Where else on Earth can you walk into a shop and casually build your own droid like you're shopping for IKEA furniture in a galaxy far, far away? Droid Depot is half toy store, half mad scientist lab, and 100% Disney Imagineering showing off. History check: Droid Depot opened with Galaxy's Edge in 2019 as part of Disney's billion-dollar Star Wars gamble. Instead of just slapping stormtroopers on a roller coaster, they decided to let fans literally become part of the universe. So here you are, crouched over a conveyor belt, grabbing droid parts like a Jawa at a garage sale. The process is ridiculously fun: pick your style (R-series like R2-D2, or BB-series like BB-8), snag your mismatched panels, and then bring your creation to life with a builder's station that makes you feel like a tech wizard. Suddenly, you've got a little robot buddy that chirps, beeps, and follows commands like a caffeinated Roomba. Is it overpriced? Yeah. This is Disney. You're basically paying $120+ for the privilege of building a very fancy toy. But the experience is the real payoff. Kids light up like they've just been knighted by Obi-Wan, and adults (yes, even cynical ones) can't stop grinning when their droid whirs to life. Pro tip: spring for the personality chip so your droid reacts differently in the park. It's like giving your robot a bad attitude or Jedi wisdom, depending on your mood. And the puns write themselves: this is the R2-me of theme park souvenirs. It's the only gift shop where you can say, "I came in for a churro and left with a droid." You'll roll out with your new robot bestie and suddenly feel like the proud parent of a metal toddler. Droid Depot is one of those must-do, bucket-list Disney experiences. It's not just a shop, it's a rite of passage. You're not buying a droid -- you're adopting one. And honestly, who wouldn't want their own beep-booping sidekick? read more

Build a droid! The build itself is relatively simple but you get to customize what kind of style you want - the R2/R5 or BB style, and pick your colors. When it's busy, you'll need a reservation. We went early when the bulk of people were rope dropping so it was quieter and easier to get in without a wait. One thing I would say - do this last actually if you can help it, even with a custom pack, the robot is heavy, and you don't want to be hauling this around the park all day long. They'd do well with some storage around here. The cast member will help you pick out the right set of pieces, and another will guide you through and then activate the droid with you. Definitely something to do for hardcore fans. For the rest, you can buy a pre-built version from the wall and have a much simpler time about it. It's a fun toy for the BB, though, you get the same motion and set of abilities as the rolling BB in the movie, without any grappling hooks or intel. You can pay extra for different voice chips. I do wish the remote was a little more sensitive and better labeled (a different kind of remote but I guess the old "nintendo" style brick was ok. It was $127.79 with tax for the base build. read more

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The Droid Depot had me INFLUENCED! I was only planning (and had an appointment) to build a lightsaber and didn't realize that the Droid Depot offers a droid-building workshop too! I was perusing all the accessories you can get for your droid and just watched the area in which people were building their droids, which gives a very fun assembly line kind of feel, and I immediately booked an appointment to make one as well! Making the droid was SO FUN! You have to choose what "model" you want - an R2-D2, Chopper, or BB8 unit. Then you proceed to the assembly line of parts that are coming across with all different parts for all the models and you pick and choose off the conveyor belt there which colors/styles you want for all the parts of your droid. Then you take it over to the individual build stations and there's a cast member there helping you and giving you a whole spiel about the responsibility of building and taking care of your droid! You get to use power tools "lite" to screw in a few screws and then for the most part, the cast member is doing a lot of the activating on their end, but I certainly, even as an adult, got caught up in all of it and it felt very magical to see my R2 unit come to life! I purchased the add on bag for my droid, which is actually a proper quality kind of backpack and has a little zipper window that you can fold down (with a magnet to hold the flap down when unzipped) so that the head of your droid can peek out and say hello to everyone as you walk around the park! I also bought several other accessories for my droid, adding on a jet pack, some extra coloring panels to make him extra special, and the like. The options are endless here and I highly recommend it! It costs half of what the lightsaber build costs, but can get up there if you a ton of add-ons the way that I did! read more

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Max is a kid at heart and loves anything that is Star Wars. He built a droid to terrorize our cat. You must book a reservation in order to experience this attraction. Can you believe it? He purchased a personality chip. Now he is terrorizing me. The droid cost a little over $140. He was allowed to bring a guest; aka me. You can tell I'm not thrilled, but as long as it makes this guy happy, I'll go along for the ride. As we walked around the Star Wars area, every once in awhile I would hear whistles. Max laughed and said it was his droid making comments. read more

