As I was working on my recap for this year and started to reminisce on my trips to California I realized I never actually did a proper review and blog post about the WB Studio Tour from my initial trip in 2021! You may have seen my prior blog posts about this tour as I did do specific posts and key areas in the tour such as Friends, DC Comics, and Wizarding World but this blog post recaps the main tour itself with links to those areas if you would like to read more. I will also include some pictures and recommendations to so you can be better prepared if you go. Before you read below, see a visual preview via the video underneath and feel free to check out and follow on social media by giving a follow on Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook!
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Location and Tickets
Just to clarify, this is Warner Bros. Studio Tour that is located at 3400 Warner Blvd, Burbank, California (not to be confused with the ones in Tokyo or London). When I was getting my tickets, I saw that they were available online (on their website) for $69 USD per person and $39 USD per person for the photo bundle. I’d recommend getting the photo bundle because there are photo ops you can do such as being on a quidditch broom, the batmobile, inside the matrix, and more! I believe there is another premium option but I think this is great on it’s own but FYI, they don’t really kick you out during the unguided section so you for the most part, you are able to spend the day there.
In terms of parking, they have a garage that is used for visitors and staff working at the WB office. There is a flat flee of $15 for the day I believe. The tour hours is from 8:30 to 3:30 with various sections (see below) but make sure you review their site and their social media before booking your tickets.
Storytelling Showcase
Right when you enter the studio tour and before you actually start with your guided tour, you get to explore a nice exhibit featuring the mini water tower as well as some pictures from notable WB Studio Tour projects. You also get to watch a video starring Ellen DeGeneres before you actually join your tour guide to learn more about WB Studios.
Backlot Guided Studio Tour
The guided tour was fun and we were fortunate enough to have a great tour guide. It was awesome to see so many sets and sound stages (see below for some iconic ones) from our favourite shows, movies, and even music videos. Some were more obvious to point out such as the Friends fountain and the Spiderman building, but some were cool to see such as the Michael Jackson Pepsi Commercial set (fun fact: Alfonso Ribeiro was in that commercial and will later work on this lot for Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). It was also cool to see the Batman film sets and houses from Gossip Girl and so on. Can you identify which shows, movies, or music videos were filmed at this lot with the pictures above? Tip: It’s advised to do this tour during the morning for the best photos.
Unguided Tour
This was really cool to me because you get to immerse yourself into what goes on behind the scenes of these film and television projects. You will see more in the video recap but here are some pics I took including some great candid behind the scenes photos as well as a fun interactive table where you can select an actor’s picture to see their screen test and so much more. Below is a nice display that shows the various scripts and brainstorms that the writers of CW’s All-American goes through to make this show happen.
Big Bang Theory Set
I thought I had more pictures save from this section but I guess not. Given the massive success of The Big Bang Theory, it makes sense that the WB tour had a good portion dedicated to them. Here you can get to see some sets and costumes as well as take some pictures in Sheldon’s seat or you can pose beside the iconic elevator that never seems to be in-order.
Friends Sets + Cafe
The Central Perk Cafe was near the middle of the tour (start of the unguided portion) where you can dine-in and enjoy some tasty food and coffee while also shopping a gift store decided to just Friends. This place is special because it also features sets and costumes from the hit TV series along with exclusive merchandise. The fountain and Central Perk sofa might be in other sections but still cool overall. If interested, make sure to visit the specific blog post about everything Friends at the tour here.
Wizarding World
The Wizarding World section at WB Studio tour is great, especially for fans of the Harry Potter Wizarding World! I thought it was really interesting how they recreated certain sets and designs which is not only great for photos but also to experience so you can appreciate the movies even further. I also thought it was cool to see interactive components such as wand training and the potions class. You can learn more including seeing pics by visiting the blog post here.
DC Comics Heroes & Villains
So yeah, DC Comics is currently getting a reboot which means by the time you go and check this spot out, you might not be able to see all this stuff. Yet again, they invested a lot of money into this exhibit as you have actual suits, vehicles, and more from prior movies right in front of you. I loved this as it made nostalgic of the DC movies I loved as a kid but also now, and as a DC Comics fan I thought it was cool to virtually design a batmobile as well as learn more about the characters via the interactive desk. For all the details including pictures, visit the DC Comics specific blog post here.
Interactive Soundstage + Photo Ops
I thought this was a great way to end the tour as you appreciate what goes behind the scenes when it comes to your favourite movies and shows. They had this option to do Automated dialogue replacement (ADR) for a scene in Harry Potter or All-American. It was funny to hear your voice over these actors but also nice to see how there is so much more that goes into the final product. They also had interactive things such as a motion controlled Dobby and videos learning about sounds and storyboards. Near the end you can also take pictures and videos on the Batmobile from The Dark Knight, flying across the globe on a broom and into your quidditch match (Harry Potter), and since it was holiday season when I went you could take a picture in front of different holiday backdrops (Gilmore Girls Holiday House). You will also walk by this awards season pathway where you can pose with an Academy Award and view some award-winning memorabillia!
Studio Store
This store is packed with a lot of great things. I actually regret not really buying anything from here including the spirit jerseys they had for various shows and movies. I did end up getting a pair of Ellen underwear, because if you ever watched that show you know how valuable that was which was cool they sold it there. They also had several small things but it looks like they had exclusive merchandise only available at the studio store! Also, don’t forget that there is an Arrow costume on display as well as a massive Tri-Wizard cup from the Harry Potter films in the seating area of the Starbucks which is beside the exit of the store.
Overall
All in all, I had a great time here and would recommend it to anyone whether you have little to a large interest in television and film. I think there is something for everyone and the way they have curated each portion of this tour is a nice way to appreciate all the work that goes into these projects, not just by casts but the entire crew and studio! If you have been here let me know your thoughts or if you plan on going let me know as well. I hope this helps and you enjoyed reading this post. Stay tuned to the blog for more California content by giving a follow on Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook!