Imagine a grown man, and a slightly old one at that, behaving or misbehaving like a kid. That just describes me as I entered the World of Harry Potter.
Thank god I was not alone. There was a busload of adults who are just as crazy about Harry Potter.
I looked around the tour bus as it made its way to the Warner Brothers studio in Watford, and I could count on my fingers the number of children on board. Where have all the children gone?
The Leavesden Studio, which is about one and half hours drive from Victoria Station, was home to the Harry Potter stars for nearly 10 years. All eight Harry Potter films were shot at this 170-acre site which used to be a Rolls Royce factory. I can just imagine the treasures and secrets this place holds.
I was not prepared for this tour. I had gone to the Golden Tours office in Victoria Station to inquire about Stonehenge and also the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour in Liverpool. The Harry Potter tour was available and would leave in an hour. We booked our tickets immediately. It cost us £55 each (about RM272). It is less painful if you don’t try to convert.
Of all days, I did not bring my video camera along. What a shame! In this studio, they allow you to shoot photos and videos of everything. Gives me an excuse to come back here if or when they decide to expand this site into a theme park, similar to the Universal Studio’s attraction which opened in Orlando, Florida, in June 2010.
If you are not willing to travel that far, you can visit the Wizarding World at the MGM Movie Resort in South Korea which is due to open in two years.
This attraction in Watford is simply titled Warner Brothers Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter. Here you will see the Harry Potter film sets, the props and costumes. You will also discover the technology, secrets and talent that went into the making of these films.
We were taken to a room where they showed us a short film clip in which Harry Potter himself (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) gave a short introduction to the tour.
After that, the giant doors of Great Hall at Hogwarts were opened, and all of us rushed in.
The hall was impressive. It was big, with its high ceilings and walls adorned with stone creatures. Just like in the movies, the front of the hall stood figures of Dumbledore and the other teacher, and along both sides were long rows of tables where students from the four Houses – Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff – were seated.
Here, the guide was still briefing us on the hall but many of the visitors were more interested in posing in front of their favourite characters.
After this, visitors are free to roam the studio at their own pace. And there are lots to see, like:
1. Dumbledore’s office
2. The Ministry of Magic
3. The Gryffindor Boys Dormitory and Common Room
4. The Potions classroom
5. Hagrid’s hut with all its scary contents
6. Molly Weasley’s kitchen where you can indulge in a bit of magic. With the wave of a hand, you can make the frying pan wash itself, get a scarf to knit itself or make a knife cut a carrot.
7. Diagon Alley with its strange shops.
8. Gringotts vault door
There are also interviews with the producers, directors, set designers and make-up artists where they reveal their particular brand of magic.
Learn how they film the young wizards flying about in their broomsticks as they challenge each other in the game of Quidditch. Find out the technology involved in making the dragons and other creatures come alive.
And if that is still not enough to mesmerize you, step into the backlot where you can get real close to Hagrid’s flying bike, the triple decker Knight bus and the two famous houses – 4 Privet Drive, the house belonging to Harry Potter’s uncle and his home under the staircase, and the Potters’ Cottage in Godric’s Hollow where Harry’s parents, James and Lily, were murdered by Voldermort.
It seems that the designers of the tour have left the best for the last. I was filled with awe as I walked into the model room. Here they have built a giant model of Hogwarts Castle. It rises all the way up to the ceiling. And all around this model castle are interactive screens showing you the intricate work that went into the construction of this piece of art.
I am sure you can guess what I picked up at the souvenir shop. Right, a Harry Potter magic wand.
If you think I am a bit childish, you will never guess what another crazy Harry Potter fan bought. It was neatly wrapped in a long package but. I’ll bet it is a flying broom. Next stop, the Harry Potter Theme Park in Orlando? Or South Korea?