Harry Potter, Platform 9 3/4 and the new King's Cross

[caption id="attachment_643" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Robert being Harry Potter![/caption]

I grew up in London, and, while it was (and is) a city full of fantastic places to explore, the King's Cross area wasn't one of those places. In fact, instead of being a "must go" area, it was more of a "must avoid", with a reputation for drug pushing, prostitution and gangs.

Now all that seems to have changed. In fact, the area has been so regenerated that it is unrecognisable. And that can only be a good thing.

I have no idea how much of this is due to a fictional wizard! I am guessing that is is coincidental, but it has to help with the visitors...

King's Cross station has always been a major transport hub, but probably wasn't famous worldwide until a certain Harry Potter took the train from there to Hogwarts. Not slow to realise that this could be a tourist attraction, there is now a proper Platform 9 3/4 at the station (I say proper, but you can't actually catch a train from it, as far as I know) and also an extremely busy Harry Potter shop.

The platform bit is basically a photo experience, but if you are on the Harry Potter hunt, then this is a must-visit. You essentially queue up, put on a scarf and are photographed pushing your trolley into a wall! The whole thing is nicely organised, with stewards to ensure no pushing. Professional photographs are also taken, although there is no obligation to buy (you view these in the shop).

[caption id="attachment_645" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Jess in Ravenclaw scarf at Platform 9 3/4, on her way to Hogwarts![/caption]

Be warned, however, that the queues are extremely long, and you should arrive early if this is on your list of London must-dos. We waited around 35 minutes this summer, but that was before 10am. By the time we left the queue was extremely long. AND there is also a queue to go into the shop, which seems crazy, especially if you are in a rush and have a train to catch! We came back later to look around the shop and see our professional photos and they had already been erased..... However, we did purchase some hideous Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, and my son delighted in trying out everything from grass to vomit flavour (I declined).

[caption id="attachment_646" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The Harry Potter Shop at King's Cross, London - be warned you have to queue to get in here too![/caption]

But back to King's Cross itself. If you come out of the back of the station, walk past the swing which looks like it's in Hedwig's cage, and walk towards Granary Square, you will see that building works are still ongoing. However, you can still enjoy yourself in London's newest square, sit by the canal and watch the world (and canal boats) go by, or buy food from the many stalls that appear each lunchtime. We tried delicious falafel and sweet potato chips and were extremely happy with them!

[caption id="attachment_647" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Robert enjoying the fountains at Granary Square, London[/caption]

There are also some posher restaurants around Granary Square (which is the same size as Trafalgar Square!) along with a number of offices, as well as some fantastic fountains. When we went we were amazed by the numbers of children enjoying themselves by running in and out of these. I sat back in a deckchair with my paper and Robert had a brilliant time. The fountains also light up at night, which makes them spectacular.

We felt that this was a kind of hidden gem in London, with a lovely feel to it. It's built where barges once unloaded their goods and surrounded by buildings including the University of the Arts.

But that's not all of it. There are also many activities on in the area, for kids and the whole family, and including an outdoor sports pitch, and a number of festivals. This weekend, for example, there is a free family weekend celebrating the golden age of steam engines.

We visited the House of Illustration, just round the corner from Granary Square, where we really enjoyed an exhibition about the wonderful Quentin Blake, who's most famous for illustrating Roald Dahl's books (and now David Walliams' as well). This finishes on November 2nd, and it was lovely. Robert and I really enjoyed it, although we thought it was a little bit pricey at £7 for adults and £4 for children.

[caption id="attachment_644" align="aligncenter" width="940"] View of King's Cross London[/caption]

So, that's King's Cross, even without telling you about the walking tours, viewing platforms and more. It's well worth a visit, and is a delightful example of how London is always evolving, and often changing for the better!

You can read more about what's on at King's Cross here.

If you're a fan of the boy wizard, do read about our Harry Potter London Walking Tour and also our Harry Potter trips to Leavesden (the Harry Potter Studio Tour) and Orlando...

We have many posts on London - please take a look at the London section on the blog!

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A Harry Potter Walking Tour in London

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A Harry Potter Walking Tour in London

We started the tour at Embankment tube station which is featured in the Harry Potter films when Harry goes to the Ministry of Magic with Mr Weasley

Me and my mum went on a Harry Potter walking tour. On a walking tour, you walk around and look at places connected to a popular film. I was in a group of 15 people and the walk took two hours. I had a fantastic (but tiring) time.

