London: Butterbeer, Bludgers, and Brits!: part 2

June 11, 2013: Harry Potter part 2:

WARNING: This is a long post because it has so many pictures, and I made them larger (thanks for the suggestion Melonie!) Harry Potter fans will love it! Hopefully those who aren't, will find it fun and interesting too! :-)

The Tourist Trap of the place was the green screen studio (for lack of a better name). It was completely optional, but we HAD to do it! :-) They put a Hogwart's robe on you and then set you on a broom in front of a green screen. They put a fan on to blow your hair and give you direction as you watch yourself on a movie screen. Then of course they film it and take pictures to sell you. The thing is, it was super cool! I loved it! Joseph did an amazing job and so we split a package with Merinda and got a pretty good deal! We got his movie on a DVD rather than flashdrive, so I have to figure out how to upload it (if possible) when I get home. I wish I would have done it before hand, because you have to see it! But I did take a picture of his photos so I could upload those. I didn't of mine...sorry...maybe when I get home. :-) Joseph brought his world cup scarf, which looked close enough to a Hogwart's stripe, that we all used it for our pictures.

So cool with Hogwarts beneath him! (the white spot is my flash)

I love that it looks like any of his other sports team photos...except he's on a broomstick and its a Quidditch field! ha!

Joseph and Chess: he's loved the game since he was little, but not sure how much he would like to play THIS version! :-)

 The creature shop was full of all kinds of masks, puppets, and anything they needed something "real" vs. CGI. It was really amazing to see the realism in the things. I expected them to look a little cheesy and I would have thought they didn't have to be so detail oriented here, since so much went into the post-production, but they were remarkable up close.

disturbing. the.end.

 I don't know why, but I was so amused by these books in the movie. I thought they were so creepy and funny at the same time. Such a clever idea. They looked even more real in person.

Some were even interactive, like these mandrakes. You could push buttons and manipulate them to move.

Poor Dobby

 I loved the Hippogryph, Buckbeak in the movie. When we turned the corner, there he lay, HUGE! I think I was so caught off guard, I didn't think to take a picture with Joseph so you could see the scale. People looked at him and walked by, but I stood there for a minute, and then he MOVED!! He turned his head and looked at me! so fun.

Right after Buckbeak, you turn a corner onto Diagon Alley! This was so cool, because after just being in Oxford and up and down all the cobblestone streets and alleyways, looking at the old shops and street lanterns there, it felt so real here. The detail was more than you could take in, looking into the shop windows, and studying the facades themselves was almost overwhelming. Very impressed.

 We stayed until almost closing, so because we were there later, we had the whole alley almost to ourselves. Very cool to not have to struggle with crowds, or be forced to move quickly. 

TRAVEL TIP: If you decide to go, make your reservation (which you need) for around 2:30 or 3:00, then stay until close. Their last tour is at 4:00, so keep that in mind. But if you take your time, by the time you get to the alley, the crowds have thinned, and you have the place to yourself!

Joseph on Diagon Alley

Ta DA!

Boxes and boxes of wands everywhere in this shop!

This was one of my favorites for some reason. There were just boxes and boxes of wands all through the shop. Of course you couldn't go inside, but through the windows you could see them stacked everywhere!

Another favorite.

The Owl shop

Look at the details! Not just in the windows, or the finishings, but the glow in some of the upper windows, gutter spouts and little corner details. You would think with how fast the camera moves through these spaces, and how they are focused on people and action, PLUS the amount of people in these scenes covering up so much of the minute details, they wouldn't need to go to such lengths. But they did, and it is just so cool.

Random ladies on the side of the street. :-)

Tired of Diagon Alley yet? Sorry, it was just so visually stimulating, there was so much to see and photograph...believe it or not, I am only showing you SOME. :-)

So, I finally reached the top of the alley, and was just waiting for Joseph and Merinda. There were only about 8 or 9 people in the whole street, when I struck up a conversation with another tourist, her group consisted of 3 of them and we were another 3. She was from DC and asked where I was from. When I told her Utah, she hesitantly asked if I was Mormon. I said yes, and she beamed and practically shouted "So are WE!" Then she called down the street to her friends, "hey! Mormons!" I laughed and called down to Joseph and Merinda, "Hey! Mormons...in Diagon Alley!" Where else would you look to find them?! It was SO funny we had to take a picture, so we got the nice Asian man (one of the 2 other people there) to take it for us. He was not pleased with how they kept turning out, so we must have posed for about 6 of them.

Diagon Alley Mormons!

 

The final leg of the tour caught me totally off guard. It was breathtaking!

  They had the most beautiful Theme playing from Harry Potter, as you walked in on their working model of Hogwards. It was the complete construction in unbelievable detail. The lights would fade up and down, just slightly in coordination with Hogwarts lighting up for the night. The lights in the towers and lanterns on the bridges would start to glow and turn on, then dim and fade off every few minutes. It was absolutely magical! (no pun intended!)

This looked just like a door at Oxford!

 I used to have a dollhouse, my dad built for me when I was little. The funny thing is, that what was fun about it for me, wasn't playing in it with my little dolls, but making things for it. My mom signed me up for a Dollhouse class where I learned to make little candies and food out of Fimo clay, and lampshades out of toothpaste lids. It was my favorite thing, to make little miniatures for it. ...This place was that, on steroids!

 Have I mentioned my AWE of all the detail yet? Mind blowing!

Remember the picture of Joseph and me on the real one? Pretty neat.

DETAIL!! Do you have any idea how small this is???

Little lights coming on for the night...

A picture with Joseph so you can get an idea of scale.

Wonder who's up?

Look inside the little enclave.

Magic!

 

 

 

 

Speaking of Magic, you can walk right into Olivander's wand shop. I have to show you some of the boxes:

Wands! Wands! Everywhere!!!

Joseph and Merinda

 

 And speaking of wands...the gift shop was just an extension of the detail. No cheap plastic stuff here!

Joseph holding Serious Black's Wand

 Apparently, each of the wands have symbolism and details in their design, that had allusions to the wizard or characteristics that were specific to the wizard who owned it. Who knew?

Hermione's wand was so cute.

Professor McGonagal's wand felt the most comfortable in my hand.

  


Joseph made an interesting observation about the wands. He picked up and held each one, and each one was totally different in weight, and balance. His favorite, design-wise, was Sirius Black's, but it didn't fit him well, he said. The one that was the best fit for him in his hand was Lupin's. I just thought that was fascinating.

Joseph on a Nimbus 2000...

Well, I hope I haven't Nerded you out, and you stop reading future posts! I promise, now we are on to real sightseeing and observations! This was just such a fun day, I had to post.

Next: Real Life in London....