The hottest new attraction in the United Kingdom these days is not a royal palace or some rocks in a field.
It's the studio in Leavesden where Warner Bros. spent ten years making the Harry Potter movies.
A converted factory that was once used to make planes in World War II, Leavesden is still a working studio. But a big portion of it has been transformed into a gigantic show-and-tell Harry Potter sound stage exhibit.
About 5,000 people a day make the trek to Leavesden, which is a half-hour northwest of London. They pay about $30 apiece to get in.
That means that Warner is coining ~$50 million a year from Harry Potter studio tours from ticket prices alone.
(And you're not going to leave with just a ticket — believe me.)
My family is way into Harry Potter, and we were in London last week. So, of course, we went.
It was awesome.
The tour starts with a shuttle bus that picks you up at the Watford Junction train station. The one that picked us up came roaring in so fast it almost ran over my daughter. (Phew!)
Every train that comes to Watford is full of Harry Potter fans. They come from everywhere — even New Zealand. Some have scars painted on their foreheads and round glasses on their heads.
Warner Bros takes the opportunity to show you some upcoming movie trailers on the bus, of course. But in 20 minutes, you're there.
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