Droid Depot – How to Build a Droid, Pricing | Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge

From the very first time you saw Star Wars, who hasn’t wanted to bring home their very own droid? Now you’re going to get the chance to build your own droid in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge when you visit the Droid Depot!

In this post, we’re going to share with you everything you need to know about the droid depot in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge including how to build your own customizable droid unit, the types of droid units available, the price, accessories, and how to make reservations.

(Update) – The Droid Depot increased the price of custom-built droids at Disney’s Hollywood Studios by $10, from $119.99 to $129.99 plus tax. At Disneyland, the current price is $119.99 plus tax. Read more below for further info.

Droid Depot Overview

• Location: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (Disney World and Disneyland)
• Store Type: Custom Droids and Droid Accessories
• Price: $ – $$$$ (Some cheaper items but also very expensive ones)

The Droid Depot is a shop in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, but it’s more than that. Much like Savi’s Workshop, the Droid Depot is an experience in itself, and Disney even has it listed under: “attractions” on the park guide map.

Building a droid in Galaxy’s Edge is always one of the highlights of a visit either in Disney World or Disneyland!

The custom-built droids here are so cool! You pick the parts, you assemble the droid, then you take it home, it’s that simple! There is a certain level of personal touch and a bond you will share with your droid, no matter which type you choose.

There are also a bunch of droid-inspired accessories like personality chips which will make your new friend, even more special.

(UPDATE) Disney Increases Price of Custom Droids at Droid Depot

You may have already been aware of the steep price increases around the Disney parks of late, and sadly if you want to build a custom droid in Galaxy’s Edge on your next vacation, it’s going to cost a bit more.

The price of a custom-built droid at Droid Depot in Disney’s Hollywood Studios is now $129.99 plus tax, an increase of $10 from the previous price of $119.99 plus tax. At Disneyland, the current price is $119.99 plus tax.

The $129.99 price at Hollywood Studios includes your choice of a classic R-series or BB-series droid that you build and customize yourself, plus a remote control and the standard carrying box with instructions.

Personality-affiliation chips, carrying backpacks, and other accessories are available for an additional charge. There is also a $197 bundle that includes one custom droid, one carrying backpack, and one personality chip.

By now we are used to the annual price increases from Disney, and we expected this with inflation out of control and prices rising all over the place. Still, paying an extra $10 still hurts.

We’ll let you know as soon as there are any more price updates at the Droid Depot. Keep reading to learn more about the custom droid-building experience and if it’s still worth it after the price has gone up.

Current Droid Models at Disney World and Disneyland

When Droid Depot first opened in 2019, guests could choose between the classic R-series droids such as R2-D2 and the BB-series droids made famous by BB-8 in the newer Star Wars trilogy films.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney currently lists two custom-build options: R-series and BB-series droids.

Disneyland currently has a broader selection, with R-series, BB-series, C-series, and A-LT-series droids listed as custom-build options. Models, colors, and individual parts remain subject to availability and can change without notice.

Location/Directions

Droid Depot is really easy to find as it’s located right along the main Street in Star Wars Land, across the way from the speeders garage in both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park.

It’s located right next door to another awesome shop, Savi’s Workshop, which is where you go to build a lightsaber. If you want to build your own droid, however, the Droid Depot is the place to be!

Hours of Operation

Droid Depot generally opens and closes with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, but the exact hours vary with the operating schedule for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Check the official Droid Depot listing or the My Disney Experience app for the hours on the date of your visit.

What is Droid Depot? Story and Theming

The Droid Depot is run by a tech-savvy Utai named Mubo who wants to share his knowledge of droid-building with his visitors. Of course, he’s never in the shop, but his staff is and they are very knowledgeable and can help you choose the right droid for you.

Droids are a huge part of Galaxy’s Edge and even before you enter the Droid Depot, is very clear where you are just by looking at the outside of the building and all the droids located there.

These are the ones out back behind the Droid Depot:

You’ll probably recognize these R-series Astromech Droids which have been in many of the Star Wars films throughout the years.

There are four audio-animatronic droids lined up outside that you can interact with while you’re waiting to enter. They beep and make all sorts of noises and it’s a very popular spot for pictures, one of the most Instagrammable places in Star Wars Land!