Droid Depot - Hobby Shops Near Me - Lake Buena Vista, Florida

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Spoiler alert - cool to look at, expensive almost $200 to build your own and something that may not last the trip home. But if you want to build your very own droid you can do it here. For those less adventurous they also have your basic R2-D2 & BB8. The popularity of Star Wars and Disney's ownership mean a lot of expensive impulse purchases. This is definitely an example! read more

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Husband and daughter had a terrific time building their own Droids. Note: Make sure you make a reservation ahead of your park visit in the Disney app. Price is about $100 a piece. They also offer a package deal at $179 when you get there with a bag and another extra piece for your droid. The basic was fine for us (did the same thing) and you got a box to easily carry it in. You pick your droid type, specific color and pieces and then you line up to build them. Employees all around to help you to bring your droid to life. 2 or more droids can interact with one another we found out later. Such a unique experience. Very very busy depot here. A lot going on but so worth it. Don't miss this. read more

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The only bad thing about Droid Depot is that Yelp has it located about 17 miles away from where it actually is, and I almost couldn't check in. Droid Depot is by reservation only, and we were lucky enough to get on the list about 3 months ago. It would be pretty hard to get on last minute so make sure you book as far in advance as possible. The droids themselves are pretty cool, depending on the chip you choose for personality they interact with other droid and areas of the park in different ways. It's just a really cool experience to have while at disney. My kids loved it, and so did I. Building the droids was maybe top 5 activities of the whole trip.... read more

Super cool experience!!! The line was a little long to wait through and slightly chaotic.. but the experience is so personal and fun! When we first arrived, we had a reservation so they directed us to a specific line. My husbands parents didn't so they waited in the regular line, but somehow beat us to the checkout line, which made us feel like a reservation wasn't necessary. We paid the $99 and the extra for a backpack to carry our droid in. Otherwise it will just come in a box, which keeps the droid safe, but is easier to carry than the backpack. We were lucky enough to get a metal chip giftcard and used that to pay for the droid so we could use it and still keep the metal chip as a souvenir. From there we were given a wire basket that listed all the pieces we needed, and stood on a number in front of a conveyor belt with all different parts. We waited almost 15 minutes for a specific pet before asking the busy cast members if there were more of that colored part coming or not. She went and looked and told me there were no more, and I'm glad she told me because the people next to me were also looking for that part and had been waiting to ask someone. I was bummed they didn't have the color and shape head I wanted, but I found another I liked and we moved on to the building stage. We were a little confused at first and accidentally put the arms on backwards, but once we got some help it went smoothly from there! Watching the cast member activate our droid was the best part by far! And after it was activated we were able to look at additional accessories which was super cool. Overall, the experience was well worth the money, and I would think as time goes on it will be less busy. We had fun even though we didn't get the original head we wanted and accidentally put the legs in backwards. It was a little chaotic, but we also chose to go the first day so we kind of signed up for that one. read more

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This was definitely our best day one experience, we booked reservations in advanced and was impressed with how fast we got in. So upon entering of course there's a line but from there they take you to the counter to select which type of droid you will build and take payment. They ask if you are building a R Series of BB- Series. It's $99.99 plus tax for either or, and they give you a tray. Next you move in to the assembly line where you select your parts. Here your able to select the body, legs, head(R series) mix and max colors I thought was pretty neat. Once your done gathering the parts you head over to the build station. So you get tools to build the droid and finally it gets activated that's the most excitingly part! Your creation comes to life! Make sure to shop around before leaving too there's such much accessories to add on, we ended up getting a separate sound chip. read more

