Is Harry Potter world worth it? The Warner Brothers Studio YAP.

1.0 Introduction

Greetings travellers and welcome to a magical yet mysterious YAP, as we unravel the secrets of whether Harry Potter world is worth your goblet of half-blood coins. I have now visited the Warner brothers studio tour in Watford twice, and have seen the change in what has kept people coming to this film industry landmark. But let's cut the pleasantries for now and dive into the deathly hallows of this movie franchises money making attraction.

1.1 A bit of background

Now a lot of what I've just said has even made me think, shut up you snob with you fancy words and get on with it. But it is important that you know why I went not once but twice to Harry Potter World.

Back in the ancient days of 2015, me and my family went on a trip to the infamous Warner Brothers Studio, this was back when the studio was still trying to gain more traction. Over the past 7 years, the studio has had a few developments and changes. With the newly come Fantastic Beasts making a small appearance in the studio followed by new fascinating sparks of technological excellence, which we will get into later. To cut it short, there have been some interesting new developments since the last time I visited Azkaban, and it was my dear partners birthday present as she is a Harry Potter fan.

2.0 The studio of secrets

I understand that my opinions may come under some scrutiny because I am not a Harry Potter fan but it does not mean that I do not respect the amount of effort that was put into these films. Even I could not resist in being fascinated by some of the incredible props and technology that was used to make these films. Now I will try not to spoil much for you, but I will tell you one thing, if you love the film industry and it's an absolute must, as it will give you an insight to how the film was put together. Plus it shows you some of the props that were used in the film.

However, it is quite important that you have knowledge about the series and at least some form of interest because the price can be pretty steep but we will touch on that later. Going without this could make the experience a little less exciting, I personally would recommend watching some of the films so you have an idea of what your in for, but it is up to you.

2.1 What to expect, MAGIC!

Wingardium leviosa! Magic is one of the main things you would expect, just remember to stow your wand for the tour. From the two times I went, I'm not really sure if I had as much of a magical experience as I thought I would. I can't really remember the first time I went, as for the second time I slowly began to realise that as you age the magic fades. But one thing I did notice was that children love it, and really seem to soak in the whole experience, don't get me wrong I enjoyed learning about how the films were created and all the CGI and animatronics were great. But once its done its done, I can't say that I would be going again anytime soon unless I have kids who want to go.

2.2 Order of the how much?

Ok, so if there is one thing you should know about the Warner Bros tour it should be the prices. Now let's get one thing straight, it's pricey, very pricey. I'm not just talking about the tickets, but just to prepare you if you are taking kids make sure to blind fold them before you get to the gift shop. Now this is just my personal opinion, I'm sure there will be people who think that the prices are reasonable but with places like Amazon, Primark and other franchises creating Harry Potter merch it really becomes hard to justify paying £30 for a Gryffindor t shirt when you could get one for £8. Paying £30 for a plastic wand or £60 for a wooden can also seem like twisting your arm, and let's not forget paying for photos with the green scene that can cost up to £30. The most outrageous part and this I would not recommend to any one is the price of Butter Beer, which is £6.95 for a small cup. Dumble Damn, I want my money back! Matt said calmly (Book reference). You do at least get to keep the cup but in my opinion the Butter Beer was grim.

As for the tickets, you can expect to pay around £49.95 for adults and £39.95 for children, under 4s go free, I would advise that you pre book as slots can go in a matter of minutes.

2.3 Travel and Hotels in Watford

Harry Potter world is in Watford which is just outside of London, getting there can be tricky if you are coming from the north, be weary of traffic on the M1 and make sure to stop off in a town if you need any fuel as fuel prices on the motorway seem to be getting worse. Once you have got to Watford then your journey is quite simple, Watford is a nice place to drive around and the Harry Potter studios is very easy to access. With a large car park and plenty of signs pointing you where to go you will be required to get there 20 minutes prior to your slot to ensure you have enough time to make your booking. You will be greeted at the carpark and they will then show you where to park.

If you are staying over to visit the studios then I would recommend the Kings Langley Premier Inn, this is where I stayed over the weekend. It was nice and quiet, with a Miller and Carter just next door. Booking the rooms in advance only cost us £30 and it was only 3 miles away from the studios (10 min drive).

3.0 The philosophers final thoughts

Well I did not really know how to really write this without giving much away, the last thing I want to do is spoil the trip for you. But what I will say is prepare to be amazed by what you will find as like I say it is fascinating. I have not included any photo's in this YAP but if you would like to see some photo's of my visit to Harry Potter World then check them out on the photo's page. Now for the vibe rating of Warner Brothers Studios, unfortunately it does not quite get a 9 and 3 quarters but it will get a 7. As I said earlier it is a good experience but it is one that I would not go again for a good while or ever.

I hope you have enjoyed this read, if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me on the socials or comment below, make sure to sign up so I can see your comments!

For photo's of my Harry Potter world experience then press the button below.

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Matthew :)

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