Worth It or Not? Building a Droid at Disney's Galaxy's Edge
9 Things to Know about Building a droid at the Droid Depot
You must have admission and a park pass reservation for Disney's Hollywood Studios to enter the park and visit the Droid Depot
To build a droid, you will need a reservation for the Droid Depot
If you must cancel your reservation, you need to do so one day prior to your reservation or you will be charged the full price for the experience
You will be able to customize and build your own BB Series and/or R Series droids at the Droid Depot
The cost to build a droid is $119 per astromech droid unit
To build a droid is expected to take about 30 minutes
The build a droid experience is recommended for ages 3 and up
You are allowed one builder and a guest and the Build Station; one of which must be 14 or older
You can purchase a premade droid and model kits at the Droid Depot store
Bright Suns! If you've ever wanted to own your very own droid, then you're in luck! Disney's Galaxy's Edge offers the experience of building your own Star Wars-style droid at the Droid Depot. We recently had the chance to build not one but two droids at Disney's Galaxy's Edge, and we're going to take you through our experience to help you decide if it's right for you and your family.
Building a droid isn't cheap, but it is a unique experience that any Star Wars fan is sure to appreciate. The process is fun, interactive, and immersive. A droid is one of the more unique purchases that you can make on your trip to Disney. Once you get your droid home with you, it could become more than just a souvenir. Your droid will be interactive and come with many features, such as bluetooth integration with other droids and personality traits.
Chewie in Disney’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
So what exactly does building a droid involve? In this article, we'll provide an overview of the process from start to finish. We'll explore the cost of building a droid, how long it takes, what it's like in the Droid Depot as well as other tips to maximize your experience.
Overview of the Droid Depot at Disney's Galaxy's Edge
We all know that Disney's Galaxy's Edge provides an experience like none other - with a land chock full of immersive experiences like building a lightsaber, visiting Oga's Cantina, and taking a ride on theMillennium Falcon. But one of the most amazing and memorable experiences that you can have at Disney's Galaxy's Edge is to be able to build your very own droid.
The Droid Depot, located on the planet Batuu in this super immersive world of Star Wars, allows you to choose your parts and customize an astromech droid unit - complete with the ability to change out it's personality chip. It had been an experience that I had an eye on for my family for a while and when the opportunity presented itself to surprise our little guy with a reservation to build his own droid at Disney's Galaxy's Edge Droid depot - I jumped at the chance!
Do I need a reservation to build a droid?
As of Jan 2024, only Disney World Annual Passholders require a theme park reservation on certain days. All day ticket guests are free to enter the park at any time.
If you are a Disney World Annual Passholder check the Theme Parks Reservation system to see if a reservation is required on the day that you’d like to visit. If so, follow the directions below .
To build a droid at the Droid Depot is one of the most popular activities at Galaxy's Edge and you'll need a few things to do it: a ticket to Disney's Hollywood Studios, a park pass reservation for Disney's Hollywood studios, and a reservation for building your droid on the same day as your park pass reservation.
Make a reservation for the Droid Depot at Disney’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
You can get all of these reservations on the Disney website; however, we can't stress enough how important it is to have a reservation to build a droid or any of the other hard to get experiences on Batuu. These include building a lightsaber at Savi's Workshop and having a drink at Olga's Cantina, if these are must do experiences for you and your family. Your build a droid reservation can be made up to 60 days in advance.
Make your Disney Theme Park Pass Reservation
On the day that we built our droids, we were standing in line (on the wrong line :-)) behind a family who had only one day in the park and had come specifically to build a lightsaber. We can't even begin to to tell you how disappointed they were to find out that they just couldn't walkup and get in to build their lightsaber.
How much does building a Droid Depot at Disney's Galaxy's Edge cost?
When we built our droids at the Droid Depot, the cost was $99 for each droid. In addition, we purchased a droid backpack for each droid at about $50 each. If you'd like a personality chip for your droid, it will cost an additional $14.99 per chip.
However, since then the prices have gone up nearly $20, with droids now costing $119 each. The price does include everything you need to build your droid - from proverbial head to toe with a cardboard box carrying case.
You can still upgrade to a Droid backpack for about $50 extra. As both an Annual Passholder and a DVC Member, we were able to use one (but not both) for the discount available at the time on our chips and the backpack, but not on the droid itself. Be sure to check at the register to see what Affinity Discounts may be available for your accessories.
When is the Droid Depot Open?
The hours for the Droid Depot correspond to Disney's Hollywood Studios hours. As of the writing of this article, the Droid Depot is is open from 8:30am to 9:30pm. It bears repeating, that you will need a reservation to build a droid at the Droid Depot, and will be able to choose a time slot from the available times on line.
