Trip to London/Harry Potter studios in a wheelchair

GlasweJen

I'm planning a trip to London for the Harry Potter studio tour in April some time while the kids are on holiday. Travelling will be me, my partner and my sisters 2 kids (both girls, age 10 and 11).

Pricing it up it looks like flying would be cheaper than getting the sleeper train (I wouldn't subject the kids to sitting in regular seats for a long rail journey). Due to OHs holidays from work we would need to fly down one day and fly home the next with 1 night stay in a hotel.

This is what I'm paying so far:

Flights - 2 adults, 2 kids return from GLA to LGW (easyjet) £225
Gatwick Express - £70 - (I think that's including a discount for my disabled adult railcard but I'm not 100% sure - the website confused me
Train - (for comparison) - 2 double berths return on Caledonian Sleeper - £260 including the costs of a friends and family railcard
Hotel - £180 for 2 rooms near Victoria Station (my OH is a bit funny about sharing a room with the girls as they're not related so we are going to get adjoining rooms if possible)
Harry Potter tour - £73 for 1 adult, 1 carer and 2 children
HP bus from watford junction to the studios £8.00

The plan is to fly out from Glasgow, land at Gatwick and get GE to Victoria by 11:30am. From there I have 2 options:
Option 1 - head straight to Watford Junction and Harry Potter, booking onto the 1:30 tour. After the tour and a few hours at the studios head back to the hotel, check in and head for food. Get up next morning and go see Buckingham Palace/tower of London.

Option 2 - head to Buckingham Palace, see the artwork in the Queens Gallery. Check into the hotel at 1:30 and get some lunch. Head to Harry Potter and do the 3:30 (maybe 4:00?) tour. Will that leave enough time to see the studios? Head home, supper and bed. Our flight the next day is quite late so if I do it this way we might be able to see more of London, maybe do the tour bus or go see the London eye (or M&M world).

Which option seems best?

The kids are desperate to see the studios and buy a wand (they're saving for their own souvenirs/keeping back some of their Christmas money). Neither have been to London before and I've never done the touristy things - would anyone recommend anywhere that is particularly good for kids to visit?

Also what's the best way to get from Victoria station to Watford Junction? Is the subway wheelchair accessible?

nomoneytoday

I don't know about your travel arrangements, but would like to add that HP Studio were fantastic with my disabled daughter

GwylimT

What time do you land? I would likely do the later one incase my flight was delayed, yes it isn't likely but it isn't worth the dissappointment.

tower

Hi, could you fly into Luton, at least you're on the right side of London. Maybe book a hotel there as your base or nearer HP world.

merlin68

The harry potter only takes 1 and a half to 2 hours to do. Took mine last year.

essex_boy

I don't know how Wheelchair accessible it is but if possible I would recommend a trip to Kings Cross Station to see Platform 9 3/4 and the Harry Potter Shop there
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186338-d3971166-Reviews-Harry_Potter_Shop_at_Platform_9_3_4-London_England.html

Essexmum2010

The first time I went to the Harry Potter tour I spent 5 hours looking at everything. Remember to factor in the queues to get a photo flying in a broom and a duelling lesson. You can whizz through in 2 hours but there is so much to see and read, especially if you're a HP nut like me. Also make sure you save some money for the shop, its fab.

hcb42

I would probably go Luton too - you can get 4 tickets in April school holidays for about £260 on the day I checked with Easyjet. If you stay nearer HP world, say Premier Inn Watford Central you can see rooms for £49 or so. Enough saving there to splash out on a prebooked taxi to the Studio from the Airport and back, or you could go on public transport also.

No idea on your question re accessibility though as have never been!

essex_boy

Journeys by Tube and other modes of transport
can be planned on-line using Journey Planner.
Journey Planner allows you to plan journeys that do not
involve the use of stairs, lifts or escalators, or those in
which you may need to use wheelchair accessible
vehicles
https://www.tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/

Tigsteroonie

essex_boy wrote: »

I don't know how Wheelchair accessible it is but if possible I would recommend a trip to Kings Cross Station to see Platform 9 3/4 and the Harry Potter Shop there
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186338-d3971166-Reviews-Harry_Potter_Shop_at_Platform_9_3_4-London_England.html

It is ... but it gets terribly crowded, would be tricky to manouvre simply due to the number of other people.

susancs

I don't know about the Glasgow to London route but my family did the London to Edinburgh route in first class on a special offer with two girls who were younger than your neices and it was a fantastic service with food included and nice scenery on the way. The time went quickly. If you arrived in Euston it is only a 20 minute train journey from there to Watford Junction to pick up the shuttle bus to the studios. Although the train has a longer journey time time, when you factor in airport security checks, transfers etc, the train is probably easier and not a lot in the difference time wise.