Let’s go inside and take a look:

This is not a regular shop or what you might think of for “toy” droids. The Droid Depot is a highly-themed environment that will make you stare around in amazement while looking at all the crazy details throughout the room.

There are droids everywhere, of every size and shape and you’ll find lots of audio-animatronic droids moving around in the background and on the walls.

Wait Times and Reservations

Like just about every attraction, shop, and restaurant in Galaxy’s Edge, Droid Depot can be crowded during busier times of the year. Walk-ins may be accommodated based on availability, but if you already know you want to build a droid at Disney World, we highly recommend making a reservation before you go.

Here is some important information about Droid Depot reservations at Walt Disney World:

• Advance reservations are highly recommended and can generally be made up to 60 days in advance.
• Limited same-day reservations may be available up to 2 hours in advance, and walk-ins may also be accommodated depending on availability.
• The experience area is limited to one droid builder and one guest.
• At least one person in the party must be 14 years old or older.
• Separate admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios is required, and a theme park reservation may also be required depending on your admission type.
• Reservations are nontransferable and may not be sold or bartered.
• Check in no earlier than 15 minutes before your reservation. Everyone in the party must be present, and late arrivals may not be accommodated.
• Be prepared to show your reservation confirmation, photo ID, and the credit card used to book.
• Droid Depot has a 24-hour cancellation policy. If you cancel within one day of the reservation or fail to show up, you will be charged the full price.

Disneyland currently handles its Droid Depot building experience through walk-ins rather than advance reservations.

How to Make Reservations

For Walt Disney World, check availability on the official Droid Depot page or use the My Disney Experience app.

A valid credit card is required, and full payment is due at the time of booking.

Droid Types

Droid Depot also sells model kits, pre-made droids, premium droids, and other merchandise, but the main experience is building your own custom astromech unit.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there are currently two custom droid types:

• R-series – the classic R2-D2-style droids from the original films.
• BB-series – small, round droids made famous by BB-8 in the newer trilogy.

TIP: Both series are cool, but if you are looking for the most accessory options, the R-series generally has more available for it.

The experience, models, colors, and parts are subject to change without notice, so it’s possible that a certain part or color may be unavailable during your visit.

These droids use Bluetooth® technology to communicate with other astromech units and certain elements and objects on Batuu and at Disney Parks and Resorts.

Droid Pricing and Cost

So all of this sounds awesome, but how much does it cost to build a droid in the Droid Depot? Here is the current pricing and what comes with your droid:

• $129.99 per custom astromech droid unit, plus tax, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• $119.99 per custom droid, plus tax, at Disneyland
• Remote control, carry box, and instructions are included with the standard custom droid.
• Personality-affiliation chips, carrying backpacks, and other accessories cost extra.
• Bundle Package – $197: Includes one custom droid, one carrying backpack, and one personality chip.
• Nonrefundable – custom astromech droid units are nonrefundable, so choose wisely.
• Discounts – Annual Passholder and other discounts do not apply to the custom droid itself. The carrying backpack is eligible for a 20% Annual Passholder discount.

Building one of the customized droid units at Droid Depot costs $129.99, plus tax, at Disney World. That price includes the remote control, instructions, and standard carrying box.

That’s a high price, but honestly, I was expecting more, especially after seeing how much the lightsabers from Savi’s Workshop cost.

However, that price is without any of the accessories, personality chips, or carrying backpacks, which can all add up fast. The $197 bundle is an easy way to get the droid, backpack, and personality chip together, while a fully decked-out droid can still set you back $200-300 if you add even more customization.

But the customizable droids aren’t the only ones you can buy in the Droid Depot, if you’ve brought your American Express Platinum Card with you Disney is selling full-size remote-controlled R2-D2 droids that you can fully customize to your liking. It looks and acts just like it in the Star Wars movies. It’s selling for a meager: **$25,000.**

I’m sure it’s awesome but I’ll be sticking with the normal $129.99 version thanks.

Paying

If you made an advance reservation, full payment was collected when you booked. After checking in, confirm which droid series you want before heading to the parts station. Walk-in guests will pay before beginning the building process.

