Monday Cubs go to Hogwarts
At 6:45am 23 excited Cubs arrived with tired parents as they dropped off their Cubs for a visit to Harry Potter Studios.
The traffic was kind and we arrived in good time, we even managed to get in an earlier time slot.
None of the Cubs had been before and didn’t know what to expect. They got an introduction by the studio staff and then were led into a what looked like a cinema complex. Some of the Cubs though they were just going to watch all the films. After a short while after a short film about the making of Harry Potter the screen rolled back to reveal the large doors of the Great Hall. The cubs just sat there will open mouths. We took our turn to go through the doors and explored the Great Hall and the viewed the house emblems on the fire places, the tables full of food and models of the teachers at the far end. Because we were visiting in January the hall was decorated with the Christmas theme and had the Yule Ball punch bowl and goblets set up at the front.
The tour was self-guided so we split into our groups and made our way around the exhibits whilst on the hunt for golden snitches and the stamp pads for their passports.
Cubs were shown how they produced different types snow on the set and were able to feel the materials, paper and polyester etc.
Every scene from the films were set up for everyone to look at such as the common rooms and bedroom, Dumbledore’s office, Potion class dungeons, the Ministry of Magic and Weasley Cottage just to name a few. There were also displays of all the props that they used such as all the Horcruxes.
The make the tour hands on the Cubs could experience flying on a boom stick using green screen and were able to dress up in robes for a photo. There were also wand duelling lessons too. They were able to board the Hogwarts steam train and walk through the forbidden forest and Diagon Alley. No.4 Privet Drive was also open to walk through. Some Cubs also had a taste of the Butter Beer to mixed reviews. At the end of the tour you enter a massive two storey room with a scale model of Hogwarts at the centre. The ramp allows you walk all the way round the castle and see every single angle of the castle. Picking out features such as the bridge that blew up, the boat tunnel where Voldemort met up with Severus Snape and Hagrid’s Hut.
After some time in the very expensive gift shop we headed home tired but also buzzing from a great day out. Definitely some memories made for the future.