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 the custom-built droids by $20 from $99 to $119 plus tax in Hollywood Studios. In Disneyland, the price has dropped back down to $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 the custom-built droids at Droid Depot is now $119 plus tax ($126) which is an increase of $20 more than the previous price of $99 plus tax. This is ONLY for Hollywood Studios Droids. In Disneyland, the price for custom-built droids has dropped back down to $99 plus tax.

The $119 price tag at Hollywood Studios still includes one of the classic R-series, BB-series, or C-series droids that you get to build and customize yourself, plus a remote control and the standard carrying box with instructions.

The various personality-affiliation chips and other accessories are still available for an additional charge.

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 $20 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.

(UPDATE) Build-Your-Own C-Series Droids Now Available at Droid Depot

When Droid Depot first opened in 2019, there were only two models of droids available to custom build: 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.

Those two are getting some company and a third droid type, C-series droids are now available for guests to build.

First look at build-your-own C-series droids coming to Droid Depot at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge later this month pic.twitter.com/vJqqWc3aqM

— Brooke Geiger McDonald (@BrookeGMcDonald) May 4, 2022

Just like the other two models of droids, the C-series droids cost $119 plus tax ($126 total). It also has accessories that are specific to the new series.

We’ll update you with more as soon as we are able to build one of these new ones ourselves.

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 opens and closes with the Galaxy’s Edge every day, so there are no particular hours, just show up before the park closes and it’ll be open.

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, the Droid Depot is going to be crowded during busier times of the year. If you get there early enough or on non-busy days when the crowds aren’t too bad, you can walk right in. At other times however you need to make a reservation for this experience.

TIP: In our experience, if you already know you want to build a droid in Galaxy’s Edge, it’s highly recommended to make a reservation before you go. By doing this, you are sure to get in at the time you prefer.

Here is some general information about making a reservation at Droid Depot:

• The experience is limited to One droid builder, along with one guest.
• Reservations can be made 60 Days in advance both at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
• At least one person must be 14 years old or more.
• The Droid Depot experience is subject to availability and reservations may be required.
• Arrive on time. If reservations are required, late arrivals may not be allowed entrance.
• Reservations are non-transferable and may not be sold or bartered.

Another advantage to making a reservation ahead of time is the wait time is much shorter if you have reservations. When you show up there are two separate lines, one for standby and one for guests who have already booked the experience.

Booking ahead of time is worth it for this fact alone since you won’t have to wait in line as long as everyone else!

How to Make Reservations

To book the Droid Depot experience in Galaxy’s Edge, a valid, accepted credit card number is required at the time of booking.

Your card will not be charged right away, however, and payment is due upon arrival at the location.

To make a reservation in Disney World, please check availability on the Walt Disney World website or use the My Disney Experience app.

For Disneyland, please visit the Disneyland website or use the Disneyland app to book this experience.

Droid Types

It’s important to know there are multiple types of droids in the Droid Depot to build. Choose from model kits, pre-made droids, and premium droids. These range in size from small, to medium, to real authentic replicas of the droids from the Star Wars films.

Right now we are going to focus on the regular custom astromech droids which are the main focus of customers entering the Droid Depot. What type of droids can you build?

There are three types of astromech droids you can build at the Droid Depot:

• R-series – this is the classic R2-D2 style droids from the original films.
• BB-series – small, round droids made famous by BB-8 in the recent trilogy.
• C-series – Astromech droids manufactured by Industrial Automaton and employed as mechanics or co-pilots on starships of all sizes.

TIP: All three series droids are cool, but if you are looking for the most options, the R-series droids have more accessories available for them.

Before getting started there are a few important things to keep in mind:

The experience and offerings available are subject to change without notice, so it’s possible they could be out of a certain type of part or droid unit during your time there. This is going to depend on how popular the droids are.

These droids use Bluetooth® technology to communicate with other astromech droid units as well as certain other 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 price and what comes with your droid:

• $119.99 per astromech droid unit, plus tax ($126) ($99 in Disneyland plus tax)
• Carry box and instructions – used for carrying your droid around the park with you
• Personality-affiliation chips – these give your droid personality and make him come to life, but they are NOT included with the normal price and are an extra charge.
• Nonrefundable – once you build your custom astromech droid unit, that’s it. You can’t get your money back so choose wisely.
• Discounts – there are NO discounts available for the droids, including annual passholders.