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This was definitely one of the more fun parts of Galaxy's Edge. While the price seems steep at $100 for the base droid and $165 for the personality chip droid, the experience of putting together your own remote controlled and park interactive Astromech is definitely worth the money. Reservations: Like the build your own lightsaber, this currently requires a reservation. Luckily, if you're unable to register before hand, sometimes reservations open up towards the end of the day. We were lucky enough that one opened up right before the end of the day. To reserve your spot, you need to sign up on either the Disney park app the day before. You're unable to reserve on the app the same day you visit. Luckily, you can also reserve at the actual store if there are openings. Droid Making Experience: All in all, the whole experience went rather quick. From paying to completion, the entire process took about 25-30 minutes. First you need to pay for your droid. You have two different price options for your droid which gives you two different experiences in the park. You can choose the $100 option which gives you the standard droid with a cardboard box. This droid only interacts occasionally throughout the park with the other droids, but otherwise is just like the $165 dollar droid. For $165 you have the option of adding a "personality chip". This chip lets you pick a side for your droid and improves the interactions around the park. You can pick between Scoundrel, First Order, or Rebel and the droid will interact differently depending on the area of the park you are in (I.e. rebel droids get nervous in First Order areas) and the sounds it makes changes. You also get a great backpack carrying case. You also pick between an R-Unit droid or BB-unit droid (cylinder looking vs ball looking). We went with the R-Unit and Rebel chip. The actual experience consists of picking your droid parts on a conveyor belt. You can mix and match parts and colors. This portion is great as you Can fully customize your droid to your own color preference. Once you've picked your parts, you go to the center of the room to put together and activate your droid. This only took about 5 minutes and was simple to do for both kids and adults. The droid itself is remote controlled or app controlled and moves like a remote controlled car. Summary: Definitely recommend building your own droid! The experience, though quick, was fun and interactive for Star Wars and non fans alike! read more

Droid Depot - Droid options - Hobby Shops Near Me - Lake Buena Vista, Florida

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Okay, admittedly I am not THE biggest fan of Star Wars, but I enjoy the parks in general I do enjoy the experience of trying things, even if they come off as a total cash grab. So based on my lack of Star Wars knowledge, the review is truly based on the overall experience and less about being a fan of the movie franchise. I was looking up things to do and kept seeing people walking around with these boxes. A quick Google search and I found out about Droid Depot at Hollywood Studios. All things Disney, a reservation is preferred especially on busy days. You can walk in, but you never know how long the wait may be. I came to my reservation a little early and due to it being slow, I was able to register and essentially walk right in. You can build a BB or a R2 unit. Either will run you $99. Now, the up-sell they get you with is you can add a personality chip of your choosing and a carrying bag for another $80. The personality chip will help your droid interact with other droids and will have different reactions based on where it is in the park. NOTE: you cannot let your droid roam free in the park, that is a big no-no, but there are play areas where you can integrate them with other droids. Once you pick your droid you'll get instructions on which part(s) to grab from what looks like a salvage yard. A long conveyor belt with random parts featuring various color combinations await you. You pick your parts and then head over to the building station where someone will assist you if needed in building your droid. For the most part it's a few simple screws, but if you have faulty parts they are there to help. Once you've put together your droid they will activate the Bluetooth technology and go over the remote that comes with it and let you test it out. They will also insert the personality chip (if applicable) ask you if you have any questions and if not they will seal up your new toy and you're on your way. It's expensive, yes. It wasn't as long as I thought it would be, but overall it was still fun. I'm glad I did it and in a place that's one big cash grab, I'm not upset that I created one. For a Star Wars junkie I'm still thinking this is a must and if you're a casual fan like me it's still something worth giving a shot. read more

This store, alone, may pay off Disney's rumored $1B investment. They fly off of the construction bays here. At $100 a pop for a custom Droid, our unofficial count was about $20k Worth adorning strollers and being lugged by moms and dads that we witnessed in just in a 30 minute walk around the area. Kids come in, buy the base part of their favorite droid, and then Disney cast members help them configure it into the robot of their dreams. If you want a legit, full sized R2D2 they have that too. I think it was $24,000? Now we know how The Rebellion plans to pay for the Star Wars sequels. May the Force be with you, now, and always. read more

Droid Depot - Hobby Shops Near Me - Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Yes it is a $100 charge, but when you think about potential souvenirs from Disney this is real top notch. Pros: -The droids are of decent quality especially the R2 units. These are pretty much a radio controlled car -Amazing staff. They will help you with anything you need. I had a little trouble, but they have plenty of staff to tend to needs. -As a kid, I would have been blown away, the presentation of the site puts build a bear to shame. -There is a test area right outside the store. Pretty much a play pen for your kids to test their new friend! Cons: The BB units are a little less sturdy, hence why I went with the R2 Your kids might get a little color crazy with the droids, but hey its all good. The add on sale options with the droids get a little nuts. That's really up to your own impulse buying discipline. Bottom Line: One of the best attractions at Galaxy's Edge. Pay the $100 and go see it if you can handle it. You could buy far worse souvenirs at a comparable cost. read more

Droid Depot - My new droid Mr. Black comes to life - Hobby Shops Near Me - Lake Buena Vista, Florida

