Wizarding World: What it's really like to visit the Harry Potter studio tour in London

I'm not ashamed to admit that I got Gryffindor pyjamas for my 40th birthday.

That wasn't so much the case back in 1999, as I tried to read my copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban while awkwardly hiding the cover on my train ride to work. Back then, it was pitched as a book for children, a magical romp that riffed on Roald Dahl's Matilda and Tolkien's The Hobbit.

But beneath its youthful guise was a world that adults were secretly enjoying too. It was clever, inventive, witty, and a chance to step out of our grown-up worlds for a bit. For me, it was pure escapism to a fantastical world of wizardry. But it was also about optimism and courage — a belief that you can be your full magical self, that nobody should live in a cupboard, and that love trumps hate.

When the last Harry Potter book came out in 2007, I read it straight for 10 hours, without a break, and felt something akin to grief when it ended. When my three kids were old enough to understand what a dementor was, we read the books together, and followed by watching the movies, which we regularly dip back into. Our Halloween costumes usually feature one, if not several, characters from the books and movies: dementors, Professor Snape, Hermione, Harry, Professor McGonagall and, more recently, Moaning Myrtle, complete with toilet seat.

Orla and her children check out the Hogwarts Express

Needless to say, we were dyed-in-the-wool Potter fans eagerly awaiting another deep dive into the wizarding world with a trip to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London.

After such a strong relationship with the books and films, however, I worried whether a peek behind the scenes into the alchemy that made JK Rowling's series so popular might, well, ruin the magic. Would the kids be a bit disappointed to discover that, during filming, butterbeer was actually apple juice? Or that Hagrid was often played by a much taller actor with a fake Hagrid head?

Sure, secrets are revealed. But being able to stroll down Diagon Alley, peer into the Weasleys' burrow and ride a broomstick was exactly what we all wished for. If you can get past the slightly bleak industrial look of the gigantic airport hangars outside Watford, which feature all of the sets, there is plenty of unmuggleish magic to enjoy.

The tour begins with a short film which re-treads the film's history and features actors Oliver and James Phelps (the Weasley twins) along with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione), but the magic begins when the doors to 'the one and only Great Hall of Hogwarts' are flung open.

The Hogwarts model. Photo: Pól Ó Conghaile

Although the long oak tables, flagstone floors and stained-glass windows are all intact, the 'enchanted ceiling' is a rig of harsh lighting and metal bars. But I'm soon distracted by a penguin ice-skating on a Christmas cake and several plum puddings that have just gone on fire with a flick of a guide's button.

I would like to have lingered here a bit longer but we were soon ushered through to the next set, the first sound stage. From there, you can go at your own pace, thankfully — and you'll need to take your time to digest and appreciate all its magic.

The sheer ingenuity and craftsmanship that went into the films becomes apparent as you wander through the different sets. You learn how set decorator Stephenie McMillan aged the furniture and tapestries in the Gryffindor boys' common room, that the hundreds of books lining the walls of Dumbledore's office are actually British telephone books bound in leather, and that the Weasleys' crooked burrow was designed to look as though Mr Weasley had built it all and is the result of construction workers pulling support beams out of place for that off-kilter look.

Familiar rooms and sets sit elbow-to-elbow: Hagrid's hut; the Potions Classroom, lined with 500 bottles; the dark and misty Forbidden Forest; the Ministry of Magic and Umbridge's feline-adorned office. It's slightly dizzying and you sometimes have to double back to fully appreciate the film wizardry that went into creating them.

The set of Hagrid's Hut at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour

An audio guide and information signs help, but the curators are often the most knowledgeable. "It took 15 people to operate the animatronic spider Aragog, and every hair was individually sewn by hand," a guide tells us as we look up to see an 18ft Aragog dangling over our heads.

Creature effects take up a good portion of the tour since the films feature so many fantastical animals. We turned one corner and practically ran into a life-sized model of Buckbeak the Hippogriff, for example. We then discovered that, when creating the models, real feathers were used and each one was individually inserted and glued by the creature effects team to ensure they had the right shape.

In addition, 250 animals were trained to portray the characters' various pets, among them a team of Mastiffs who played Hagrid's giant dog, Fang.

