On an overcast Saturday in late May we visited London's famous Harry Potter World, one of the busiest attractions in the UK with over 2,000,000 visitors per year.
This blog post has some factual information, some helpful tips on how to get to Harry Potter World, and my experience of it as a non-Harry Potter fan.
So with that...
Where is it?
Watford, North-West London.
How to order a ticket?
You can buy tickets online here: https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/tickets/
You need to buy these months in advance of your visit.
Tours run from 9:30am to 6:30pm, and the studio closes at 10pm.
How to get to Watford?
There are multiple train stations in Watford that serve various routes such as the tube, London Overground, and regional train services.
We would strongly recommend going to Watford Junction. From here you can ride the shuttle service - free with your Harry Potter World ticket. This shuttle leaves directly outside Watford Junction train station - turn left to the bus stops and wait at Bus Stop 4. Shuttles run from 9:20am until 10pm.
Routes to Watford include:
London Overground: Watford Junction is the last stop on the Orange Line. Major train stations to catch this include London Euston, Clapham Junction, Shoreditch High Street and Shepherd's Bush.
Train: For quicker services that London Overground, you can get direct train links to Watford Junction from London Euston and Clapham Junction.
Metropolitan Line (the tube): Watford - NOT Watford Junction - is the last stop on the Purple Line if you wish to use the tube from Central London. There is no shuttle service from Watford station, so you will either need to make the 30 minute walk to Watford Junction station to ride the shuttle, or order a taxi.
We can't stress this enough, Watford Junction and Watford are two different train stations. Please don't get them confused.
Experiencing Harry Potter World as a non-fan (Josh):
Being a fan of the books and films really will help you appreciate it more. That might sound obvious to say, but I can still appreciate the Sistine Chapel without being an artist...
Kids and adults across all ages, who were fans, were completely transfixed with almost all of the props, sets and interactive experiences - obviously this was lost on me a bit. But some sets are incredibly impressive - without spoiling anything, the interactive moments in the bank vaults are brilliant.
However the outdoor section, between Parts 1 and 2, was disappointing. Privet Drive genuinely felt like you were walking into someone's house and into their garden, and the Wooden Bridge seemed like it was placed there for the sake of it.
To say it's busy is an understatement. Harry Potter World is heaving with people throughout the day despite being spread across 80 acres. It is really, really busy. I would advise going in the morning, as the afternoon is the peak of the day.
The queues for some of major sets, like Hogwarts Express are off-putting. And look out for people taking tri-pods, professional camera equipment and influencers dancing around the set, ignorantly bumping into you to get their "perfect" shot. You've been warned.
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