Your Guide for Hogwarts in the Snow at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London The Making of Harry Potter
One of our favourite Indoor Activities to do in London is to visit the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. We love seeing the magic of the movies behind one of our family favourite movie series Harry Potter. Of the times we have visited maybe because it was my first visit, maybe because it features parts of my favourite of the films The Goblet of Fire or maybe just because it is the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. But Hogwarts in the Snow which this year is on from 17th November to 27th January 2019 is my favourite time to visit so far! Read on to discover our Guide for Families to Hogwarts in the Snow and visiting the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London during the festive season.
We were provided with tickets for the event to get a sneak at this years Hogwarts in the Snow Event.
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Hogwarts in the Snow
During late November through to late January, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour is transformed to bring to life and show some of the magic behind transforming the movies for Yuletide and Christmas celebrations.
From Christmas Trees and feasts to fake snow and fireplaces you get to see behind the scenes how some of the movie magic is formed.
Some of the features of the tour are transformed as well – the Great Hall hosts a festive feast with some special effects. The Gryffindor Common Room is ready for Christmas celebrations and the model of Hogwarts is transformed to a winter wonderland covered in snow.
About the Warner Bros. Studio Tour
If you have never been then the Warner Bros. Studio Tour is fantastic if you are a fan of the Harry Potter Movies. Unlike other attractions in London, you have to book in advance and get a slot for your visit.
Once you have your slot and have arrived you are on a self-guided tour. We on average take about 3hours including a stop off at the Backlot Cafe but you can go as quick or as long as you want.
At your allotted time you line up passing by the cupboard under the stairs and head into a cinema for your Harry Potter experience. From then you walk your way through sets, experiences and moments from the film including the Forbidden Forest, learning about the special effects, visual effects and other movie magic that goes into making this series.
Facilities at Warner Bros. Studio Tour
Before you enter into the tour there are a cafe, shop and bathroom facilities. We normally use this because we travel down by car we leave more than enough time to get there and arrive earlier than our time slot.
So some food, a restroom break and a quick visit to the shop fills in the time before we head in. The warm drinks are especially nice when visiting this time of the year.
Once through there are bathrooms regularly throughout, a couple of shops with extra’s featuring some of the more specific merchandise including Hogwarts Express and the Forbidden Forest.
If you wish to have commemorative photos of your visit of you and your family on one of the activities include then these are available. We have had this done on our first visit where we rode a broomstick during a Quidditch match.
Around the halfway point there is a Backlot Cafe. Here you can purchase food or eat your own. The food here is a mix of fast food or sandwiches and includes a kids menu.
This is also the place to get to try your own Butter Beer as featured in the books and films.
In the end, you exit via the shop as well so don’t worry if you missed out before you tour started you can still visit.
Highlights that Make Hogwarts in the Snow Special
As I said at the start it is the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and if you are looking for an advent activity or even a surprise Experience Christmas Present for the family then heading to Hogwarts in the Snow is a great idea.
From the moment you arrive with a Christmas Tree lit at night outside the entrance you know, it’s Yule in the world of Harry Potter.
As you visit the Great Hall it’s set up for a Christmas Feast and the stage at the back is set up like the set for the Yuletide Ball in Goblet of Fire including the “glass” statue. Spend a moment to see some of the special effects here including Christmas Puddings and flying witches as well as some of the costumes and props used for Christmas and Yule in the movies.
We love discovering some of the ways that movies work and within the tour you can discover how snow is made on set and be surprised at how realistic it looks and even feels!
My favourite is discovering how ghostly footprints are made in the snow as if Harry was walking through the set in his invisibility cloak.
Of course, you can’t miss seeing the model of Hogwarts dressed for winter. As you marvel at the model do spend a moment and see if you can spot the hidden Snowmen in the model. This year there are 2 that we know of and guess what we even know where they are! See if you can spot them too!
Visiting Hogwarts in the Snow this Christmas
If you are looking to book your Christmas Visit to Hogwarts at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London then head on over to the website and get your tickets now.
There is all of the information about getting to the studios as well as a great FAQ section which will be able to answer any questions you have. And you never know we may see you there soon!