Highlights come thick and fast. We watched the Weasleys' pots and pans wash themselves and sipped butterbeer (at £3.95 a cup) on the backlot. We boarded the Hogwarts Express and saw Lavender Brown's famous love heart on the carriage window.

One of the most anticipated attractions was Diagon Alley, where my three delighted at the sight of Puking Pastilles in the window of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, followed by an incredible reconstruction of Gringotts Bank — where we learned that the beautiful marble floor was actually stained paper.

Gringotts Bank at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Appreciating the sheer scale of the operation and the effort and artistry that went into creating it, from costumes to creatures, there are so many iconic moments on the studio tour it's hard to pick just one. But when the golden hall of Gringotts was destroyed by a Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon right before our eyes, it made for a hair-raising yet enthralling moment.

My three were too excited by the prospect of flying a broomstick to hang around for the meticulous detailing of the sets, and despite knowing I was being ripped off (£20 for a souvenir video/£14 for a photo) I also ended up whizzing my way through London's streets and over Hogwarts on a Nimbus 2000 — which, I'll admit, was way more fun than I'd imagined. The kids also had a wand lesson with the films' wand combat expert by virtue of a pre-recorded video (free of charge).

The technical trickery and attractions continue into a backlot, which is home to Privet Drive, a section of the Hogwarts bridge, the Knight Bus and Mr Weasley's flying Ford Anglia. After that, you arrive at Platform 9¾, complete with full-scale real locomotive and its carriages.

The grand finale is an epic model rendering of Hogwarts, scattered with snow, that was used for wide shots in the movies. It's the final veil of magic revealed, reminding you that here, in Watford, those stone walls of Hogwarts ring hollow.

Did it break the spell? If anything, it enchanted us more.

Orla tries out a Numbus 2000

Details

Studio tour tickets cost £49.95/£39.95 per adult/child or £159 for a family of four. Digital guides cost £4.95 each. Orla and family visited as guests of the Warner Bros Studio Tour. wbstudiotour.co.uk

Best time to visit

The tour takes approximately three-and-a-half hours, but once you're in, you can stay as long as you like. Timed tickets mean the crowds are manageable, but it's best to book an earlier slot so you can go at your own pace and linger.

How to get there

The easiest and fastest way to get to Watford Junction is by train from Euston (thetrainline.com). Opt for an express train, which takes approximately 20 minutes. From there, shuttle buses operate every 30 minutes to the Warner Bros Studio (£3 return), approximately 15 minutes away. The studio also runs a bus transfer via Golden Tours from London Victoria and King's Cross stations.

Drinking Butterbeer at the Studio Tour. Photo: Orla Neligan

Covid measures

Anyone aged 11 and over is required to wear a face covering when visiting the studio tour, unless exempt. Covid passes or vaccination certs are not required, but there are temperature checks, a one-way system, and staggered entry times are operated to control the flow of visitors. Remember to check any travel-related Covid-19 restrictions too, including for your return home to Ireland (gov.ie; dfa.ie/travel).

Eat & drink

Theme parks have notoriously under-par food options, and this is no exception. If you can, eat before you go or bring your own food as the choices are limited. The Chocolate Frog Café serves cakes and treats, while the Backlot Café has a menu of hot dogs, burgers, fries and a vegan burger (meals £9/£5.95). Do try the butterbeer, which I can confirm is a heady mix of delicious butterscotch.

The Gryffindor Common Room

Exit via the gift shop

Watch out for the all-singing all-dancing gift shop, which is hard to avoid at the end. My three got caught in a web of souvenir wands and sorting hats until finally I caved and bought them a Dumbledore wand (£32), some Quidditch sweatshirts (£35 each – eek!) and a packet of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans (£15.95). I sampled them and got a vomit-flavoured one. Lovely.

Overnighting

We stayed at the Park Plaza Westminster Hotel. With a terrific location on the River Thames beside the London Eye, and three tube stations nearby, it's a solid family hotel bet with several good restaurants, a gym, spa, superb views, and, rare for London, a pool. Family rooms from £392, room only; parkplazawestminsterbridge.com

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