An ideal place for Harry Potter fans to visit, there is much to be enjoyed in this engaging attraction.

Since opening in 2012, the Warner Bros Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter has become one of London’s most popular tourist attractions. The fact that it is still going strong today is its strength to adapt and concentrate on the many different themes covered by the books and films.

When I first went back in 2012, I was astonished about the amount of detail that had gone into the films and how much was made available for visitors to see. But now that astonishment has been extended thanks to the current reconfiguration of the venue and the inclusion of Gringotts bank and Forbidden Forest.

So what has it been like to return in this new Covid-19 world that we are living in at the moment? Actually it is probably a more pleasant way to experience the tour with its smaller groups allowing for more space and time to discover and appreciate the smaller details of the set and designs.

But equally, the staff are all extremely helpful in terms of answering unexpected questions with regards to the how the films were made offering all kinds of details for the curious minded. With plenty of cleaning going on and everyone wearing masks it also felt like a very safe and inviting environment.

Since I last visited, it also feels like a more engaging experience – with plenty of places for photo opportunities (not all of them you have to pay an additional cost either) as well as the impressive sequence in the Gringotts Bank and Forbidden Forest that completely immerse you into the Harry Potter world.

But it is not just the world of Harry Potter that you end leaving with having a stronger appreciation for – it is also the process of the film making as well. This is in particular highlighted with the prosthetics make up part of the tour and set design that really provide in depth insight and appreciation of just how many different jobs this film series brought in.

As mentioned earlier, the strength of this attraction is the way in which it is able to come up with different themes that will ensure that people will visit again. For example, its current theme is a celebration of Slytherin – a feature that dots costumes and even the Slytherin common room around to add additional interest. We were told that this year, it wouldn’t be holding its Halloween theme – but honestly – celebrating Slytherin is probably just as good for Halloween!

The only real downfall to the attraction is if you are planning on using public transport. I travelled to the Warner Bros studio Tour by using train and taxi as the usual buses taking you to and from Watford Junction are not running at the moment – which can add to the expense of the day and potentially troublesome if you can’t access a taxi service.

Overall, this is still a thrilling and enjoyable day out – yes ticket prices are quite a lot but to balance this out you do get to see a lot for your money and is certainly worth taking a trip to go and see. Simply magical as an experience.

By Emma Clarendon

The Warner Bros Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter is open now. To find out more visit: https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