Where do I find the Droid Depot?
First things first — you must find the entrance to Galaxy's Edge. You can enter Galaxy's Edge from either Toy Story Land or Grand Avenue near Muppet Vision 3D and the Baseline Tap house.
Galaxy’s Edge Grand St. entrance
Once you're inside of Galaxy's Edge, you will find yourself on the planet Batuu. Finding the Droid Depot on Batuu can be tricky, especially if you're not familiar with the land. We got turned around in the land when we were looking for the Droid Depot check-in desk.
Droid Depot entrance at Galaxy’s Edge
Finding Droid Depot and Checking In
Because of all the unique theming of Batuu in Star War's Galaxy's Edge, there aren't very many signs in English like one might expect from a Disney park, rather the signs are in the native tongue for Batuu, Aurebesh. So if you're feeling lost or confused, don't hesitate to just pop into one of the shops or chat with any nearby cart vendors for help!
Once you see these guys you’ve made it to the Droid Depot
We were actually standing on the line for the lightsaber building experience by accident. The check-in areas are close to each other and we made the mistake of stopping at the first line that we saw. Fortunately, there are always welcoming cast members around who are more than happy to point you in the right direction.
Once we found the entrance to the Droid Depot, we hopped on line and waited to see a clerk so that we could discuss the available options for our experience.
How to Build Your Own Droid at Galaxy's Edge in Disney World
Choose Your Droid Parts at the Parts Station
After checking in, we entered the Droid Depot to pay for our experience, upgrade to the droid backpacks and purchase our personality chips. Once the transaction was settled, the clerk handed us a wire basket to place the parts we'd need to build our droids. Another clerk then directed us to a spot at the Parts Station where we were able choose the droid parts for either our BB Series or R Series droid from the conveyor belt.
Droid Depot Parts Station
We'll pause here and say as we were finalizing the details for this piece that we have seen reports that a C Series droid is available at the Droid Depot. That said, we weren't able to find that series listed on the official Disney website. If you are interested in a C Series, ask at check-in if they are available.
What parts will you need to build your droid?
Now, here's where the fun begins! Once we settled in, we followed the diagram on the wall in front of us and chose our droid parts. We picked our droids head, body, motor and legs (if needed) from all of the colors and shapes that rolled past us on the conveyer belt.
Droid parts at the Parts Station in the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge
Don't worry about picking a remote control for your droid at this point. You will be provided with one when it's time to assemble your astromech droid unit.
Personalizing Your Creation
At the Parts Station, you can really put your own unique spin on your creation. If you're building a standard BB Series or R Series droid, you will find the colors that will have your droid closely resemble those you've seen in the Star Wars movies. For instance, the BB Series droid that we built is orange and white, the same as BB-8.
Picking through ‘scrap’ at the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge
That said, you don't have to stick to the standard colors. Multiple colors come past you on the conveyor belt in pieces that fit both droids. If you'd like, you can build an all black R Series droid, or mix and match the colors. It's up to you, so let your imagination run wild.
Assembling Your Droid at the Droid Depot
Now that you're done digging through all of the available 'scrap' pieces for your droid on the conveyor belt at the Parts Station, you now move over to the Build Station. Here is where you will actually assemble your very own droid! Head over to an empty build station where a cast member will be waiting to assist you.
We took our basket full of droid parts over to the next available station, unloaded our baskets and by looking at the diagrams on the counter in front of us, started to try to figure out how to get these things built. Thankfully, we didn't have to do it all on our own.
Build Station at the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge
The cast member guided us by showing us how all the pieces fit together, and then it was up to us. Some of the pieces needed to be drilled; others slid or popped into place. It felt like we were really building a droid! With a little help, we snapped, slid and in the case of the BB series droid twisted our droids together piece by piece until we had two finished droids.
Assembling the Droid at the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge
If you get a kick out of that feeling you get when you build something from start to finish, then this is definitely for you! That sense of accomplishment you get when your creation comes alive at the end is worth the price of admission.
Adding the Finishing Touches to your Droid
Up next, you'll get to add your finishing touches. Once your droid is fully assembled, a cast member will offer you some customization options. For the R Series, our little guy was able to pick the colors of the pieces that go across the front of the droid. For the BB Series, I picked out the color for my droids antenna.
Choosing the finishing touches at the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge
It's also at this point in the process that your droid's personality chip is inserted for the first time. You can purchase a personality chip for either the BB Series or R Series droid when you pay for your droid at the beginning of the process. And with this being Disney, you will of course get an opportunity to purchase additional personality chips for your droid at the store right next door.