Now let’s find out how to build a droid in Star Wars Land!

Building your Droid

Once you pay, you will be given the blueprints to build your droid, and a basket to collect the parts in. Once you have these things, head over to the parts station to start the building process.

Parts Station

Once you select the type of droid you want, you’ll choose from a variety of different droid parts which come to you on a conveyor belt. Each style of droid has 4 different customizable parts to choose from:

BB-Series

• Dome
• Dome Connection Plate
• Body Sphere
• Motivator

R-Series

• Dome
• Body
• Center Leg
• Set of Side-Legs

It’s such a cool experience to stand there and watch all the different droid parts go by on the belt. You can pick each one up, examine it, and look at the colors.

There are tons of different styles for each part type, so mix and match however you like. Just make sure you choose one style for each part type.

Don’t worry, if you don’t know what to do, there are graphics there in front of you with instructions.

Once you finish, it’s time to put it all together…

Build Station

Building a droid is easy. Just follow the directions on the “placemat” in front of you, or up on the monitor displays which will walk you through putting it all together in the right order.

Once again, it looks harder than it actually is, but there are easy-to-follow instructions at your droid assembly table to follow, and cast members are available if you get stuck.

Droid Activation

Once you’ve completed building your droid, the coolest part of the whole experience is next…activation!

The cast member gives you a remote control which you can use to activate it and watch it come alive and then start using it!

While I wouldn’t put it on the same level as igniting your lightsaber from Savi’s Workshop for the first time, it is a really cool moment to see your droid come alive and start interacting with you!

You’ll notice the bag the droid is being carried out with. You won’t see any standard Disney-themed bags in Galaxy’s Edge, they are trying to keep everything “in-universe” so expect to find unique bags like if you were really in that world.

The droids are another potential game-breaking piece of merchandise which fans have been going to go crazy over like the Banshees in Pandora: The World of Avatar. Let’s hope they keep making enough of them to keep the people happy!

How Long Does It Take to Build a Droid at Galaxy’s Edge?

The hands-on assembly and activation can take less than 15 minutes when there is no wait, but we recommend allowing about 30 minutes for the complete experience, including check-in, choosing parts, building, and activation.

You can take your time choosing the pieces you want, and Cast Members are available to help if you need them.

What Can You Do with the Droids?

Disney designed the custom-built droids to interact with their surroundings in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. They use Bluetooth technology to respond to certain elements and objects throughout Batuu and can also communicate with other astromech droids.

You must carry your droid in its standard box, the optional carrying backpack, or another secure case while inside the theme parks. Even though you cannot operate the remote control in the park, your droid can still beep, move, and react to parts of Black Spire Outpost while you carry it around.

If you purchase a personality chip, your droid will take on that affiliation and react differently to its surroundings. Available personalities may favor the Resistance, the First Order, or an independent/scoundrel alignment.

What about Interactive Droids?

In the original plans, part of the theming of Galaxy’s Edge was supposed to include fully-functional droid units roaming around the land and interacting with people. That has been cut from the project as of now due to safety concerns and budget cuts and is one of my only disappointments with the land.

However, there is still the possibility that Disney will introduce automatic roving droids at some point in the future. One of the effects was supposed to be that custom droids from Droid Depot were going to be able to interact with the roaming ones!

If and when Disney decides to implement this technology, that will make getting a droid even more special. Who knows what other technology Disney has in store that they’ll be interacting with.

Droid Accessories

The custom droids themselves are pretty awesome, but there are a bunch of cool accessories you can also choose from for an additional cost. Some of them include:

• Droid Carrying Backpacks
• Personality Chips
• Droid Decals

Droid Carrying Backpacks

One of the coolest and most convenient accessories for your custom droid is the Droid Depot backpack. These make carrying your new little friend around the park much easier and unlike the droids, they are eligible for an Annual Pass discount.

Droid carrying backpacks can be purchased for an additional cost of $49.99. They are eligible for Annual Passholder discounts which reduces the cost by 20%.

Personality Chips

Even though your custom-built Star Wars droid already interacts with the environment in Galaxy’s Edge, you can take this to another level by adding a personality chip.

