SOCIAL MEDIA

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour!

Tuesday 27 May 2014
What I failed to tell you last week was that myself and my family would be away for the weekend to travel down to Watford for the Warner Bros. Studio tour (hence my mini absence from the blogosphere). Today I thought I'd let you in on what I did over the few days I was away and, of course, recap my HP studio tour experience!

DAY ONE

So we set off on the seven hour journey on the Saturday morning. My mum, dad, little brother and myself all squished into the car and off we went. I spent most of the time listening to There's a Place for Us and Ever Ever After by Carrie Underwood on repeat on my phone and, when that died, the Fearless and Speak Now albums by Taylor Swift on my dad's iPad. Specifically, the songs below. Over and over and over again and again and again. Yes, I'm that person who replays a song until they're sick of it. I'm also that person who likes cheesy songs. #immaproudcheeseball


Go ahead and press play. You can listen while you read on. ;P

Apart from the fact I wanted to wring my brother's neck the whole journey, I didn't mind it. I quite enjoy being in the car for long periods of time. I did take a few books with me - Wuthering Heights, The Hobbit and Teardrop - but decided against reading them in the car. I feel really sick if I look down and read in moving vehicles. *sad face*

Anyway, we then got to the hotel. It wasn't a big, busy hotel so I was quite content. It had a lounge area where we ordered our dinner - it had that comfy cosy feel which was nice. We pretty much just went back to the room straight after dinner as we were all pretty exhausted from sitting doing nothing for seven hours. Funny how tired you get when you're sitting listening to music and admiring all the pretty views (which, I discovered, are the prettiest at the border of Scotland and England). Seriously, the hills are gorgeous!

DAY TWO

The day of the Harry Potter Studio tour! So, keeping it short, we got up, had breakfast, met up with my uncle, auntie and cousins who live in England and sped off to experience the HP movie magic! I'm more going to document my day through photos for this as, if I were to describe everything, it would take FOREVER. I will apologise for the quality of the photos though. I forgot my camera so all the photos taken in the tour were by my phone. :3


While we were queueing, we got to see the famous cupboard under the stairs. Had a fangirling moment right here because, as we should all know, I AM THE BIGGEST HARRY POTTER NUT THERE IS!

Then when we got through, this happened:



I GOT TO SEE MY FAVE ANIMAL OF THE HP SERIES, BUCKBEAK! He was so realistic it was scary! :O




My favourites were definitely Diagon Alley and the mini Hogwarts model. You could so easily imagine being a real witch or wizard walking down that alley. The Weasley twins' shop was so cool in person too! I also can't believe how amazing the artists/construction workers were who worked on the movie! They put in so much hard work and certainly didn't get enough credit! The Hogwarts model was breath-taking! Even my dad, who has neither read the books or watched the movies, stood looking at it transfixed.

I also tried the Butterbeer. It really does have the strangest taste but I actually kind-of liked it! I really can't find the words to describe it. Sweet, maybe? That's as far as I can go. Here's my wee cousin sporting the Butterbeer moustache:


And my other little cousin and I on the bridge:


I'm pulling the weirdest face in this but... it's the only half decent one I actually got! :3

Then came the end of the tour. And the gift shop. Uhmm, I may have went a little crazy. Like, completely bonkers. I pretty much spent all the money I own on HP merch. And do you know what? I don't even regret it! [The following photos are slightly better quality because they were taken today with my actual camera, haha]

 






So it finally happened. I fell in love. With my Ravenclaw jumper that is. I was stuck between this jumper or the one Ron's mum knitted for him (with the big 'R' on it - as in, R for Rachel ;P) but I seriously think I made the right choice, I love it so much. I've also never been in love with a mug as much as I am this one. It's gorgeous. *stares at it for hours* And, of course, I just had to pick up a special, wizarding sweet treat. I decided on Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans over a chocolate frog. I now know what the rotten egg, pepper and vomit flavour taste like now - and I didn't try them intentionally, you seriously don't know what flavour you're going to get! Those three flavours were absolutely disgusting! Especially vomit, I felt like I was going to throw up the entire day after I'd tasted it!

I also got a few other bits and bobs. A wand-pen, two bookmarks, a Hogwarts crest poster and the official Making of Harry Potter guide. My wee brother got one of the wands - Snape's specifically - as well as other bits and pieces as well. Here we are looking all happy - and slightly creepy - after we got out of the shop:


Flattering angles and lighting, right? ;)

After the tour, all of us then went to a really busy park and then out for dinner to a Mexican restaurant. 'Twas fun.

Day Three

Breakfast at the hotel and the seven hour journey back home. Again listening to the same songs on repeat.

There we have it! Wow, this is a really long post, isn't it? Sorry!

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo


26 comments :

  1. I'm rather jealous...
    Your photos are amazing! You're so pwetty, Rocky. >_< xx

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    1. Rocky? Rocky. HUZZAH NEW NICKNAME ALERT.

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    2. Dammit Catriona, Hawwa has a cunning, evil little mind, she's gonna find a way to twist this nickname. -.- ;P

      But, thank you! I'm trying to improve my photography skills! :D

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    3. Mwahahahahaha...;D
      I just realised that we call each other biscuit names

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    4. *slaps your forehead* DUUUUUHHH! If you're Kit-Cat, I'm Rocky... Then Hawwa could be Hershey's Bar. ;D

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    5. *creeps on the conversation* HECK NO. and woah you're making me sound like Lady Voldermort or something.. *flourishes cape* *vanishes into twisting black smoke*

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    6. Soz, Hershey's Bar, you don't have a say in this. YOU ARE LADY VOLDEMORT, Hershey's Bar! ;)

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    7. From now on, I'm calling Hawwa Hershey's Bar.

