A trip to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour is high on the bucket list of children as far as the eye can see and to earn some seriously cool parent points, while enjoying the day yourself, I’ve put together some handy tips and tricks.
When it comes to a family day out, we all know that failing to plan is the same as planning to fail, especially when the intended destination is guaranteed to cause a lot of excitement. The Warner Brothers Studio Tour is certainly no exception to this rule, as it brings the wizarding world of Harry Potter to life for kids (and adults) of all ages, regardless of their Hogwarts house and varying degrees of fandom.
To get the absolute most out of a tour, follow these handy tips and then just focus on making those extra special memories!
1. Check to see if there are any special exhibits to enjoy.
Throughout the year, fantastic new displays and interactive events are added to the studio tour, so it’s always worth looking into the scheduled events of the year, just in case one particular exhibit will have more significance for your little ones. A prime example of this is the Forbidden Forest feature, which is currently open to the public and proving to be exceptionally popular with fans of magical creatures such as Buckbeak. We won’t say any more, for fear of ruining the magic, but you can head to the website to get some more information.
2. Be sure to budget properly for food and drinks.
There’s no getting away from the fact that concession stalls are rarely cheap and there are plenty to experience during a studio tour. You’ll have juice and snacks with you, of course, but there’s little point in denying the fact that you WILL all want to try a butterbeer and a chocolate frog. A good rule of thumb is to allow at least £10 per person, for themed edible treats. Admit it; you’ve always wanted to visit Hogsmeade, right? Well this is your chance, as long as you have a good supply of Galleons, Knuts and Sickles in your pocket! Bring money if you plan to buy a souvenir photo too!
3. Charge the camera and any smart devices.
This might sound like a common sense tip, but you’d be surprised how many people suddenly remember that the camera batteries were a little low! Charge everything fully the night before you head to the tour and you won’t miss a thing! From the Great Hall through to the Gryffindor common room and everything in between, there are quite literally thousands of photo and video opportunities to take advantage of. Trust me when I say that you’ll definitely want to get some up-close and personal snaps of the costumes, as they are stunning in real life (think World Book Day outfit inspiration!).
4. Wash your uniform items!
The studio tour is a great opportunity to indulge in some dressing up fun, so it’s time to dig out all of the house scarves, quidditch jumpers and robes that needs a little spruce up! After all, we all love Ron Weasley, but nobody envied his secondhand robes or wanted to recreate the musty smells that they probably emitted! You’ll need to be extra sure that any Slytherins in your party have extra clean and well-pressed uniform items, as you know how picky they can be!
5. Don’t forget to leave plenty of time for the studio shop.
Finally, you need to make sure that you will be able to enjoy a leisurely stroll around the studio shop, at the end of your tour. The studio really is the main event, but any Potterhead will tell you that the shop is the cherry on the sundae of fun. If you don’t want to find yourself spending above and beyond a reasonable amount, I suggest that you hand out notebooks, so that keen little fingers can make Christmas lists as they walk up and down the aisles. That way, they won’t feel as though they have missed out and you can come away financially stable!
As you can see, a little bit of forward planning will go a long way to helping you get the most out of your wizarding day of fun.
Have you been to the Warner Bros Studio Tour? What are your top tips?
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