Warner Brothers Studio Tour: Is It Worth It?
Are you on the fence about the Warner Brothers Studio Tour? Are you wondering if it’s worth it? Read on for our honest, unfiltered opinion.
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Is the Warner Brothers Studio Tour Worth It?
The answer to this is a big fat…MAYBE. I’m serious. I’ll detail why below.
Are you an avid television and movie watcher?
If you are a tv or movie buff, this tour is likely to be interesting for you. During the tour, the tour guide pointed out, for example, that “The scene from Gilmore Girls where Rory’s car was hit by a dear was filmed in this spot here.” If you know, you know. If you don’t, you’ll probably hear facts like that and say, “Meh.” For my family…we LOVE facts like this as we love watching shows together.
Do you want to see behind the curtain?
Something we didn’t expect to see was how some things are filmed. For instance, we got to enter a sound stage and see the inside of the “All American” house set. We learned things like even though the set is inside of a building, there are special lights that make it look like day or night time coming through the windows. Or how the very real looking pool is in fact…not.
You also get to see a set of buildings that is often seen on various tv shows and movies. You don’t know until they tell you though, because the signage and decor is changed out depending on the show filming there. It’s pretty neat.
Now, if you have a little kid along with you that will be upset when they find out that Annie’s building in the movie isn’t really in New York? Maybe don’t bring them on this tour and ruin the magic for them.
Do you care if you see the Friends or Gilmore Girls sets? Read this…
Oh my friends…this is a major point of contention for me. I’m serious. I sent a scathing email to the company when they sent me a survey asking how I liked the tour. Ok, so here’s what you need to know.
You purchase your tickets to the tour online and in advance. If you wait until the day of (in my experience), all online tickets will be sold out. Also, their refund policy is the following, “All sales are final with an exception of a 24 hour cancelation request prior to your scheduled tour date.” So…you are pretty locked in once you buy a ticket. The website states that the Warner Brothers Studio is a working studio and therefore there is filming going on. There might be some closed sets. Do they tell you in advance or is there a calendar of planned closures? Weeeeeeeelll….
It went like this…
We went to the Warner Brothers tour on a weekend specifically to see the Gilmore Girls set to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. We arrived at the tour lobby and Gilmore Girls music was blasting through the speakers. There was even Gilmore Girls merchandise in the studio store. We figure we are DEFINITELY going to see Gilmore Girls set today!
We got on the tram tour, the guide talks about various Gilmore Girls scenes. As we come up to the outskirts of the Gilmore Girls set my family starts cheering. The guide keeps driving past it. It was not until my husband asked if the Gilmore Girls set was part of the tour that they guide apologetically let us know that he found out that morning that the set was closed to tours that day. He stated that it is usually a part of the tour.
So…that’s my long-winded way of saying, if you care about specific sets, don’t get your hopes up. It is very possible that you will not see all of the sets they show on their website. Not only that, there is no advance notice so that you can plan which day you go to ensure you see the set you want to see.
However, don’t worry if you are a big Friends fan. The tour is so Friends heavy, they even have a Friends cafe. Big woop to my family as we could care less about Friends. We did get a fun picture on a recreation of the Friends couch and coffee shop set though, so there’s that.
Is DC Comics and Harry Potter your thing?
DC Comics and Harry Potter is a big part of this tour. The two combined have their very own building with lots of props and fun things to look at.
Does your family enjoy photo opps?
If your family loves fun photo opportunities, then this tour will definitely be a win. We had some fun photos that looked like we were in the Big Bang Theory apartment, the Friends coffee shop, and even in a scene of Harry Potter.
Common questions about the Warner Brothers Tour
How long is the studio Tour?
The guided part of the Warner Brothers Studio Tour is about an hour. You’ll be on a little tram with your own guide. The guide will drive you around, make some stops, and give you some details about movie/show magic, or scenes that might have been filmed there.
Can you visit the Gilmore Girls set?
The honest answer is, there is no guarantee that you will see the Gilmore Girls set during your tour. The studio does not list which sets will be closed in advance. Therefore, you really just take a gamble as to whether you will see the sets you are hoping to get a look at.
Is there a lot of walking on the Tour?
I personally don’t think the Warner Brothers Studio Tour involved much walking. If anything, it’s definitely light walking as you look at things, but nothing intense. Think walking at a museum 😉
Do you see celebrities on the Tour?
We personally did not see any celebrities during the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. We went on a Sunday.
Quick Facts:
Address: 3400 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505
Hours: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM, Closed Tues. & Wed.
Parking: $15 per vehicle if parking in the structure on site.tour
Tickets: Starting at $57 for SoCal Residents. Get more info and purchase tickets at the website here.
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