A couple of weeks ago we were super lucky to get one of the first sneak peaks of the new Hogwarts Express as part of Platform 9 ¾ which opened to the public on March 19th; a friend invited both Boo and I along to a ‘Nearest and Dearest’ tour on Tuesday evening.
We found it super easy to find, with clear signposting from the M25 with ample car parking which is always good.
I have to admit I was a little skeptical as to whether Boo knew enough about Harry Potter to enjoy the tour: how wrong I was – from the minute we arrived she was so excited, obviously watching some of the earlier films at home with me over Christmas had been enough to for her to be hooked, she kept asking if we were going to see Harry and Dobby? How adorable!
First things first I was so happy to see Starbucks and a restaurant before you begin the studio tour, which is great as it gave us a chance to refuel after the drive and the children had a play.
The tour itself is almost indescribable, yes I like Harry Potter so I knew I’d enjoy it on a certain level but I wasn’t prepared for the whole scale of the experience, from walking into the great hall, to flying on broomsticks, to Diagon Alley – everything was so real, it wasn’t just a case of feeling as if you were in the films it was more that these did in fact exist, the level of detail I think is what sets this apart from anything I’ve ever experienced.
The new Platform 9 ¾ with the Hogwarts Express was amazing and was my favourite part of the tour; the steam train is amazing and you can even go inside one of the carriages which Boo loved. The platform is so realistic and you can have a photo of you crashing into the wall with a trolley – brilliant!
Butterbeer was as peculiar as I imagined yet also tasty, let’s just say Boo was reluctant to share! And then it was time to have the iconic snap on Privet Drive…
The tour wins on so many levels for Mummy and Boo, it’s not often that we can enjoy a day out that we both enjoy in a different ways but still come away with happy memories, definitely plenty of Kodak moments created thanks to Warner Brothers.
It’s absolutely amazing, isn’t it! I’m a massive Potter fan so was beside myself when we went to the press launch
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As a huge Harry Potter geek, I’m dead jealous of this day out and definitely need to go as it looks amazing!
I’ve heard great things about it and it’s definitely on my ‘to do’ list! 🙂
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