Disney World is chock full of souvenirs. You can find everything from Mickey Mouse ears to Princess costumes. There is one particular souvenir that is unique, cool and a ton of fun for the kids.
What is it? It’s a droid! And not just a droid, but you can build a droid that’s customized to how you want it. As everyone knows, R2-D2 and BB-8 are the real stars of the Star Wars series so who wouldn’t want to create and have one of their own custom droid?
We are going to give you all the information you need in order to make your own new friend, your droid.
Quick Guide to Build a Droid at Disney World
Here’s some of the quick facts about building a droid at Disney World. Keep reading for more in depth details!
- The cost to build a droid is $119 plus tax.
- You need a park pass to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in order to enter the park a build a droid.
- A reservation isn’t necessary as Disney can accommodate some walk ins, but it is a good idea to make one!
- If you have a reservation and can’t make it, you need to cancel it 24 hours prior to your reservation or you will be charged the entire cost.
- It will take about 30 minutes to build a droid.
Where can I build a droid in Walt Disney World?
To build your own droid, you need to go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and head over to the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and then into the Black Spire Outpost.
Unless you are fluent in Aurebesh, the language of the planet Batuu, you may not be able to read the signs directing you to the build station. Trust us, we walked right past Droid Depot numerous times before realizing that’s what it was!
The best option is to go in through Toy Story Mania – that’s the closest entrance to Droid Depot. You can also check the map on your My Disney Experience to get there.
As you get close, you will see droids and droid parts to let you know you’r’re in the right place.
We also found cast members walking around with their own custom droids in special carrying cases. We chatted with them for a while about the process and they were super helpful.
If you can’t find Droid Depot or just want to chat with someone about building a droid or see a droid close up, find one of those cast members!
How much does it cost to build a droid at Disney World?
Building your droid at Disney World will cost $119.99 plus tax.
This amount includes the building experience (which is pretty cool), the droid with it’s cardboard carrying box, and a remote control. There is an additional cost for accessories.
You can purchase a backpack for your droid for $49.99 and a personality chip for $14.99. Personality Chips are a fun addition but by all means not necessary to get total enjoyment from your little friend. These additional accessories, in our opinion, are more of a luxury than a necessity.
Of course there are other droid items available to buy including model kits of authentic replicas from the films, shirts, and the usual Disney merchandise of all the favorite characters.
What is the age recommendation for building a droid at Disney World?
This is really a great activity for all children but it is recommended that the youngest is 3 years old. At least one person in the party needs to be 14 years old or older.
There are not many activity based Star Wars activities for younger kids in the 3 – 5 age group and this one fits that age group well.
How long does the entire droid-building experience take?
From start to finish, the entire droid experience takes about 1/2 hour but you should allow a bit longer so you are not rushed through the building station.
What is the process of building a droid?
When you arrive at Galaxy’s Edge Droid Depot, which is the droid building, there are two entrances: one is for the gift shop and one for the droid workshop building (also in the vicinity is Savi’s Workshop for building lightsabers).
As you enter the room you will see two different lines. The line on the left will be a long line with a long wait because it is for those without a reservation. The one on the right, which will be shorter, is for those with reservations (do you see why we encourage you to get a reservation?)
When it is your turn you will need to pick the type of droid you want to make. The options are the BB-Series unit, R-Series astromech droid units, or C-Series units.
The style of droid you pick is totally up to you and your own personal preference. After you figure out which droid you want to make you will register it with the Cast Member Clerk who’ll provide a basket and blueprints for parts.
Then, you proceed to the following stations and begin your droid-building experience.
Parts Station
There is an assembly line full of droid parts and you will select a colorful variety of components to customize your droid as they roll by on the shop’s conveyor belt. The components for each droid are a little different.
