7 Steps to building your own droid
It’s a big week at Disneyland with the opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The attraction’s been highly anticipated since Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened several months ago, and the excitement has only grown with the release of the latest movie. Rise of the Resistance opened at Walt Disney World in December of 2019 and fans love it.
Whether in Disneyland or Walt Disney World, Galaxy’s Edge draws big crowds. We love the immersive attractions, inventive food & beverages, and the huge variety of merchandise available on the planet of Batuu.
You have the opportunity to customize certain keepsakes including crafting your own distinctive lightsabers at Savi’s Workshop and constructing droids at the Droid Depot. The Droid Depot is basically the Star Wars version of Build-A-Bear Workshop.
What’s the experience like? Is it worth the cost? We built a droid to find out.
1. Line up
Queue up at the Droid Builder registration counter! You’re at Disney, there’s always a line, right?
You’ll pay in advance for your droid. It costs $99.99, plus tax, to build your custom astromech droid unit. A cardboard carry box and instructions are included with your purchase. If you need help justifying the price tag, just remember that price also includes the experience.
KidTripster Tip: To avoid the line, you can make a reservation 60-days in advance at Disneyland and 180-days in advance at Walt Disney World. Check-in 15 minutes prior to your reservation time at the special check-in location in front of the Droid Depot. Reservations are recommended as walk-ins are accepted on a limited basis.
2. Get a tray
A cast member will hand you a tray, it has a blueprint indicating which parts you’ll need to select. There are two types of droids to construct, the R-Series (the old-school, tall ones) or the BB-Series (the new, round ones).
3. Pick parts
Stand alongside the conveyor belt at the parts station where a seemingly endless stream of colorful components pass by. There are so many styles and color options that it can be hard to choose. The conveyor belt is well stocked, so you won’t have to wait around too long for the pieces you need. Each droid requires the selection of four parts.
4. Assemble
After gathering your parts, head to the build station. A cast member will guide you to an open work bench. Builders will follow the step-by-step instructions to put together the droid. Yes, it even includes some supervised drilling!
5. Activate
When your droid is completed, you’ll press the “Alert Tech” button. A cast member will come over to help activate your droid. If it’s a busy day, you might end up waiting several minutes each time assistance is needed. You’ll receive a remote control and watch your droid come to life.
6. Accessorize (optional)
Before leaving the Droid Depot, you can choose from a wide array of accessories for your new friend. That includes purchasing decals, personality chips, and cosmetic robotic tools – for an additional cost, of course. The special droid backpack will set you back $49.99.
7. Interact
The droids have Bluetooth technology that allow them to communicate with other astromech droid units, and key elements around Black Spire Outpost. Warning: The cantina staff doesn’t take kindly to droids, and you might just set off an alarm when one attempts to accompany you into the establishment. Unfortunately you’re not allowed to operate the droid using its remote-control while at the the parks. (It’s way too crowded anyway.) That means you’ll need to carry your droid around in order to allow it to interact.
In all, building the droid took about 20 minutes. The recommended age is 3+.
It gets really crowded in the Droid Depot. You won’t have a lot of time to consider your parts before being ushered to a build station. The “experience area” is limited to the droid builder and one guest.
Worth it?
My seven-year-old son had heard about the DIY droids prior to our visit to Disneyland. He couldn’t wait to build one himself. It definitely lived up to his expectations. He really enjoyed the experience of selecting his parts and then building his droid. He had so much fun, that he asked to build another one. At $99.99 a pop, we had to say no to that request. We left the park with a fun memory and a high-quality, customized keepsake.
After building our droid, we checked out another popular spot in Batuu, Oga’s Cantina. It’s notable as it’s the first place in Disneyland to sell alcoholic beverages to the general public. To find out it it’s worth the hype, read our review here.
What else do you need to know about visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Check out this list that explains it all.
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