The Droid Depot is yet another thing that Disney expects you to shell money out for, but in the end of things bringing home a working droid you built yourself is truly a wonderful souvenir. Location/store: The Droid Depot is located at Hollywood Studios inside Galaxy's Edge at Walt Disney World. It takes sometime to get back there cause Galaxy's Edge is in the way back of Hollywood Studios and then once inside the Star Wars part you need to locate the Depot. It can take you a 20 minute walk from park entrance to the Droid Depots entrance. Once there you can freely enter the shop, if the line isn't out the door, and choose to do the build a droid section or go to the back for extra parts and scrap metal. The location is filled with dismantled droids and parts all around. There are assembly lines of parts going over your head and the whole thing makes you feel like you are in a junk yard on another planet. They truly put in the Disney Magic on making this store and its so much fun to just hang out and look around in there. Whether you build a droid or not you should definitely check it out. Experience: The build a droid experience is truly an amazing thing to do at Galaxy's Edge. But really only the first time. My wife and I had the pleasure of being able to do the build a droid experience the very first day of Galaxy's Edges opening. The first day there was some confusion from cast members and us since it was the first time anyone has done this. Also the line was wrapped around the building but we had a reservation so we could just walk on up. Once inside you pay upfront for what droid you want and then they send you over to the conveyor belt to grab your parts. You get a blueprint so you know what to grab and cast members are there to make sure you get everything. After you grab your needed parts you head over to the drill stations to make your droid. You get to assemble the whole thing with the help of a cast member. There is usually someone right there watching you the whole tome making sure you complete it correctly. After you are done they put your droid in the charging section and you get to watch your droid come to life! It is a pretty amazing experience to watch life get brought into something you just created. Overall: This is definitely a must do for Star Wars fans or if you are looking for a unique gift at Disney World. The problem is it looses its charm after the first experience. The 2nd time around I grabbed all my parts in seconds, built the droid in a matter of minutes, and had to wait for a cast member to notice I was done. I moved quicker than the experience wants you to but I knew what I wanted and i wanted to get out of there as quick as possible to move on to our next thing. So definitely do this if you want to or are on the fence about it, but it is definitely not something you need to do twice unless you want both versions of the droids or you want to build a droid to match your partners. read more

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This is a fun place for all ages. You can walk around and see the droids staged their for all to see or build one yourself. Doesn't matter the age anyone can build a droid. It's kind of like build a bear, but with droids. I didn't build one, but I watched as others did so. read more

Okay, the Build-A-Bot Workshop is of course a shameless cash grab, particularly with all the add-ons and up-charges, but Disney has paid attention and set this up in a very satisfying way. If you have not paid the fee to assemble your own you are free to watch folks assembling theirs as you walk around the shop and peruse the other merchandise. They have a pretty thoughtfully curated selection, too. We picked up a couple Restraining Bolts while we were there. The nicest touch is that they have thoughtfully provided several areas around Galaxy's Edge where visitors can play with their new droids. It's Star Wars, droids should be everywhere. read more

Absolutely loved this! Wasn't too easy to get a reservation but thankful we did. The experience was amazing! We got two droids, staff was very helpful. Price is high (100 ish) but worth the experience if you can get a reservation. read more

We had two robots built for the kids. Pretty cool stuff. I went next door and got a beer somewhere. It was $13.00 but it was probably 13 percent. It was a good beer. And the droid things are fun to play with. read more

very unorganized and service members let people cut through the obvious line without a word. only allows one builder one guest. people inside are very rude!!! I know it's hard for parents but just save your hard earned money for something else read more

We built two droids on a Disney trip and because of Covid restrictions, you can't have the droids sent to your hotel anymore. Similarly, the depot can't store the droids for you until the end of the park day. We opted to have the droids shipped home, as it was recommended to be hassle free and the best option. One droid make it home fine, but the other was covered in something that resembled orange paint that we couldn't get off, even with alcohol wipes. It was all over the inside of the droid case, the droid, and the droid remote. I called to ask for a replacement and was told "to send an email and they'd respond in 3-5 days." When I explained I didn't want to send an email, I was calling now, and wanted some live help, the rep hung up on me. I finally found someone to help get us a replacement. When the replacement came, it was unfortunately missing two pieces. Emailed with pictures. They sent one of the two replacement parts. Emailed again and asked for the SECOND piece that was missing! I am not sure who they have working at the shipping area, but they clearly don't pay attention to detail and there's a high degree of carelessness. When you call to complain and ask for solutions, there is no customer service skills at play - they couldn't care less. Do not ship your droid--just attempt taking it on the plane. Huge hassle and almost a month of going back and forth with them and still not resolved. read more