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  2. WE SHARE THE NEED TO ABUSE OUR SIBLINGS. *high five* and yes #proudcheeseballtoo also I do that too and WHAT YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU WERE GOING I COULD HAVE SNUCK IN THE CAR WITH YOU. gosh. peasant.
    OMG JUMPER JUMPER JUMPER I WANT ONE. and wand. obviously. heh what are you saying. your face is totally pizza. [and if you don't know, that's a compliment]...;D

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    1. *returns high five* I DIDN'T EVEN THINK TO ARRIVE AT YOUR HOME OUT OF THE BLUE AND ABDUCT YOU. Please forgive me?! Where would I be without your loving, nurturing, ever constant friendship?! ;D I'M JUST A LITTLE IN LOVE WITH THIS JUMPER. I think I'd always choose it over pizza - THAT'S how much I love it! ALSO, my psychic abilities tell me your face is Haribo - which is the BESTEST of things!

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    2. SWEG. BUT GOSH RACHEL. HOW COULD YOU FORGET?

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    3. *bows head in embarrassment*

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  3. Oh wow! Sounds like fun! So envious of the Harry Potter part of the tour! Would love to see things like that! I'd gone crazy in the gift shop too!

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    1. It most certainly was heaps of fun! Glad I'm not the only one! I was literally running around the entire shop picking up everything. :3

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  4. The Studios is soo much fun!! I want really and fan of butter-beer when I tasted it. The Harry potter gif shop is deffo the best. Glad you had fun Rach <3

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    1. I know, right?! Awk, that's a pity - I think it's a thing people either love or hate! YES, I want to live in that gift shop! xD

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  5. Oh God... I'm sorry but this is going to be a big comment!
    I love it at Warner Bros Studio Tour! I'm going for the third time in August and that feeling of excitement never goes. As someone who essentially has had their life shaped by Harry Potter, it just makes me so, so happy to be there. I don't know what I'd count as my favourite part because everything is JUST.SO.COOL. What did you think of the Hogwarts model?????

    Last time I went back in July, they didn't have those Ravenclaw Jumpers. As a fellow Ravenclaw myself, I really need to buy one to go with my Ravenclaw t-shirt. I go a bit mad when I go into the shop, my mum says my mind just turns into candyfloss as I sort of go into autopilot and buy as much as possible. Last time I spent £150 (sorrynotsorry)

    Just out of curiosity, did you buy anything else? Definitely going to get Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans next time.

    Holly x

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    1. THE HOGWARTS MODEL IS FREAKING GORGEOUS! *.*

      TAKE ME WITH YOU! I WANNA GO AGAIN! :O Also, I REALLY hope you get one of those jumpers - they're absolutely gorgeous! 100% sheep wool!

      I don't *think* I bought anything else, haha! But I probably have and it's lying around somewhere! :3 May the odds be ever in your favour with those jelly beans, some of them are just plain nasty. *gags*

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    2. I've heard that they're pretty nasty. We travelled with a group of other people who were going to the Studio Tour and once we got back on the coach people were trying the beans and vomiting. It was a lovely afternoon haha.
      COME WITH ME TO HOGWARTS RACHEL!

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    3. On one of the buses with the HP characters on it?! They were so cool! I've got to say, I seriously did feel like throwing up the WHOLE day after I'd eaten it. The taste just kept flooding back into my mouth at random times and basically making me gag. :3 It is quite funny picking out a random flavour and seeing what you get though!

      I SHALL! xD

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    4. Oh no! Sorry! It wasn't one of those buses - although I wish it had been. We booked to go on a coach which took you to London for a few days and then on to Warner Bros Studio Tour from Manchester. It was our source of holiday transport.

      I'LL BOOK YOU A TICKET ON THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS! :D

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    5. Awwww, there was a whole load of coaches as well, haha!

      I ACTUALLY DREAM OF GOING ON THAT TRAIN

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  6. Glad you had a fab time. I've been to the Studio Tour 3 times now and I still wanna go back sometime, you see something different every time I swear - some little detail you didn't notice before.
    I've looked at that Ravenclaw jumper everytime but never actually bought it, I may have to if I go back again.
    I must admit I'm not a Butterbeer fan, too sickly sweet for me. :)
    You are a brave lady to buy those Jelly Beans. Good luck.
    Great pics :D

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    1. I wish I lived close enough to be able to return all the time! Of course I'd advice you to buy the jumper - but that may be because I'm in love with it. A lot of people don't like the butterbeer so I found it weird that I actually did, haha!

      Thank you! xD

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  7. Haha, I actually played the song while reading - super atmospheric! I'm so jealous of anyone who does the HP studio tour. Technically I'm 20 minutes away by plane but the cost of hotels etc. means for 2/3 days in London you could go to Spain for a 10 day holiday. I HAVE to do this tour though. Love the photos and your purchases!!

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  8. Omg this is so part of my summer bucket list. I'm not even that far from it! I think the Ravenclaw jumper has the best colours, definitely want to buy that one and a box of jellybeans. Though i hope i can avoid the vomit flavoured one!

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