Building a Droid at Disneyland Park – is it worth the splurge?
Building a droid at Disneyland is another Star Wars themed, interactive experience in which you get to completely customize your own astro mech droids. Droid building is a unique experience offered at the Droid Depot found both at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Many Star-Wars fans may notice similarities between the droid-building experience and the scene from Attack of The Clones with the Droid-Assembly conveyor belt. In addition to being a unique experience, you get to take home your own personalized droid that you can control.
This attraction offers a fun experience at a more affordable price of $99 compared to the lightsaber building experience which can cost over $200. The lightsaber building attraction often overshadows the Droid Building attraction, so many people ask if Building a Droid at Disneyland is worth it and if matches the quality of the lightsaber experience. Here’s a guide to see if this experience is the droid you’re looking for!
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Droid Building at Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge is a fun way to create your own custom droid. There are many droid options available for purchase and each has its own unique features. Building a droid is a simple process, and there are attendants and crew members available if you have any questions. The Droid Building experience includes about 5 simple steps that help you customize and create a unique droid that represents you.
When you first arrive at the Droid Depot, you need to figure out what series droid you’d like to build. As of now, there are 3 different series: The R- Series, BB- Series, or C- Series. The R- Series is similar to the R2-D2, the iconic droid from the Star Wars Saga. The BB-Series is similar to BB-8 from the newer Star Wars movies. Finally, the C-series is similar to Chopper, the droid from Star Wars Rebels. Each is different and you can only pick one series. If you’re not sure which droid you want to pick, there is a station where you can test out different droids. You can try the 3 different types and choose which one you like best.
Once you’ve chosen what series droid you’d like to build, a cast member will lead you to the build station and give you blueprints on how to build your droid. The droid parts are all different but are individualized for each series. For example, a BB-8 droid would have a different body than a C-Series droid. The parts aren’t interchangeable for each series. However, there are different accessories that are available for purchase that can make your droid similar to another. These additional parts can help make your droid look more similar to droids from the Star Wars movies! Also, if you’re just looking to buy a droid, you can purchase a pre-made droid in the Droid Depot. These pre-made droids are made to look like movie droids such as R2-D2, BB-8, or Chopper! Once you’ve been given your blueprints, you’ll head to a conveyor belt full of droid pieces. You’ll find the piece you need in the style and color you like, and you’ll put it in your basket for when you begin to build.
Now that you’ve collected all the necessary pieces to build your droid, head over to the build station which is near the conveyor belt of droid pieces. Each build station has a placemat with instructions on how to construct your droid. There is also an electric screwdriver built into the station so you can put the screws in your droid as well. In addition to the screwdriver, there is also a button that says “Alert Tech” which will call a Cast Member over if you need assistance throughout the building process. It’s important to note that the build station may be crowded depending on the size of the crowd that day. If the build stations are busy, you can either wait for one to open or you can go pick out more pieces for your droid.
After you’ve assembled your droid completely, you then get to activate your droid. In order to activate your droid, you need to call an attendant over to put your droid in an activation station. It’s important to keep in mind that once your droid has been activated, it may be too late to change the pieces of your build. Before you activate your droid, make sure that all the pieces you’ve put together are something that you like! You can always go back to switch pieces out if you don’t like what you’ve built.
Now that your droid has been activated, you can now go test out the droid you’ve created! You will be given a remote control that connects to your droid and shown how to use it. If you’re confused on how to use the controller, you can call an attendant over to instruct you on how to properly use your controller. Many people ask if batteries are included in your purchase for your droid, and they are! All the components that are needed to make your droid move and act like a droid are given to you when you purchase your droid.
An additional but optional step is installing a personality chip in your droid. There are 3 categories of personality chips, Resistance, First Order, and Scoundrel. There are about 8 chips in these categories, but each category has something unique about them. A resistance droid will act scared when you pass through places that are occupied by the First Order in Galaxy’s Edge. However, when you reach parts where the Resistance is found, it will become happier and even sing. The First Order chip would have the opposite reaction. A Scoundrel chip is neutral to both sides and will not have the same responses to the lands that the other two have. Also, before you buy a chip, you’re allowed to test them first to see which one you like best. There is a test station near the checkout, and you can ask them to show you how each chip works if you want to see! Be sure to ask an attendant to help you if you’re confused or are struggling with the chips. Keep in mind that droids don’t come with a personality chip so if you want a unique sound you will need to purchase a chip. Once again, you don’t need to buy a personality chip for your droid, the droid will still function perfectly normal without one. However, if you’re looking for a more interactive experience, it’s recommended you purchase a personality chip.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Droid?
When you purchase a droid, you not only purchase the Droid itself, but you also purchase the experience as well. The initial cost for this experience is $99.99 plus tax. This price is for building a droid at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge. At Walt Disney World, the initial price of building a droid is $119.99 plus tax. When you purchase this experience, you receive the Droid you built, the remote control, and a box to carry your droid. Unlike many toys that need batteries, the batteries are included in your Droid purchase.
