WB Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter merchandise prices hit with Engorgement Charm?

by · March 2, 2013

The Warner Bros Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter is certainly a destination for all Harry Potter fans to visit. The one true place that houses all of the amazing sets, creatures, costumes, and more from all eight of the Harry Potter films. At the end of the tour, guests leave through the Warner Bros. gift shop filled with a large assortment of Harry Potter fare, from sweets to wands and replica costumes. But are the merchandise prices causing fans to experience the feeling that is equivalent to eating a bogey flavored Bertie Bott Every Flavor Bean?

In a recent article posted on The Mirror, a travel blogger recently posted that the merchandise prices “are obscene and immoral,” while another visitor described the prices as a “disgrace.”

While the prices at any tourist attraction are always going to go for a premium, the article shows a variety of items from a small jar of sweets at 12 GBP and keyrings at 7-9 GBP to a replica of Dumbledore’s robes at almost 500 GBP. JeremyGC from TripAdvisor stated, “The tour was great, no doubt about it. The gift shop on the other hand, which conveniently ends the tour, was stocked with all sorts of wizardry wonderfuls that had the kids’ eyes out on stalks.”

The tour prices begin at 29 GBP for an adult and 21.50 GBP for children, and a family of four is 85 GBP. And while this may seem steep, the tour itself is worth every single pence as it is filled with three hours of magic and education that will please Harry Potter fans of all ages, or even just regular film fans. Whether or not fans decide to purchase merchandise or souvenoirs is up to the individual.

With that said, as someone who has purchased merchandise of all types relating to Harry Potter, including having Dumbledore robes custom made, it is this editor’s opinion that the prices are not overly extravagant for a tourist attraction of this magnitude, and the memories of the tour will last a lifetime.

A spokeswoman for Warner Brothers insisted many of the souvenirs were at pocket money prices, while the pricier ones were exclusive items. She said:

“The gift shop offers a wide range of products, from pocket money items through to rare collectables and hand-signed artwork. More than a quarter of the items are under 10 GBP and many of the products on offer are not available to buy anywhere else in the UK.”

Have you been to the WB Studio Tour? What is your opinion of the cost of merchandise? Is it sufferring from an Engorgement Charm or do you find it worth the Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts just to be in a magical location? Let us know in the comments below.