Oct 25, 2024
Unforgettable, wonderful and essential visit for any Harry Potter fan. - We came to the Warner Brothers Studios with an open mind and were fans of the books and films. We opted to travel to Watford Junction from London, where we were staying for half term October break. The trains were very prompt from Euston and there was a free bus to transport us from the station to the studios.
The place was buzzing with excitement and there were statues, painted posters and music on arrival. We arrived an hour early and advised to get a beverage as we would not be able to get in before our allotted time of 15:00. Drinks and snacks were very reasonably priced and we got to gaze at a massive model of the Dragon ‘Loyalty’ from Deathly Hallows Part 2 suspended menacingly from the ceiling. We also opted to grab a few bits from the shop which was at the entrance.
I won’t spoil it for anyone but the place had us fixed and retained in pure wonderment from start to finish. We were positively blown away and our 5 hours here flew by. There was so much to take in from scale models, the Great Hall, the bus, Hogwarts Express, Privet Drive, greenhouses, Diagon Alley, Gringots Bank, Forbidden Forest, real Death Eaters, detailed drawings, working robotics, all models used in the film and explorations on film with the characters, production crew and all the other departments. We could scarcely believe our eyes at the work it took to create the World of Harry Potter and attention to details.
There were absolutely no negative aspects to our day out here. There were great facilities and rest stops. It was an experience enjoyed by all. The food is delicious and reasonably priced. The Butter Beer is a must to try. It’s worth every penny and the staff here are simply lovely. We would particularly like to thank ‘Kim’ who showed us the storyboards from ‘The Prisoner of Azkaban’, she was so knowledgeable, engaging and inspiring for our son and may even have whet his appetite for the arts. Kim was a credit to the team and even gave him a letter from Hogwarts, which we will frame and treasure always.
Thank you so much to all the staff at Warner Bros, Watford, for truly bringing Hogwarts to life and sharing the beautiful and awe-inspiring story behind the story of a Century. We truly hope to see you again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 21, 2024
Great tour - We thoroughly enjoyed our tour. The bus left on time. It was fansinate to see the exhibits, videos, demonstrations, etc of all the Harry Potter sets.
Review provided by Viator
Oct 12, 2024
Must do!!! - This was awesome! Worth every penny!
If you are a Harry Potter fan then this is a must!
Bus ride was easy. On time!
Review provided by Viator
Oct 2, 2024
Excellent - Bus was at station on time, excellent experience for any HP fan at the studio.
It was not impossible to watch movie in the bus, it needs to be improved.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 25, 2024
Wow. I was blown away. - I wasn't very keen on going to this outing, but wow - I'm so glad I did! The WB Studio tour was nothing short of amazing. The actual sets from the movies! The props. The special effects. The clothes. The secrets of filming. Really really really well done.
The bus from Victoria station was convenient and easy. Highly recommend!!!
Review provided by Viator
Sep 21, 2024
Not to be missed - Loved it. Can not recommend this tour highly enough. Made us want to watch the movies all over again.
Review provided by Viator
Sep 14, 2024
studio good bus eh - the bus driving was questionable, maybe inspired by the knight bus. the studio is one of the coolest places you'll ever visit though
Review provided by Viator
Sep 24, 2024
Some hits, some misses - I had a fantastic time at the Warner Brothers Studio tour. I knew what to expect from the experience itself. I write this review to appreciate Golden Tours for organizing it well. It was hassle-free for us.
Why, then, did I give them 3 stars and not 5? Well I booked 3 tours with them. The Bath and cotswold tour was cancelled less than a week ahead of the date. The Canterbury and Dover tour was just about satisfactory. I would have liked the boat tour from Greenwich to be on a tourist boat with an audio guide and not an Uber boat stopping at every pier.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 25, 2024
DO NOT USE GOLDEN TOURS!!!! - Do NOT use Golden Tours! My sister and I used them to go to Warner Brothers Studios Harry Potter a few weeks ago in October 2024. We got to the Baker Street Meeting Point at approximately 8:10 that morning. My sister had to use the restroom, but she was informed that their toilets were broken and to go 2 stores down. So, she did, but their toilets were out of order too. Therefore, she returned to our meeting point without being able to use the restroom. When another lady asked about using the restroom, the Golden Tours employee told her the same thing as what they told my sister. My sister overheard this conversation and stated that those toilets were broken too. Hence, the worker stated that they would have to go down about 6-7 stores to find another toilet. However, it was now very close to leaving time, so neither lady got to go to the bathroom. We then had an hour drive time in a bus without a toilet to get to the studios.
If this had been the only issue, I would not have given them a bad rating. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Please read on.