Should I build a Lightsaber or a Droid at Disneyland?
In all honesty, the Droid building experience does not compare to the Lightsaber experience. The lightsaber build involves a special room and an interactive show while the Droid depot is very much just another store with a bit of customization. The droid building experience is less time consuming and less expensive, but not quite as unique and special. That said, the Droid building might be a better experience for younger children for the same reason. We personally think that a Droid build is a fun special experience for younger kids and save the Light saber build for when they are a bit older.
Can I Customize My Droid?
In addition to the Droid Building experience at Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland also offers unique add-ons to further your customization. These include items such as personality chips and new parts. There are 8 different chips offered for the price of $14.99. Keep in mind that this is just a base price for personality chips and that they can vary in cost. In terms of accessories for droids, the personality chips aren’t the only extra items you can purchase for your droid. There are unique parts that you can add to your droid such as a table tray, extra arms, new stickers, and much more. These parts can vary in price. Most lie between the price of $15-30 but can go up to as much as $100. The only item that is currently sold for $100 is the droid drum set. Keep in mind that the prices are subject to change and also vary from park to park, but as of June 2024 these are the current prices.
Where Can I Build a Droid at Disneyland?
At Disneyland Galaxy’s Edge, you can build a droid at the Droid Depot. The Droid Depot is located towards the front of the Galaxy’s Edge (Star Wars Land). There are three entrances to Galaxy’s Edge, and Droid Depot is located in front of the middle entrance. You can also use the Disneyland app to open up a virtual map! Make sure you also check the opening times of the Droid Depot. While Disneyland may open at 8am, the Droid Depot may open later depending on the day. This information is all accessible on the Disney App as well!
Where Can I Build a Droid at Walt Disney World?
The layout of Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyworld is fairly similar to Disneyland, and Droid Depot is also located towards the front of Galaxy’s Edge. There are two entrances to Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyworld, and the Droid Depot is located on the far-right entrance. You can also download the My Disney Experience app on the App store to find a virtual map as well!
Are Reservations Required to Build a Droid?
Droid building does not require a reservation, but it’s highly recommended. Depending on what the crowds are like on a certain day, you may be able to walk in without a reservation, but that’s highly unlikely. To play it safe, you should make a reservation. Making a reservation even on a slow park day will save you and your party time. You won’t have to wait in a line, and you don’t have to worry about missing out on the day! Reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance on the Disneyland App. Also, if you go to the park and you want to make a same-day reservation, they can be made up to 2 hours in advance. This isn’t recommended because those reservation slots may have already been filled. It’s best to make it at least a week before you go! This information is applicable both to Disneyworld and Disneyland collectively. Also, if you’re booking a trip to Disneyland or Disneyworld, be sure to book it with Get Away Today to save on your tickets!
How Old Do You Have to Be to Build a Droid?
Disneyland recommends that you be at least 3 years old to build a droid. However, at least one person in the group must be 14 or older. The age difference from a lightsaber is quite large because the droid is a much easier build than a lightsaber. However, it is still a fun activity for young kids or even teenagers who are looking for a less expensive Star Wars experience. Also, keep in mind that the Droid Building experience is limited to 1 builder and 2 guests. Only the builder is allowed to build a droid, and the Guests of the builder may not build one.
How Long Does It Take to Build a Droid?
Building a droid can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes to build. Unlike the lightsaber experience, you lead yourself on your own droid-building journey. While there are attendants who are able to help you, the experience is almost entirely self-lead. However, the average estimated time to build a droid is 30-45 minutes.
Is It Worth It to Build a Droid?
Overall, building your own droid at Droid Depot is definitely a fun experience for anyone looking to spend less on a Star Wars themed experience. Droid Building is great for kids and teens, and you also still get that same feeling of taking home something you got to create. The droid is also customizable so there’s so many different variants you can create. It’s also important to keep in mind that if a droid has a personality chip, it can interact throughout Galaxy’s Edge with other droids, and on its own! Lightsabers don’t have the same interactive features as a droid, so this may be an added bonus for droid builders! So, yes! Building a droid at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge is definitely worth it for both its features and price! If you’re interested in building a lightsaber, be sure to check out Is Building A Lightsaber At Disneyland Worth It?
Final thoughts on building a Droid at a Disney park…..
While I would not say that building a Droid is quite the same experience as building a lightsaber, it is a fun and unique experience for any Star Wars fan. Building a droid is a less intense and less expensive experience that might be a better fit for a younger child. The toy droid that kids build themselves is such a fun souvenir that rivals any ready made toy in the gift shop. If your child is a Star Wars fan, we recommend looking into building a droid at least once. Our youngest loves the droid she built and has great Disney memories bringing it to life.