Building one of the customized droid units at Droid Depot costs $119.99, plus tax ($126). That price includes the instructions and carrying case.

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. A fully decked-out droid will set you back $200-300 easily if you really want to customize it.

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 $119 version thanks.

Paying

To get the process started, head to the cashier, decide which series you want, and pay for your droid. Once you finish, head over to the conveyor belt.

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

C-Series

• Dome with a flat top
• Body
• Center Leg
• Short 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 whole droid building experience at Droid Depot from start to finish lasts about 30 minutes.

You can take your time and won’t be rushed so if you need a few more minutes it’s no problem.

What Can You Do with the Droids?

Disney has designed the custom-built droids to interact with your surroundings in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. They use Bluetooth technology to recognize various points throughout the land with are interactive and can share information and secrets about Galaxy’s Edge.

Right as you leave out the back door of the Droid Depot, there is a small courtyard where two more animatronic droids are waiting for you. In this highly-themed environment is where you’ll have your first chance to try out your newly built droid unit and see how he interacts with the droids here.

After leaving the courtyard you can bring your new droid through the streets of Black Spire Outpost to find more places to explore with him. Your droid can interact with the other droids in Galaxy’s Edge (there are many of them stationed throughout the land) and also answer to your own prompts.

If you choose to purchase the personality chips for your droid then he’ll take on whatever personality that chip has and react to his surroundings in Galaxy’s Edge in like manner. Some of the personality traits are being scared, or curious for example.

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, this can be taken to another level by adding a personality chip to your droid.

Personality chips change the droid’s personality and how it interacts with the environment in the park.

Personality chips can be removed and replaced, so it’s possible to have multiple ones for the same droid. There are 6 different types of personality chips, each of which will give your droid a different personality favored towards The Resistance, The First Order, or Independent.

There are personality chips available for both the R-Series and BB-Series droid units, and the cost is $14.99.

Adding them to your droid is a breeze. Just open up the back of your droid, insert the chip in the empty slot and you’re good to go!

Other Accessories

Besides the personality chips there are some more accessories available for the R-series units, which. You can buy decals for the sides of your droid and accessory panels, which you should keep in mind when deciding between the two models of droids.

Droid Depot App Interacts w/ Droids at Home

Disney has just announced that the all-new Droid Depot mobile app is now available and it brings your custom-built droids to life right from home, without having to visit Galaxy’s Edge in person. You can also build your own collection of virtual droid units to play with!

The Droid Depot app is free to download from the Apple Store and Google Play and allows you to interact with your custom-built BB-series or R-series astromech droid units from Droid Depot. Normally, these droid units can interact only with various show elements of Galaxy’s Edge, but with the app you can activate sounds, pilot them around your house and even get them to dance!

Are you a big fan of DJ-R3X from Oga’s Cantina? With the Droid Depot app you can listen to your favorite music from the cantina that your astromech unit will then dance to. Check it out in the video below:

You can also participate in adventures in the app in strategy mode! This allows you to play a game of tic-tac-toe with your droid in easy or difficult modes.

It’s nice that Disney is creating interactive things like this to help keep fans occupied while stuck at home and not able to get to the Disney Parks. We think this is a great idea and look forward to its further development.

Fans can also now order pre-made versions of BB-8 and R2-D2 interactive Droid Depot astromech droids from home! These models are available on shopDisney.com. Get them while supplies last.

Stay tuned for more info on the Droid Depot app soon…

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, so they have the ability to drive around, however, this is not allowed in the Disney parks, except for one designated area.

Unfortunately, even though they are remote-controlled, you can’t drive the droids around wherever you like in Galaxy’s Edge. You’ll have to use the carrying case or a carrying backpack and bring them that way.

While I understand it could be a safety hazard, this is a big disappointment to many guests visiting the Droid Depot. Of course, it would be dangerous to have hundreds of these things around your feet at all times, but it’s a shame anyway.

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
• C-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, $119 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 $250+, 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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