TARDIS Set Tour and Props! (Video and Pics)

Turns out, a journey on the official TARDIS set tour is not always a once in a lifetime opportunity, as just before Christmas last year, I managed to secure on a pair of tickets for myself and Luke. This was my second visit to the infamous set but my first time since Peter has been at the helm. You can read about my first visit to the Tardis set back in 2013 here.


We reached Cardiff in good time (I had taken my new car for a good old spin) and had time to get some lunch at a local favourite: Eddie's Diner. It was the second or third time we have eaten in here, and it never fails to disappoint! I would recommend it to anyone, whether a Doctor Who fan or not - 50's America is definitely where its at!

We were told to head into the Doctor Who Experience first, which we had been to a couple of times before, you can read about our most recent visit since the Experience regenerated here. There had been a couple of extra props added to the prop rooms since our last visit from series 8 - its always great to see whats new and its always brilliant that the area is updated to reflect the most recent series. It just proves that no matter how often you visit over the years, there's always going to be something new that you haven't spotted before.

This year, Luke went armed with his selfie stick and we managed to take a couple of great pictures with the both of us in. (Top Tip: Like I have mentioned in previous posts, its always best to head straight up the stairs when you first enter the prop area, as downstairs fills up quickly and its difficult to get the perfect shots without other visitors photobombing!)

Anyway, on to the main event. We met our allocated group in the foyer of the Experience, handed our official tour lanyards and headed over to the BBC Roath Lock Studios. However, rather than going through the side entrance which consisted of a Jurassic Park style gate I have mentioned previously, we were directed straight through the main entrance, through the turnstiles and down the corridors to the studio. I couldn't help but imagine how many awesome actors/actresses had walked this same way before!

So off we went through the huge studio doors where the shell of the TARDIS was located to the left and a couple of props straight ahead where we were then split into two groups. Our group was instructed to stay in the prop area first where we were told all about the props around us, which consisted of items from Series 9's 'Face The Raven' - Clara's Mural version of the TARDIS, her costume from the episode and the raven's cage. The tour guide was great and took lots of awesome pictures of us so that we could get the perfect shot. There was also a Dalek he wheeled into the studio and he spent a couple of minutes explaining how an actor controls its movement from the inside. It must be so claustrophobic!

After a while, we moved on in small groups to the main event; the TARDIS set. Of course, I filmed our steps into the TARDIS again and made sure I was first in for the best angle. Walking into the TARDIS never tires, its got to be the best experience for a Doctor Who fan. We had a bit longer this time around to take the perfect shots. Again, half of the set was fenced off but it really doesn't spoil the illusion of the TARDIS.

Here's the video I took on the day as I walked into the TARDIS, and the photos to follow:-

Peter's Doctor is infamous for using his chalkboard often in episodes, and we noticed the board had been left out, still emblazoned with the words 'Run You Clever Boy and Be A Doctor' from Series 9 episode Hell bent.

I'll say it before and I'll say it again, if you haven't been on the Doctor Who Set tour before you literally HAVE to go if you get the chance. They run every couple of years when filming is on a break - I usually find out about the latest dates through subscribing to updates from the Doctor Who Experience/BBC Worldwide - its totally worth it!

I'm off on a mini-break to Wales this week. Who knows what new and exciting Doctor Who locations I may stumble upon...?!

In other news I have finally hit my weight goal (lost 1 and a half stone) and I have something exciting to share... me and Luke have just bought our first house! Our mortgage offer has been accepted and we are just in the process of searches etc so we are hoping everything goes okay and will hopefully be moving in before Christmas :-) Exciting times ahead! Apart from that I am working my butt off at work and looking forward to this week in Wales!

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Doctor Who Experience Opening Day: Cardiff - Review and Pics!

Hello everyone, hope you’ve had a brilliant weekend. The weather has been on and off here, but I hope the weather is good wherever you are! Where is that so-called summer?!

So on Friday (20^th July) I attended the opening of The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff. I had been looking forward to it since my brother managed to secure me and the boyfriend tickets whilst we were on holiday in June. We booked the 12 o’clock slot, which in actual fact was the time the Experience opened to the public anyway!

We headed from our hotel at 11am and reached the experience building about 5-10minutes later. It has a prime spot overlooking the Bay, you can’t miss it!

 As we got nearer, we noticed that the outside was already busy and full of fans, and not long after we arrived a Silent and Silurian were let out of the building to greet (and scare) the fans. I have to admit the Silent was particularly scary; it’s probably one of my most feared DW monsters! I kept trying to act confident, telling myself it was just a man in a suit, but the actor was really in character – the head, leg and arm movements were all choreographed to perfection! Below I’ve included some of my pictures of the Silent and Silurian, so you can see for yourself just how brilliant they were. There’s also a video I recorded whilst waiting in the queue, which I have uploaded to Youtube.

Joining them just before the Experience opened its doors was a Dalek and a Cyberman. Everyone had their cameras at the ready – I thought it was a brilliant way to get the crowd excited with what was to come.

The Experience

 Myself and my partner were part of the first group to head into the Experience. I must admit, I was slightly apprehensive with what was to come as I had no idea what I would be faced with, after never visiting the attraction when it was in London.

 From here, I was going to produce an in-depth review of the Experience itself within the blog post, but I don’t want it to contain any *spoilers* for those of you who are planning to head to the site in the future.

 So without giving too much away, I will preview some of my favourite moments-

• The first montage of the Experience gave me goosebumps.
• The special effects used within are extraordinary; in parts I really did feel like I was a million miles from home.
• The Doctor is as quick-witted as always.
• When the Doctor told me to run, I ran for my life. When he told me not to look back, I did just the opposite.
• Whatever you do, don’t blink.

 In my opinion, the Experience itself is perfect for any age. It captures your imagination, allows an escape from everyday life and plummets you into a journey where you feel as if you are running alongside the Doctor.

Exhibition

 After the Experience, we were walked into a large exhibition room which contained costumes, props and artefacts from the show, dating all the way back to when the show started in 1963.
Being the first group to enter, the room was empty, and we were lucky enough to explore each exhibit and take photos without waiting for others to do so.

Some of my favourite exhibits included the 9th and 10th doctors TARDIS (which had a clip of 10th's regeneration scene on the screen at the side), the looking glass from ‘The Girl Who Waited’, The Pandorica, River Song’s Diaries and the Silent ship, with an ACTUAL silent walking around, I just had to get a picture ;) The only downside (which was one of my own making) was that many of the exhibits were in the Prop Room at the Doctor Who Convention which I went to in March, so I had seen many of them before. However, it wasn’t at all a disappointment because I still want to go to the Experience for a second time and see them all again!! You can see my post from the Convention HERE.

I’ve included a few of my favourite pictures below to give you a little insight into the huge prop/exhibit room -

 

 In my opinion, the Exhibition part of the attraction is brilliant for any Doctor Who fan. It gives everyone a chance to stand next to their favourite props and take photos, engage with the exhibits and learn more about the programme through animated screens and displays. 

Overall

 All in all, I had a fantastic day at the Experience and would recommend it to anyone of any age. I am very grateful to have been given the chance to attend on the opening day. The atmosphere was all a buzz of excitement and curiosity which added to the day and being in the company of so many big fans of the show was just amazing. 

 To follow this post, I will blog about the day before I attended the convention, where me and my partner ventured to Caerphilly to visit the sites captured in many of the 'New Who' episodes. Along with our trip to 'Leadworth Hospital' from the Eleventh Hour. More to come ;-)

Thanks for Reading!

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