If you've made it to this point, I tip my wizard hat to you.
Apologies for the complete and utter spamming of photos that you just experienced on your way down here. But they are Harry Potter related, so I'm sure you'll forgive me, right?
Right.
Last Friday, I went to the Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden for the Harry Potter Studio Tour, and boy, was it magical. Pun intended. But no, seriously, it was. If you aren't already aware of my obsession with Harry Potter {as showcased by these posts here and here}. So going to where all the movies were filmed and seeing the props used, costumes worn, sets, and everything all up close and personal was a dream come true!
If you're in London, and do only a select few things, make this one of them. I paid only £35 for the ticket, audio guide narrated by Tom Felton {Draco Malfoy}, and souvenir booklet with behind-the-scenes production information. Not to mention, you're free to take as many pictures as you want, sit in the flying car and on Hagrid's motorbike, walk through the real Great Hall and the real Diagon Alley, and ride a broomstick with a green screen background and see yourself flying on a screen just like they did in the movies as you do it.
The most magical part of it, for me, was seeing the huge scale model of Hogwarts {the second and third to last photos above} that they used to film all those exterior shots of the castle. Seriously - it was huge. And so incredibly detailed!! And the lights in the room would change slowly from day to night, and the whole castle would lights up in the windows when it was darker in the room... it was phenomenal. The pictures don't do it justice at all. Not at all.
Not to mention this revelation I had the other day... I've met Alan Rickman, and now I've seen the clothes he wore and the wand he used as Snape. Ergo, I've come as close as is possible to actually having Severus Snape in my life. I can die happy. {Again, if you can't tell, Snape has always been my favorite character and Alan Rickman has long been my favorite actor, so it's a match made in heaven.}
If you're in London, and do only a select few things, make this one of them. I paid only £35 for the ticket, audio guide narrated by Tom Felton {Draco Malfoy}, and souvenir booklet with behind-the-scenes production information. Not to mention, you're free to take as many pictures as you want, sit in the flying car and on Hagrid's motorbike, walk through the real Great Hall and the real Diagon Alley, and ride a broomstick with a green screen background and see yourself flying on a screen just like they did in the movies as you do it.
The most magical part of it, for me, was seeing the huge scale model of Hogwarts {the second and third to last photos above} that they used to film all those exterior shots of the castle. Seriously - it was huge. And so incredibly detailed!! And the lights in the room would change slowly from day to night, and the whole castle would lights up in the windows when it was darker in the room... it was phenomenal. The pictures don't do it justice at all. Not at all.
Not to mention this revelation I had the other day... I've met Alan Rickman, and now I've seen the clothes he wore and the wand he used as Snape. Ergo, I've come as close as is possible to actually having Severus Snape in my life. I can die happy. {Again, if you can't tell, Snape has always been my favorite character and Alan Rickman has long been my favorite actor, so it's a match made in heaven.}
So seriously, guys. GO. See it. And get back to me, because I want to hear all about it and re-live it through you.
I will leave you with a quote that was on the wall at the beginning of the exhibit and which I think perfectly sums up this entire experience....
"No story lives unless someone wants to listen."
- J.K. Rowling