We went to loads of Harry Potter related places, like Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic which are all in central London. These were my favourite places, as I had seen them lots of times in the films, so it was really exciting to see them in real life. It felt like I was inside the story! 

This was me and June re-enacting a scene when Ron is keeping a look-out

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What can you learn on holiday?

Holidays are wonderful (although the build-up isn't always so great!). I love spending time with my family, travelling to new places and learning, yes, I said learning about new things.

I didn't grow up thinking that holidays were just about relaxing. Instead they were exciting, full of anything from castles and museums to lakes and mountains. We went fishing with little nets in Devon and to the magnificent Cologne Cathedral in Germany. We learnt about steering a canal boat and opening locks in Wales, and visited historic chateaux in the Loire Valley in France. Holiday time was incredibly enriching.

Of course we weren't on the go all the time. My parents were careful to make sure that we had lots of time to read, or swim or just chill. But we didn't do that all the time.

And, when I stop to think about it, the holidays I had as a child and loved, are similar to the ones we now have with our children. We travel somewhere and we shop and eat and have fun, but we also discover local museums (like At Science in Bristol, which was fantastic) and stately homes.

Sometimes we learn in different ways too - by picking up bits of a different language if we go abroad, looking at maps of where we are travelling to, or even by one-offs. The children simply loved their trip to the Harry Potter studio tour and learnt an awful lot about how films are made. Meanwhile I will always remember the thrill of Jessica realising she could actually cycle properly as she went round and round the very safe caravan park we were visiting in France some years ago. It was perfect for building up her confidence.

Of course holidays are all about trying new experiences. My son was thrilled to try out bungee jumping on a Bristol street, while my daughter loved swimming in the caves in Jamaica. We all enjoyed feeding the animals in Ireland (you can see this in the photo at the top of this piece and I think it was probably the first time that Robert, then only 2, had ever done it) as well as something completely different - the theme park rides in the USA. This is where my son discovered that he doesn't appear to feel G force!

So, holidays are fun, but they can also be so much more than that. Kids (and adults) can always learn and holidays, when you are relaxed and actually have some time to spend together, can be brilliant learning experiences. I, for one, wish we had more of them.

Do you learn on holiday, and if so, what? This post is part of the Visit Wales #Wales4Kids Family Holiday Challenge. Wales is the perfect place for a fun-filled family break.

Read about:

Our trip to Ireland

Our trip to France

Our trip to Jamaica

What can you learn on holiday?

Holidays are wonderful (although the build-up isn't always so great!). I love spending time with my family, travelling to new places and learning, yes, I said learning about new things.

I didn't grow up thinking that holidays were just about relaxing. Instead they were exciting, full of anything from castles and museums to lakes and mountains. We went fishing with little nets in Devon and to the magnificent Cologne Cathedral in Germany. We learnt about steering a canal boat and opening locks in Wales, and visited historic chateaux in the Loire Valley in France. Holiday time was incredibly enriching.

Of course we weren't on the go all the time. My parents were careful to make sure that we had lots of time to read, or swim or just chill. But we didn't do that all the time.

And, when I stop to think about it, the holidays I had as a child and loved, are similar to the ones we now have with our children. We travel somewhere and we shop and eat and have fun, but we also discover local museums (like At Science in Bristol, which was fantastic) and stately homes.
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Travelling times: our "bests" of 2013

Welcome to
 THE FAMILY TRAVEL TIMES TRAVEL AWARDS!

We have been really lucky to visit some incredible places this year, but which ones have been particularly brilliant? Here are our top ten!

 

Best Beach

 

Jessica says: The best beach of the year, and probably the nicest one I've ever been to, was the famous seven mile beach at our holiday in Beaches Negril (post coming soon). The beautiful blue sea seemed to stretch out forever and the white sand was soft and lovely to walk on. This was combined with the wonderful weather - always hot and barely ever a cloud in the sky.

 

Best View

Robert says: My best view was in Austria (read our post here).When I looked out of my hotel room window I could see enormous grey mountains. When I looked higher I could see no grey just a big blob of bright white snow. I could also see beautiful dark green hills. I thought it was a great view because there weren't any buildings in the way.

Jessica says: My favourite view ever was looking out of the window on our flight to Jamaica. The Caribbean looked incredible from above. The sea was clear blue and there was such a variety of colours. My favourite part was looking at the change of blue in the sea and an island that looked like a giraffe with a massive foot!