Personality chips change the droid’s sounds, affiliation, and how it reacts to parts of the land. They can be removed and replaced, so it’s possible to have multiple chips for the same droid. The available selection changes, but options may favor the Resistance, the First Order, or an independent/scoundrel alignment.

Personality chips are available for both R-series and BB-series droids and cost $14.99.

Adding one to your droid is easy. Open the access panel, insert the chip into the empty slot, and you’re good to go!

Other Accessories

Besides personality chips, additional accessories may be available for R-series units. These can include decals, decorative panels, and other interchangeable pieces, which is something to keep in mind when deciding between the two droid models.

Droid Rules in Galaxy’s Edge

Though droids can interact with various elements in Star Wars Land, it’s important to note that there are some rules guests have to follow.

Can You Drive the Droids?

The Astromech Units are remote-controlled, but Disney prohibits guests from using the remote control to operate them inside the theme parks. The only exception is the designated driving area.

You’ll need to carry your droid in the included carrying box, the optional backpack, or another secure case while exploring Galaxy’s Edge. The droid can still use Bluetooth technology to interact with certain elements and other astromech units while being carried.

While I understand the safety reasons, this is still a disappointment to many guests visiting Droid Depot. It would be dangerous to have hundreds of droids moving around everyone’s feet, but it’s a shame you can’t drive your new friend around Batuu.

Designated Testing Area

If you really want to put your new custom droid down on the ground and race him around, Disney has installed a designated droid testing area near the Coca-Cola stand. There is a hard plastic mat that is now available for guests to test their new droids on.

Help with Operating Your Droid

“But I can’t figure out how to use my droid.” “How do I change the batteries?” These are all common questions that will come up after purchasing one of the astromech droid units.

Cast members in the Droid Depot will be more than happy to help answer any questions you have about building a droid or resolve any problems you run into.

If you need further help here are the official Droid Depot droid instruction manuals:

• R-Series Droid Manual
• BB-Series Droid Manual

Droid Depot FAQs

Is Building a Droid Worth It?

Everyone wants to know if building your own droid in Galaxy’s Edge is worth it. The answer totally depends on how much you like droids and how big your budget is for your vacation. Honestly, $129.99 is a lot for a toy, but to us, the experience inside Droid Depot is so cool that it helps make up for the high cost.

You are getting a toy, yes, but it is super cute and can be used either as a decoration piece you keep on your shelf, or it can even be used with the remote and played with on a consistent basis.

We think they are a blast to play with and they are a big hit with kids!

Ultimately we think it’s worth it to build a droid in Galaxy’s Edge and it’s one of the coolest experiences you will have during your visit.

Should I Build a Droid or a Lightsaber from Savi’s Workshop?

This is a much tougher question and we think it depends a lot on your audience and how old they are.

Even though both experiences are really cool, we personally like the custom lightsaber experience better than building a droid. That’s because Savi’s Workshop is more geared towards adults, whereas the Droid Depot might be appreciated more by kids.

Savi’s has everything though, including a storytelling element and a huge “Wow” factor involved that will impress young and old alike.

The lightsaber itself doesn’t feel like a toy. It’s heavy and made of strong materials. On the other hand, the droids are clearly toys.

That said to build a lightsaber is twice the price at $275+, and I can understand if not everyone has that kind of money to spend on a souvenir. However, if you can afford it, building a lightsaber is hands down the better of the two in my opinion.

For a more in-depth look, read our Complete Guide to Star Wars Land in Disney here for a detailed look at the attractions, dining, planning, and touring strategies. Or read the Galaxy’s Edge shopping guide to see all the other unique merchandise being sold in Star Wars Land.

Stay tuned here at Ziggy Knows Disney for more information on the Droid Depot and everything in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!

If you are thinking about going to Walt Disney World in the coming future, here are some other popular articles where you will find all the info and tips you need to plan your trip.

• Disney World Vacation Planning Guide
• Disney World Crowd Calendar
• When are the Best Times to Visit Disney World?

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about the Droid Depot in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and all the droids available there…

• Are you going to build one?
• What type are you going to build?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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