Droid Personality inserted at the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge
The most important finishing touch is bringing your droid to life! While not as dramatic as what we've seen in the videos for the lightsaber build over at Savi's Workshop, it is still an enjoyable and satisfying moment when you push the button that powers your droid up for the first time.
Powering up your droid at the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge
How Long Does it Take to Build a Droid at Galaxy's Edge?
When making your reservation to build a droid, you may notice that the Disney website says that it will take 20 minutes to build. We think that timing is a little aggressive once you factor in the checking in and waiting on line to pay for your experience.
With this in mind, we'd suggest that you build in 30-45 minutes for this experience into your park day.
We built two droids during this experience and found that it did take longer than the 20 minutes that the Disney website suggests. You'll just need to keep this in mind when planning around this experience for any other reservations that you may have for lunch, dinner or for any lighting lanes.
Is the Droid Backpack Worth it?
When it comes to the droid backpack, our answer is a resounding yes! The price tag may seem steep, but it's actually worth it.
The boxes that come with the droids are efficient and they do the job. But they are also bulky and awkward to carry around, especially if you want to get pictures with your droid in various locations throughout the park. Not to mention climbing on and off of rides in Star Wars Galaxy's Edge or any other ride at the theme park.
Droid Backpack at the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge
We really liked the peekaboo zipper at the back of the bag because it allows you to expose your droids face while keeping the unit secure in the custom made bag. This also makes it easier to see and hear your droid as it interacts with other custom droids as well as the droids around Star Wars Galaxy's Edge.
The backpack allows you to easily carry your droid around for the rest of your park day comfortably on your back. Another benefit of the backpack is that if you've purchased the BB Series, the bag contains a chain that is secured to the inside of it that you can use to keep your BB Series droid's head from rattling around in the bag and becoming damaged.
One other thing to keep in mind is that unless you've decided to do this experience at the end of your park day, you will be carrying your droid or droids around with you all day. You will want to be as comfortable as possible carrying your droid around while protecting it from damage and that's where the well-crafted droid backpack comes in handy.
If you're not into spending the extra $50 for the droid backpack, then we suggest scheduling the Droid Depot experience for the end of your park day so that you can carry your box out of the park and to your hotel without worry about how you will secure it on rides or keep it from getting damaged in general.
The Droid Depot Mobile App
After having the full Star Wars Droid Depot experience, you might be wondering what else you can do with your droid. Well, Disney also has a Droid Depot mobile app to help extend the immersion for your droid even after you get home.
The Droid Depot mobile app is free to download on the Google Play or Disney App Store. When you log onto the app you are asked whether or not you have a droid. If you do, the app will ask you to turn off the remote control for your droid so that you can control your droid via the app.
Droid Depot App
To extend the experience once you get home, the Droid Depot mobile app will give you a few new ways to interact with your droid. Once the app has located your droid and your droid connects to the app, you will be able to do a few things with the droid that you can't do with your standard remote control including:
Maneuver or choreograph a dance routine using music brought to you by that famous DJ R3X
Pilot or control the movements of your droid via your phone instead of the remote control
There is a Strategy mode where you can play a game of Tic Tac Toe with your droid
If you don't have a physical droid, the Droid Depot mobile app will invite you to begin a virtual collection of droids. Similar to the live build a droid experience at the Droid Depot, you can build either an R Series or BB Series droid. In the app you can build as many droids as you would like to add to your virtual collection.
Do the Droids do Anything Special in the Parks?
When you build a droid at the Droid Depot, you not only get to take home a cool souvenir, but the droids actually have some special interactions when you're in the park too. Yep, they do. Technically, the Disney website says that using a remote control device is not allowed in the park. However, it's a temptation that is hard to resist. We have seen droids being taken out for a test drive in an area near the Droid Depot.
As soon as your droid has been activated you'll find that new droid owners will gather just outside of the Droid Depot to take their droids for a spin. The droids 'recognize' each other and will beep and blep as they spin past one another.
Do Custom Droids Interact With Each Other in Galaxy's Edge?
The droids are also programmed to interact with other droids that are a part of the theming around Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. So, as the droids encounter each other, they will wake from sleep mode, thanks to bluetooth technology and they will 'talk' to each other.
The droids will go back into sleep mode until the next time they encounter another droid that they can chat with, saving your droids batteries.
It is fun to see the droids large and small interact with each other.
What if I Need Help Operating the Droid?
Before you leave the Build Station, a helpful cast member will give you instructions on how to change the batteries in your droid and your droids remote control. They will also give you a quick lesson on how to control the droid with the remote and make sure that you have the hang of it.