BB-Series Components (this is like BB-8)
- Dome
- Dome Connection Plate
- Body Sphere
- Motivator
The BB-Series droid has 4 parts to it and they have different colors and it’s fun to make your droid as original as you like by mixing and matching the colored parts. The only things you must have are the 4 distinct items that make it into a droid.
R-Series Droid (this is like R2-D2)
- Dome
- Body
- Center Leg
- Set of Side-Legs
The R-Series Unit has the same criteria as the BB unit. All four pieces need to be on the droid but any color will work so you can make it as unique as you like.
C-Series (this is like Chopper)
- Dome
- Body
- Center Leg or Center Wheel
- Set of Side-C Legs
Build Station
At the assembly station you’ll follow simple “placemat” instructions or graphic monitor displays to assemble your droid in the proper sequence. Once complete, your droid will be paired with a remote control and activated as you watch it come to life!
Right after the activation process you will need to give your new droid a name. Of course this isn’t mandatory but all part of the fun.
I know I will love my new droid but do I have to carry it around Hollywood Studios all day?
Great question. After your fun experience of making your droid and having it with you, you need to make a decision regarding what you will do with it. One option is you can carry it around the park for the rest of the day, which can be a bit of a pain depending on if you have a stroller or not.
Or you can have them send your droid to your Walt Disney World Resort Hotel room if you are staying in one.
A third option they give you is to send it directly to your home for $29.00. The problem with this option is that unless your child is the most understanding child in the world, he/she is not going to want to be told “you can have your droid when you get home.” Decisions, decisions.
If you choose to carry it, we highly recommend getting the droid backpack for it! Yes, it’s an additional cost but it will not only make it easier to carry your droid around for the rest of your day at the park but it will also keep it safe and secure.
Whatever option you choose, we suggest that you think it through beforehand so everyone knows what’s coming. By the way, you can take the droid on flights. They will have you power it down but it can go on as a carry on.
The backpacks also have a zipper panel that folds down so your droid can see out while you walk around. This is fun because as you pass by other people with droids, the droids will communicate with one another!
Droids at the Galaxy’s Edge
Technically you’re not supposed to use your new droid’s remote control at the Disney parks after you build your droid but we found a spot outside of the Droid Depot where a handful of people who had built droids gathered to test out their droids!
It’s so fun to be able to have the droids interact with one another! As you walk through Galaxy’s Edge you’ll also encounter lots of other droids that are part of Disney’s Star Wars theming.
Your droid uses Bluethooth technology to communicate and interact with the droids and objects on Batuu and all of the Disney Parks.
Droid Depot Mobile App
One fun thing about building a droid is that the fun doesn’t stop after it’s built! Disney has a Droid Depot app that you can get as a free download on the App Store and Google Play to bring your droid to life at home. (Check it out here.)
For those who have not built an astromech droid unit yet, there is a virtual experience where you can build a digital droid and create a virtual collection of droids.
If you do have a droid, you can do additional things that your remote control can’t even do such as choosing galactic jams by DJ R3X (if you visited Oga’s Cantina you saw this famous DJ!!) for your droid to dance to.
FAQs
It is highly recommended that you have a reservation to build a droid at Disney World but Disney can accommodate some walk-ins daily. If you know for certain you want to build a droid, make a reservation!
You can make your reservation for Droid Depot up to 60 days in advance on the My Disney Experience app or from Disney’s website. You will need to make the reservation with a credit card which will not be charged until you arrive to make your droid.
Be aware that if you do not show up to your reservation, you will still be charged so if you can’t make it, be sure to cancel on-line or stop by the Droid Depot in person.
Building a droid at Disney isn’t cheap but if you’re a Star Wars fan, it’s 100% worth it. We haven’t met anyone who has built a droid who regretted it! And the whole process of making the droid is a unique experience in itself.
For all the big Star Wars Fans of any age, this is a cool experience for the whole family. Of course, this is a bit of a splurge, but might be worth it for your family.
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For more Disney World splurge options, check out this post with some of our favorite splurge ideas!