The Golden Tours staff told us that morning that we would be returning to the same Baker Street meeting point that afternoon. They also informed us to be at the same meeting point at the studios where we were dropped off and to be there at 2:15 because the return bus would leave at 2:30. They could guarantee us a seat on the 2;30 bus but not on a bus that left later. So, we got on the bus that morning, made no other stops, and arrived at the studios at 9:30. The studios of Harry Potter were absolutely wonderful, and I wholeheartedly recommend you go there! However, don’t use Golden Tours because our return trip was a nightmare.
My sister and I were at the pickup spot at 2:15 and boarded the 2:30 bus. We assumed everyone on that bus were the same ones that were on our morning bus; therefore, we’d be stopping at Baker Street. I’m a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, so my sister and I reserved tickets for 3:45 to do the Sherlock Holmes tour that begins on Baker Street. We knew we could quickly walk there after getting off the bus. So, after an hour, we were in London again, and the driver pulls up and says Baker Street. My sister and I had several purchases from the studios, so we reached down to get them when the bus started moving again. I had barely stood up
from my chair. I sat back down and was very confused. We discussed that maybe there was another Baker Street stop because that stop did not look like where we got on the bus that morning. We were on the 2nd story of the double decker bus and seated in the front seats. Of course, we were tourists and did not know the area. Nevertheless, after a few moments, we realized that the bus was not stopping on Baker Street again and was headed to Victoria’s station. Therefore, I went downstairs to talk to the bus driver who said we could get a cab. Really! ? Taxis in London are extremely expensive! He was going to Victoria Station. He told me to sit down because he was driving which I did. By this time, I’d already missed my timed ticket for the Sherlock Holmes Tour. Hence, we got off at Victoria Station; we didn’t know where we were or how to easily get bake to our hotel because we had a play scheduled for later that evening. We had to spend several pounds to take the tube back to our room.
The Sherlock Holmes tickets were nonrefundable. I was gravely upset and disappointed. I live in the US, so it’s very
expensive to travel to London. That’s
probably the only time in my lifetime that
I’d get that experience.
Additionally, after this poor experience, I emailed customer service for Golden Tours requesting a reimbursement of about 46 pounds for the Sherlock Holmes Tickets. I sent this on October 3rd. I got an automated email from they stating they would respond in 7-10 working days. Finally, on October 21, which was 11 full working days from my original email, I emailed them again. 2 days later they responded with that they would not reimburse me for the Sherlock Holmes tickets. 😡.
I then responded to them that their answer was unsatisfactory.
This could have been easily avoided in one of two ways: 1. either the bus driver stopped longer at the Baker Street stop and given us time to get off. Apparently, my sister and I were the only 2 getting off here. We didn’t even realize there were other stops. 2. Or, if he’d announced a few moments before stopping that we were coming to that exit, we would have been ready to get off.
In summary, I’ve lost much time in emailing them to get them to do the responsible thing and in writing this awful review and much money in the price of the tickets and the tube fees.
I don’t want anyone else to fall into the same pit I’m in. Therefore, please, please
DO NOT USE GOLDEN TOURS!! THEY ARE NOT PROFESSIONAL AND ARE NOT CONSIDERATE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. I genuinely thought they would do the correct thing, and I would not have to give this bad review. 😖 DON’T USE THEM!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 22, 2024
Take the train instead! - The studio tour is great, I had already done it with my own transportation. I am commenting on bus transportation from London by Golden Tours only. “Meet and greet at departure” they said. What a joke! The guy who checked us in at the Victoria Station bus stop on August 7th 2024 at 2pm was extremely unfriendly and rude. How can Golden Tours actually hire people like that? That feeling of impunity, the fact that an employee thinks it’s ok to behave like this (with all customers, being pushy, directive, no smile, nearly tells you off because he can’t find your name on his sheet while he is not looking at the right page …), to be so unpleasant, proves that the company must really not care much about the way their customers are treated. The customers keep pouring in anyway because of the lucky deal they struck being the official bus ride.
I will certainly not travel with Golden Tours / Grayline again. I should have read the reviews before. The bad ratings would probably have made me take the extra step and book a train ticket with a free shuttle at the station. It really isn’t that complicated. And a lot cheaper.
Bus ride was uneventful. One little screen per seat with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s playing in a terribly bad pixelized quality. Honestly. In 2024. How can that actually be. So bad they actually have to put English subtitles on. Oh yes the bus is nice from outside! But nothing to see inside. It is just a normal bus, except for the screen which does not add anything to the experience (bad quality HP movie as said before, a few unlicensed songs… oh yes, and more ads…). The decorated bus is actually just a way for them to advertise their tour. Nothing has been made inside to make it fun and special.
Really weird the studios made a deal with this company. They really make the experience uneventful, and actually a lot less fun, instead of enhancing it, as they should.
Review provided by Tripadvisor