My friend, Sophie, recently wrote a blog post about an experience at the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Tour. Her dad was denied entry because he didn’t have a ticket. To clarify, he doesn’t participate in the tour itself. He simply sits in the cafeteria and waits for Sophie to finish. Sophie visits the tour frequently as it’s one of the few accessible attractions. It also holds a special place in both of our childhoods. It’s important to note that neither of us support transphobic views but things from childhood will always have a nostalgic effect.
Anyway, the toilet that Sophie can use—the only toilet she can use—is located outside the tour… in the cafeteria area and not in the tour itself. She turns up and they tell her that they cannot permit her dad in because she does not have proof that she needs two carers. This made me think back to our visit about 18 months back.
Accessibility of the Harry Potter Tour
Me, Sophie and two friends went to the Harry Potter Tour in Watford in October 2023. At the time, Sophie didn’t get her dad a ticket, because they had never had an issue with letting him into the cafeteria before hand. We stood in the ticket area, waiting for them to print our tickets and asked if her dad could wait in the cafeteria and not actually enter the tour itself.
They did huff and puff at the time, but after about five-ten minutes, decided to let him sit in the cafeteria so that he could help Sophie when she needed the toilet. As I said, the one outside the tour is the only one she could use anyway.
I find it quiet shocking that they only have the one hoisted Toilet. The tour takes about 4-6 hours to get through. Clearly, there’s going to be a bathroom break or two before the tour ends. There’s room for a hoisted toilet near the food area and near the forbidden forest, but they do not have these facilities there.
What this means for Sophie and anyone else that needs a hoisted toilet, is that they have to LEAVE the tour, go to the toilet, and return again. It’s a palaver for the person who needs it and disrupts their experience.
Should the Harry Potter Tour be asking for extra proof?
No. I don’t think so. The toilet is OUTSIDE of the tour. I get it if the toilet was inside the tour itself. They wouldn’t be able to spot if someone sneaked in under the carer pretence. Out of the thousands that visit the tour daily, the amount of people who would be trying to sneak in would be negligible. But even if this was the case, it would be a very small number that would need two people to assist them.
I think proof of disability should be enough. There shouldn’t be extra proof to state that they need two carers. I mean, to get that proof, you probably need to visit the GP. You have better chance of being run over by a bus and surviving twice than you do at getting a doctors appointment.
Seriously, it’s bad here folks. I mean, I know its bad in America because of costs and things. At least we have the NHS… but… there are people who have tried for months to visit their doctor about important things… like bleeding moles… and haven’t been able to get an appointment. To attempt to get one for a letter (that will cost £55). Heck no!
I do think that the visitor should tell them that they need two people assisting them beforehand if the second one needs to enter the exhibition at any point. But as the toilet is outside of the tour, that extra information isn’t necessary.
Had the tour had a hoisted toilet inside, I would want them to ask on the website “do you need more than one person assisting you?” and accept the answer given. No extra evidence. No going to the GP for a letter. Just—yes, understood, sure.
What should the Harry Potter Tour do?
They should let someone in who says they need two people assisting them. If they’re worried about someone sneaking in, they can have someone beside the tour door double-checking the tickets. Really, what is the harm in letting someone sit in the cafeteria while another person visits the tour in case that visitor needs something like going to the toilet or they have a seizure?
It just sounds silly to me.
Perhaps its a safety thing. They need to know how many people are in the building… only people leave the tour at different times. They’re not going to know 100% how many people are in the building. So I doubt that would be the case. I think it’s more of a stuck-up thing because of how disability is seen.
What do you mean about how disability is seen?
When people in the UK (and probably America and elsewhere) think of disabled people, they have a view of scroungers. Just to be clear, I do not mean ALL UK people think like that. There are lots of able-people who support disabled people. But those who do not know anything about disability are fed lies by the government. And that is most of the people in the UK.
Headlines in the news feature how disabled people are called “lazy scroungers who won’t work” and how the government narrative has caused a rise in hate crime among disabled people online.
People think we get “free cars”. That the disabled parking spaces at the front of the store are there because we want to feel important and not for ease of accessibility. The truth is far different. We pay for our cars. We need the spaces for safety… and most offices are not facilitated for the majority of disabled people. Add A.I. into the mix and there’s a real problem with disabled people getting jobs. That little piece of code… yh its taking all the accessible jobs. What are disabled people meant to do?
But this view of disabled people as scroungers, not wanting to work and wanting or getting free things… it has made things harder for us. Sophie’s dad doesn’t want to go around the tour. He just wants to support his daughter when she needs help and as the toilet is on the outside of the tour, she should be allowed in to do this.
Conclusion
It’s clear that the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Tour could improve its accessibility policies. Especially when it comes to accommodating visitors who require additional support. Already, the disabled visitor must accept that their experience is going to be far from seamless, knowing that at some point during the tour, they’re going to have to need the toilet. Meaning they’re going to have to leave and come back in. An extra step that able bodied people do not need to make. To be honest, it still annoys me almost two years later that there isn’t a hoisted toilet in the middle of the tour.
Asking for extra proof is over the top. It ultimately creates unnecessary barriers for those who genuinely need assistance rather than stopping someone from ‘sneaking in’. I really think that they need to revisit this. Especially as being disabled is hard enough already.
Action Plan for Improvement:
- Revise Carer Policy: Allow individuals who require additional support to bring carers without needing extra documentation. A simple declaration of need should suffice. Especially since many disabled visitors may have difficulty accessing healthcare or obtaining additional paperwork.
- Increase Accessibility Features: Consider adding more hoisted toilets throughout the venue, especially in areas like the food court so that disabled visitors don’t have to leave the tour for essential breaks.
- Improve Staff Training: Ensure that all staff are trained to understand the specific needs of disabled visitors, including the importance of flexible support for carers and their disabled companions.
- Monitor Ticket Access: If concerns about abuse are present, have a staff member at the entrance of the tour itself to ensure only valid carers enter the facility.
- Promote Inclusivity: The tour should continue to promote inclusivity and accessibility, not just by meeting legal requirements but by setting an example for other attractions. The goal should be to make everyone feel welcome and supported.
By taking these steps, the Harry Potter Tour can better serve all its visitors, ensuring that it remains a memorable and accessible experience for everyone, regardless of ability.
Anyway, I would highly recommend you reading her post about the experience here.