centerpiece. But if you need a bit of color to balance out all that dark magic, check out Umbridge’s sickeningly pink office.
As for the magical mischief, the Interior Sets also include the secrets behind Harry’s Invisibility Cloak and his flying acceptance letters. Costumes/mannequins of the four Marauders, Moony (Remus Lupin), Wormtail (Peter Pettigrew), Padfoot (Sirius Black), and Prongs (James Potter), are also on display.
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Then, you’ll head “outside” into the dark and foggy Forbidden Forest (sorry, but you really have no choice). You’ll encounter Centaurs, Hippogriffs, and the deadly Acromantulas before arriving at something a bit lighter in the form of Platform 9¾, where the Hogwarts Express awaits.
Take a ride on a simulator-version of the train and watch as Dementors come terrifyingly close to the window, or, to continue with the mischief, try your hand at making a Howler — Ron’s punishment from his mother for stealing his father’s car in Chamber of Secrets!
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At this point, you’re halfway through the tour, so grab a Butterbeer in the Backlot Café (unless you also happen to think they’re pretty disgusting) before heading out into the courtyard to take photos of the Knight Bus or to browse inside the Dursley’s home in Little Whinging and the Herbology Garden at Hogwarts.
Magical Mischief takes a bit of a break as you enjoy the Creature Workshop, Gringotts Bank, and The Vaults (watch out for that fire-breathing dragon), but you’ll soon be stepping onto the cobblestoned street of Diagon Alley, home to the Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes, the wonderful, whimsical, and wacky sweetshop where magical mischief knows no bounds.
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After passing through the wildly impressive art gallery, you’ll suddenly find yourself in the Model Room, home to a truly remarkable scaled-down replica of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and its surrounding grounds and waters. Sadly, this marks the end of the tour, but, just like in the Great Hall, be sure to stick around for some pyrotechnic fun, courtesy of the Weasley twins, of course.
Once you exit, you’ll find yourself in the studios’ store outlet, so you’d better get your Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts ready!
This summer, The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London — The Making of Harry Potter celebrates the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) with “Return to Hogwarts.” Check out the official website for further information.
Warner Bros. is planning to develop a new shared universe based around the upcoming Harry Potter reboot on Max, and sequels to the hit game Hogwarts Legacy (2023). A video game titled Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions (TBA) is currently in development, and another Harry Potter-themed land, the Ministry of Magic, is set to open at Universal Studios’ Epic Universe in Orlando.
Have you ever visited The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London — The Making of Harry Potter? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!