The droids in the Star Wars series are part of what makes the movies great. Robotic companions that are both sentient and servant with a mind and personality of their own and the ability to think and problem solve. Who doesn’t want that and more importantly want to build a droid of their very own?
From R2-D2 to C3P0 these mechanical marvels have been part of the legend and part of what we aspire to have as part of our daily lives. While the Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge is far from your own R2 that can fix your starship and then play Dejarik it is a really fun way to explore the world of Star Wars in Batuu.
These remote controlled droids are available in two body styles (R Series and BB Series – C Series coming soon) and in a variety of colors (mostly red, blue, white and black). You decide the style and color of the major components of your droid and start building.
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When deciding what to build Tanner wanted a R Series in blue and I wanted a R Series styled in Red and Black. I ended up with a classic R2 head and Tanner with an R5. The overall parts selection depends on the day and some colors (white body/blue legs) were missing. Once all the part colors are selected and pulled from the conveyor belt you are called to a build station to assemble the droid.
Assembly is easy with a total of two screws and snapping in the head and center leg. The leg has additional plates and the ‘arms’ on the front of the droid are selected during the build again in the standard colors of red, blue, white and black.
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Once you are done making your final choices and assembling everything the droid is given a quick check and is ready for activation. This is the main event and what is really exciting about the experience. Watching the pieces of plastic you put together come alive in front of you.
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After the droid is activated there is a small place outside the Droid Depot to give them a test drive. Tanner wasted no time heading out and after a picture with the droid in the box it was off to the races.
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Driving the droid is easy and really a lot of fun – Tanner picked it up almost immediately. The droids will talk to each other and they supposedly respond to areas in the park. Unfortunately it is a little difficult to take the droid around the park unless you carry it in the cardboard box. I didn’t opt for the backpack it seemed expensive to just carry it around Galaxy’s Edge. (Amazon has some cheaper options if you plan ahead.) I couldn’t see another reason to buy it and that one seemed pretty limited use for the cost.
I did buy Tanner some add-on blasters for his droid and a serving tray for mine. If you are interested in any of the add-ons – personality chip, tow cable, accessory panels or anything else get them in the park. The after market markup is a lot and I can’t find where Disney sells these items online.
The experience is a lot of fun and something I’ve wanted to do since Galaxy’s Edge opened in Hollywood Studios. My plan was always to wait until Tanner was older and I did but not as old as I planned I thought maybe five or six. On our previous visit he wanted to build a droid when we stopped in to see the space. I thought he would enjoy seeing the space not be adamant about building his own. We made sure to work that into the following trip and despite being three he definitely had opinions on what he wanted and what we would both name our droids – R2-Wooly and R2-Stormy (R2-S2).
This is something that is fun for all ages and definitely something you can enjoy when you get home. We still drive our droids and while I may not build another one I’ll definitely stop by the Droid Depot the next time I am in Batuu and check out the latest accessories and upgrades. Might need some different color plates or a personality chip for my robotic companion.