Droid Depot droid and remote control instructions
A tear sheet with instructions for changing the batteries in the droid and the remote control will be given to you and reviewed with you after they package your droid. They will also tell you about the Droid Depot mobile app, which can help you operate your new droid without its remote control. In addition, as noted above the app also contains two other modes that you can interact with droid in as well as the ability to build a virtual stable of droids.
Droid instructions at the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge
If you lose your instructions, no need to worry, you'll be able to find the instructions for both the BB Series and R Series droids on the Disney website.
How Big are the Droids at Droid Depot?
The actual sizes of the droids will vary depending on which one you decide to build. The BB Series droid is about 10 - 12 inches tall if you include the antenna. The BB Series is about 7 inches wide.
On the other hand, the R Series are about 12.5 inches tall and 8.5 inches wide. You can expect that either droid will weigh around 4 pounds. If you go with the standard cardboard box to transport your droid home, those are about 11 inches wide and 18 inches tall to include the handle at the top of the box.
How Do You Get Your Droid Back Home?
Well luckily, there is mail service between Batuu and your local post office. Also, in case you're wondering the TSA does consider your droid to be a 'Toy Robot' and can either go in your checked luggage (wouldn't recommend) or your carry on luggage as long as you can place it under the seat in front of you or in the overhead bin.
Can You just visit the Droid Depot Store at Galaxy's Edge?
Yes, you can just visit the Droid Depot store at Galaxy's Edge, but it won't be quite the same experience as actually building a droid. If you're not into the build a droid experience, you can purchase a pre-made droid or model kit in the shop attached to the Droid Depot.
You can move freely in between the Droid Depot and the store right next door without leaving the building. While this does mean that you can wander into the build area to check out the process, you'll just need to remember to watch from afar and to not disturb those who are building their own droids.
More Than Just Building Custom Droids
As mentioned, at the Droid Depot Store, you can browse through the model kits and the pre-made droids. This is where you can also find additional personality chips for your droids as well as a variety of Star Wars branded merchandise.
What is the Better Choice - Building a Droid or a Lightsaber?
Ah, the age-old question to build a droid or a lightsaber? To build either depends on how much of a Star Wars fan you are. We went with the droids because it seemed like the more practical choice, they are smaller, easier to travel with and could be used once we got home.
While we haven't built a lightsaber, yet, it seems to be a touch more immersive than the build a droid experience. While the experience at the Droid Depot allows you to customize your own astromech droid unit by selecting parts from the 'scrap' on the conveyor belt, on the surface it does not seem like it is as immersive and as hands-on as building a customizable lightsabers over at Savi’s Workshop.
Ultimately, which you choose will depend on the experience that you think you and your family will find most enjoyable. And of course, there's the matter of the price for experience. The Savi Workshop experience will cost you $249.99 plus tax per lightsaber. For our family, we were able to get two droids for that price without any of the extra frills, making the build a droid experience a better value for the money.
Is Building a Droid Worth it?
We have to admit that even though we are not fully immersed in the Star Wars fandom we found the build a droid experience to be a once in lifetime experience. Watching our little guy decide on his own to build an R Series droid, choose the parts, put it together and then bring it to life was more than worth the price of admission for us.
Building a droid at the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge
We really enjoyed building our own droids and do not for one moment regret the price paid or the overall experience. Our family made a memory that will last a lifetime.
That said, would we do it again? Yes, we would, but if we had a do over we would only build one droid instead of two. While the process was enjoyable and created unique souvenirs that as a practical matter we took home with us and could actually use again, it was pricey for two droids. So if you have to weigh the costs for your family, building just one droid might be enough for your budget.
Also, since we've brought them home they have mostly sat in their protective backpacks and haven't gotten the use that we'd hoped that they would. In fact, we've only used ours a handful of times since bringing them home. We even purchased new personalities for them and haven't installed those yet. Unfortunately, we haven't gotten as much use out of them as we had hoped that we would.
All in all—building a droid at Galaxy's Edge is a definitely a worthwhile experience depending on how much money and time you want to invest, just be aware that beyond the initial thrill of building it, the novelty may quickly wear off once you get home.
Final Thoughts
Hands down, the build a droid experience at the Droid Depot was a lot of fun. From the moment we entered the Droid Depot, we felt as though we were truly immersed in some scrap heap in the world of Star Wars. The droids we built added a special touch to our family’s Galaxy’s Edge experience. For any Star Wars fan out there who’s looking for a unique experience, building a Droid at Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge is definitely worth it!
'Til the Spires!
Until next time, Enjoy the Journey!
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