 

Best Day Out

Robert says: My best day out was by far the London Bridge Experience and The London Tombs. It is fun, scary, interesting and funny. I liked both parts, the educational and the scary, but some people do find the London Tombs terrifying. Click here to see my post.
Best Day Out For The Whole Family

Jessica: My best day out for the whole family was at Universal Islands Of Adventure, Florida (read our blog post here). The rides were awesome and it was fantastic weather. Rob and I both loved everything, but the best had to be the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as it looked so real.
The atmosphere was amazing, but it was slightly cagey at the start of the day as everyone was rivals in a race to get to the Harry Potter ride first! Disney World felt kinder and more relaxed, but the rides at Universal were better suited to us.

Sarah says: I think the best day out has to be the Harry Potter studio experience in Leavesden. There is so much to see, and it's not all about the rides! It's brilliantly done and works for every age (though there is a lot of walking). Read more of what I thought in my post here.

Best Hotel

The gorgeous Hilton Grand Vacation Suites at Seaworld

Jess says: We have stayed at loads of places during 2013, but a few have really stood out. Firstly, as part of our visit to Orlando in February, we stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacation Suites. This hotel had gigantic and luxurious rooms, as well as massive pools. We were there for a week and thought that it was so convenient as it was near to just about everything and we could walk to Seaworld easily.
Mum and I also adored Beaches Negril in Jamaica, as there was so much to do, everyone was charming and friendly and the food was delicious. It was, really, a holiday in itself.
A more unique and engaging hotel was St Ermins, which is situated right in the middle of London and near all the best sightseeing spots. I have written a review of it here and we got to try out the "Budding Bonds" package, letting us become secret agents. We cracked codes and searched local landmarks for clues, eventually being rewarded for our hard work with mocktails!

Best Ride

Robert says: Jess and I have three best rides. I will tell you about two of them and Jess will do one. The Simpsons ride is at Universal Studios. Our family was laughing before the ride had begun because when you were waiting Krusty would tell you funny jokes. In the ride, you are on a rollercoaster that has been sabotaged by Sideshow Bob. Bob seeks revenge so there are a lot of surprises throughout the ride. The ride is a simulator. The Spiderman ride was also at Universal, but in the Islands of Adventure section. It was an action simulator and a lot of fun. This ride was in 3D.You could feel the car bump when Spiderman landed on your car. You get to see all the baddies use their powers on you. There was real fire.

Jessica says: Harry Potter: A Forbidden Journey, also at Universal Islands Of Adventure is a mixture of a ride and motion simulator. It uses state-of-the-art graphics and motion technology to make you feel like you are actually flying through a quidditch match with Harry, Ron and Hermione!

Most Educational Day Out

Jess says: We had a really brilliant time in Bristol, where I learnt loads without ever getting bored. We went on a City Sightseeing Bus Tour which was fascinating, but the best part was At-Bristol, a fabulous interactive science museum that I enjoyed more than the one in London! As well as this, we visited Bristol Zoo, which I also enjoyed more than the ones at London. The best bit was feeding the Lorikeets - tiny, colourful birds.

Sarah says: We also had a lovely day out in Bath, which was full of things to see and do. The Roman Baths are a must, but we also did a bus top tour, which gave us some historical background, ate at Sally Lunn's (you can read about that here) and simply walked around taking in the sights.

Most Comfortable Bed

Sarah says: We stayed in a lot of lovely places this year and slept in a lot of beds, from the Premier Inn in Bristol, to the gorgeous Meridien Etoile in Paris. But we had our best night's sleep in Thornbury in Bristol. The fabulous double bed at the magnificent Thornbury Castle (Read here for more on our stay at Thornbury) was just so comfortable, I would have liked to have taken it home with me. I even found out what the mattresses were, and they are Vi-Spring mattresses. Fab.

Best Way To Travel

Sarah says: I'm not a huge fan of flying, although I know that it's the only way to get to far off places. That's why my favourite way of travelling this year was via the Eurostar to Paris. I couldn't believe how convenient it was. The security procedures didn't take hours and hours (unlike airports) and there was space to get up and move around. I had been told that it was an extremely boring journey, mostly through a tunnel, so was pleasantly surprised by how much of it was outside, where you could watch the countryside whizz by. Even better, we were in the centre of Paris in just a few hours without being exhausted from an early start or much hanging around. Brilliant.

