Sunday: Warner Brother's Studio Tour in Leavesden

 Okay, one of the best nights ever! I got to tour the studio where they made Harry Potter! A lot of pictures to follow, and it's only a portion of the pictures I took. And it can't do justice to everything I saw....ohhh so exciting!

About a thirty minute train ride west from London is Watford Junction, where we got on a shuttle for another fifteen or twenty minute ride

The front doors to a highly anticipated and totally tourist attraction

In line to start the tour, you just happen to have the cupboard under the stairs

The guardians of Hogwarts, there are more on the other side of the door.

The front doors of Hogwarts, so much detail!

Now for the Great Hall:

Yes, it is full of people and cameras, but still, look at the size. It is modeled after Middle Temple Hall, remember that?

A house table along the side of the hall

Lantern holder

Lantern holder

Great Fireplace in Hall

A Ravenclaw student outfit and the House seal

The sorting hat is a necessity  for the first dinner of the school year!

Introductions are in order - these will be your teachers for the year!

Dumbledore's welcoming speech is always interesting.

And the Props and sets for over 10 years! Have fun identifying the sets and props for which movies. They weren't set out in any order, so every step you took you got a surprise! Fun!!!

That's a lot of sets, I get excited just looking at the pictures, I had so much fun! As some of my classmates would say - I'm totally geeking out!!!!

As I left this warehouse area, I came to Platform 9 3/4 and the Hogwarts Express:

It is so fascinating all the detail created for this world! I did go into the train car and viewed all the compartments, but the lighting was terrible for pictures. They had set up five or six compartments each with key scenes from the movies - with the luggage and snacks and such - but this panorama was the only one open and well enough lit to get a good picture. Still cool!

Then head to a dining area (modern and contemporary) where butterbeer's are sold and leading to an outdoor area for more fun stuff!

exterior lot sets

Privet Drive set, only opened for a short time - containing only the stairs and the million letters sitting room.

The Potters Cottage - was the evening light beautiful! Highlighting a nice big hole in the roof!

Chess Knight

Full size chess pieces

 No, it's not done yet! The creature shop was next on the tour. And they call it a tour, but really you are let free to wander to your hearts content for as long as you want!

Really, how amazing is all this stuff! An animatronic of Hagrid's head, a bowing Buckbeak, dragons, spiders, snakes and thestrals...ohhhhh so cool!!! And we must never forget Luna's roaring Gryffindor Lion hat!

And turn another corner, Diagon Alley!  It felt so real, and now that I've been in London for a bit I appreciate all the detail and realism they invested in this place. I am so glad I went!

McMullpeppers Apothecary

Ollivanders Wands

Slug & Juggers Apothecary

Wiseacres Wizarding Equipment

Florean Fortesque's Ice Cream Parlour

Eyelops Owl Emporium

Flourish and Blotts Books

Quidditch Supplies

Weasley's Wizarding Whizzes

Madame Malkins Robes

Animal Shop

I hope I got most of the names right, but I very well could have got them incorrect. but just walking down that street was fantastic!

 Now for a breather...

Drafting and Design Room, beautiful!

Conceptual Art, this is only a quarter of the art on display.

Bet you were wondering who this was, but imagine it; this was created because it added another touch of realism to this world!

Would you believe me if I said we were nearing the end? I wouldn't! But now for the crowning glory of the tour: ( Have you ever imagined that you could enter the Hogwarts Castle from the movies and books? Well this is as close as possible, and so beautiful.)

This minuture took up the space of a small house and was at least two stories tall. The walk started at the top and slowly wended around the perimeter in a circular path. The detail was amazing and so fine. I could zoom in on my camera up to 20x's and the detail was still just as fine as before the zoom. I would love to work on something like this! I get excited just thinking about it!!

Now we come to the end:

That is a lot of wands! And a lot of names!

 The only souvenirs I got from the store:

A hard copy guide book of the entire experience

A drawing pad

And a wand - it is magical because it disappeared within 24 hours. Yum!

The experience was amazing! I  would love to go back and spend another 3 to 6 hours exploring, but as I only had this one time, I tried to make the most of it. It was a terrific experience, much better than I expected!!!