What’s the best time of year to do the Harry Potter Studio tour; Halloween or Christmas? Is Hogwarts in the Snow any different from the normal tour? Is it worth going specifically for Hogwarts in the Snow if you’ve already been? Honestly these were all questions I asked myself before booking our tickets! Let’s face it, tickets are expensive so you need to know it’s worth it, particularly if you’ve been before.
The first thing you need to know about this review of Hogwarts in the Snow is that I’m only really going to focus on the differences between the Warner Bros Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter at Christmas and the rest of the year. Check out my “normal” review here.
The Great Hall
(Actually even before you get to the Great Hall there’s a massive 1,000,000 foot Christmas tree as a hint of what’s to come) The Great Hall has been decorated ready for the Yule Ball, complete with massive Christmas trees and flaming Christmas puds. Make sure you look out for the witches flying around the top of the Christmas trees instead of fairies!
The Yule Ball
The iconic Yule Ball scene is always featured during the normal studio tour but during Hogwarts in the Snow it’s front and centre. There’s more outfits and props on display (and a lot more snow) than during the rest of the year.
Fun fact about the snow they use; it’s the same snow used during the filming. The original production company come in for a couple of days in November to lay all the snow out and then they come back again in January to remove it. They’re the only ones allowed to do it because only they know which bits are safe to stand on. And how do the remove all the snow from the Hogwarts castle model? Very slowly with a hoover and paintbrushes. Yes, I asked. Apparently a lot of people ask.
The interior sets
The Gryffindor common room and bedroom are all decorated for Christmas. Harry and Ron both have their jumpers from Mrs Weasley on (I really need to get myself one of those – they look really warm!).
In the interior sets it mainly small changes that have been made. Things like there’s a Christmas cake in the Burrow with a dancing snowman on it.
The Forbidden Forest
The Forbidden Forest gets a liberal dusting of snow as part of Hogwarts in the Snow, as does poor old Hagrid and the Hippogriff. Although not all areas of the Forbidden Forest are covered in snow it does make it feel lovely as festive walking through there. If you ignore the GIANT SPIDERS coming to get you of course.
Diagon Alley
During Hogwarts in the snow, Diagon Alley was my second favourite bit. Mainly because there’s so much snow everywhere it is utterly transformed. And the floor just looks likes it’s slightly damp from melted snow!
Hogwarts Castle in the Snow
This is the big one. The main event. Hogwarts Castle in the snow, and it’s soooo pretty. The size of this thing really does have to be seen to be believed. And it’s the reason why it takes them so long to set up / remove the Christmas decorations. There is one thing that annoys me about this room – the lighting. Actually, it’s the same throughout the studio tour but it feels worse in here. They’re always changing the colours of the light and it’s like being inside a.. well I can’t think of what it’s like being inside of, but something that changes colour all the time.
Our Hogwarts in the Snow Review
If you only want to visit the Harry Potter studios once then Hogwarts in the Snow is a great time to go! If you’ve already been to the tour and are wondering if it’s different enough to warrant paying again the answer is probably! They do keep adding new sets (since our first visit Gringotts Bank and Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse have both been added) but if you are planning a return visit I do recommend going at a special time, such as Hogwarts in the Snow.
Admission cost
A family ticket is £159. Prices are correct at the time this review of Hogwarts in the Snow was published / updated. Visit their website for the latest prices.
Parking / How to get there
Parking – Plenty of free parking on-site
Address – Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden, Hertfordshire. WD25 7LR
Toilets
On-site including baby change
Food
Cafe on-site
What else is there to do nearby?
There’s a really good, totally free, country park just down the road to help bulk out your day. Check out the review of Leavesden Country Park here.
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Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