Coolest Room

Jessica says: I loved our very atmospheric room at Thornbury Castle, which made me feel like I was in medieval or Tudor times! There was a stone staircase leading up to the room and a massive tapestry, and very posh toilet roll. There was loads of space, and it was like no hotel room I had - or imagine ever will again - experience in my life...

Travelling times: our "bests" of 2013

Welcome to
 THE FAMILY TRAVEL TIMES TRAVEL AWARDS!

We have been really lucky to visit some incredible places this year, but which ones have been particularly brilliant? Here are our top ten!

Best Beach

Jessica says: The best beach of the year, and probably the nicest one I've ever been to, was the famous seven mile beach at our holiday in Beaches Negril (post coming soon). The beautiful blue sea seemed to stretch out forever and the white sand was soft and lovely to walk on. This was combined with the wonderful weather - always hot and barely ever a cloud in the sky.

Best View

Robert says: My best view was in Austria (read our post here).When I looked out of my hotel room window I could see enormous grey mountains. When I looked higher I could see no grey just a big blob of bright white snow. I could also see beautiful dark green hills. I thought it was a great view because there weren't any buildings in the way.

Jessica says: My favourite view ever was looking out of the window on our flight to Jamaica. The Caribbean looked incredible from above. The sea was clear blue and there was such a variety of colours. My favourite part was looking at the change of blue in the sea and an island that looked like a giraffe with a massive foot!

Best Day Out

Robert says: My best day out was by far the London Bridge Experience and The London Tombs. It is fun, scary, interesting and funny. I liked both parts, the educational and the scary, but some people do find the London Tombs terrifying. Click here to see my post.

Read more »

Seeing Harry Potter come to life.

It’s impossible to over-stress the importance of the Harry Potter books. They inspired a generation to realise the power of the written word and to get immersed in a literary adventure. As impressively, they continue to do this. The books are still hugely successful.

And of course there’s an education connection. Without Harry Potter, there would be no Hogwarts, a school which is among the most famous ever to be created. And with the eight Harry Potter films, Hogwarts was brought to life.

In the Great Hall at Hogwarts, Harry Potter Studio Tour

It’s now possible to see two different “real-life” Hogwarts in person. One actually brings you into the real thing, via the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden, just outside London. The other introduces you to a version which cost around $250m to build and which contains an astonishing theme park adventure ride. But it’s a little bit further away – in Orlando, Florida. I have recently been lucky enough to visit both.

Let’s start with England and the studio tour. Even though I am not a huge HP fan, I thought this was incredible. It’s very special to walk into the Great Hall or amble along Diagon Alley. They’re so familiar from the books and films, and then, there they are, in front of you.

Dumbledore's study, Studio Tour

There is a huge amount to see and it takes a long time (be warned: it’s tiring). But it is actually quite magical to see Professor Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room and the “real-life” Dobby. You can find out how the films were made (the attention to detail is quite remarkable), have a photo outside the Knight Bus and see all kinds of props and costumes. You can also try Butterbeer (which was quite delicious. It tastes like cream soda) and be fleeced in the shop (the downside of the day. There is not really anything priced at pocket-money levels).

Outside the Dursley's house on Privet Drive, Studio Tour

This is not a cheap day out, not by any means (a family ticket for four costs £85), but it is a very special one. It also works via timed entry, so although you still have to queue, it’s not for too long.

Diagon Alley, Studio Tour

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Orlando Resort is a totally different experience. It opened in June 2010 and became an immediate success.

The Wizarding World is part of Universal’s Islands of Adventure Theme Park and their newest (and star) attraction (a similar one is now being planned for California). We were desperate to visit, but also extremely worried about the possible queueing time for the main attraction, a ride called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. We had heard that you end up waiting for hours on end for a four minute ride. However, we had also heard that the ride was the best in the world, using remarkable new technology and taking place inside Hogwarts castle.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Orlando

The first thing to say is that if you get to the park early, the waiting time is not that bad. We were there by 8am and when the park opened (just before 9) we ran to the Harry Potter section. We then queued for about 25 minutes. However, within about half an hour, the queue was up to 90 minutes, so be warned…

Luckily we didn't have to wait this long - but this was only at around 9.15am!

