Today in London, we visited the Warner Bros. Studio Tour: Harry Potter World. It was a delightful experience, and we spent six hours exploring, although it’s easy to lose track of time and stay even longer. At the start, they inform you that the tour is more extensive than you might expect. This immersive experience allows you to walk through actual sets, view original costumes and props, and discover behind-the-scenes secrets from the Harry Potter film series, all within the dedicated soundstages where the films were created. It serves as a museum-like tribute, showcasing the tangible craftsmanship of the movies through a collection of miniature models, costumes, props, and visual effects.
Walking through the sets was an incredible experience, and I learned so much about how many of the scenes were created. I had a digital tour guide, which provided detailed information about each room I entered. Towards the end of the tour, there were some exhibits that I hadn’t seen before, as I haven’t yet read all the books or watched all the movies. I made sure to be cautious not to spoil anything for myself. In the middle of the tour, there was a food court where Kel, Tommy, and I shared some fries, and Kel and I enjoyed some ButterBeer. This carbonated butterscotch-flavored soda was delicious!
We resumed the tour after our meal, and the enormous model of Hogwarts was truly spectacular. As we strolled through Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Forest, we also admired some impressive artwork. The second half of the tour was significantly smaller than the first. It concluded by tunneling all the guests toward the gift shop. Tommy kindly bought me some lovely postcards that I adore!
We had made reservations at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, a charming little pub that was rebuilt in 1667 after the Great Fire of 1666 had destroyed it. Upon our arrival at the reservation time of 4:30, which we barely managed to make, we were informed that the kitchen would be closing at 5, so we needed to place our orders quickly. While we understood the urgency, we found the waitress’s tone to be somewhat brusque. We decided to brush it off and hurried to place our orders. Shortly after, we were informed that they did not have any beef Sunday roasts available; only pork was on offer. At that point, we opted to dine elsewhere.
We strolled down the road for five minutes and enjoyed dinner at the Old Bank of England. Established in 1866 and converted into a pub in 1994, it gets its name from serving as the Law Court’s branch of the Bank of England until 1975. The staff were incredibly welcoming and made us feel right at home. I ordered the lamb Sunday roast, which was absolutely delicious! It was served with vegetables, potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding. Our group of six shared two desserts: a raspberry tartlet and sticky toffee pudding, both of which were fantastic.
After dinner and dessert, we took an Uber back to our hotel and settled in for the night. I plan to wrap up this post, share some pictures on Facebook, and then head to bed.