There is some entertainment during the long wait. As you make your way around the castle, you see talking portraits (including Dawn French as the Fat Lady), the Sorting Hat and a marvellous hologram of Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. The queue also sets up the idea of the ride, as Harry, Ron and Hermione appear (also in hologram form) and try to persuade you to skip a lecture and join them on a tour of Hogwarts. You are told to take some floo powder and are strapped into seats on a bench (I know, that doesn’t sound too glamorous) in groups of four, before taking off.

The ride itself is a spectacular mixture of roller coaster and simulation. The idea is that you are flying on a broomstick, around Hogwarts, through a quidditch match and just past the whomping willow. In my son’s words, it was “awesome” and “the best ride ever” but I couldn’t tell you much about it I’m afraid as I’m not a ride person and had my eyes closed for nearly the entire thing. I caught quick glimpses of some quidditch, Harry and a scary looking dementor but that was about it (and it was more than enough for me, as I realised afterwards when I was wobbled off, pale and feeling sick…)

There are extremely long queues for all the attractions in the Harry Potter section, but there is also a lot to see in Hogsmeade. We visited Honeydukes where we bought some Every Flavour Beans (they were slightly cheaper than the ones on sale in the UK) and Zonko’s the joke shop too. We peeked in at the bookshop which had a window full of books showing Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart (these were very funny) and had a quick look at The Three Broomsticks. There is an astonishing amount of themed merchandise on sale everywhere, ranging from chocolate frogs and cuddly owls, to gloves, scarves, socks and robes for all four of the Hogwarts school houses.

We also queued to visit Ollivanders, the wand shop, where there is a short show during which one lucky person is picked to find the right wand for him or her. I say short, because the whole thing lasts for around five minutes. It’s great, but I’m not convinced I would think so if I’d been standing in line for an hour or more to see it.

Ollivanders itself is full of different types of wands (at $30 each). You can buy a “famous” person’s (Harry’s or Ron’s for example) or choose your own. The shop was doing a roaring trade and I had to smile at the assistant who warned a small boy not to use his in front of muggles. The whole “world” here is full of excellent touches like this.

Hogsmeade, Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Orlando

There are also two other rides, a “family” rollercoaster called Flight of the Hippogriff and also a super-scary one (which you won’t be surprised to know that I didn’t go on) called The Dragon Challenge which consists of “duelling” rollercoasters going at top speed.

The two experiences were fantastic (albeit extremely expensive; a one day pass for the Islands of Adventure costs $88 per adult, although this does include other parts of the resort such Marvel Super Hero Island and the gorgeous Seuss Landing. There are also various other ticket options available). I loved the studio tour, and would imagine that it’s far more likely that readers of this blog will visit this one, than the Wizarding World in Orlando. However, if you have kids and are planning a holiday of a lifetime to Florida, you really should not miss it.

More on Harry Potter:

Read about our visit to the real King's Cross and how you can try out Platform 9 3/4

A Harry Potter walking tour in London

 

Seeing Harry Potter come to life.

It’s impossible to over-stress the importance of the Harry Potter books. They inspired a generation to realise the power of the written word and to get immersed in a literary adventure. As impressively, they continue to do this. The books are still hugely successful.

And of course there’s an education connection. Without Harry Potter, there would be no Hogwarts, a school which is among the most famous ever to be created. And with the eight Harry Potter films, Hogwarts was brought to life.

In the Great Hall at Hogwarts, Harry Potter Studio Tour

It’s now possible to see two different “real-life” Hogwarts in person. One actually brings you into the real thing, via the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden, just outside London. The other introduces you to a version which cost around $250m to build and which contains an astonishing theme park adventure ride. But it’s a little bit further away – in Orlando, Florida. I have recently been lucky enough to visit both.

Let’s start with England and the studio tour. Even though I am not a huge HP fan, I thought this was incredible. It’s very special to walk into the Great Hall or amble along Diagon Alley. They’re so familiar from the books and films, and then, there they are, in front of you.

Dumbledore's study, Studio Tour

There is a huge amount to see and it takes a long time (be warned: it’s tiring). But it is actually quite magical to see Professor Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room and the “real-life” Dobby. You can find out how the films were made (the attention to detail is quite remarkable), have a photo outside the Knight Bus and see all kinds of props and costumes. You can also try Butterbeer (which was quite delicious. It tastes like cream soda) and be fleeced in the shop (the downside of the day. There is not really anything priced at pocket-money levels).

Outside the Dursley's house on Privet Drive, Studio Tour

Read more »