Is Droid Depot Worth It at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Our Honest Review
For many Star Wars fans, stepping into Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios feels like walking onto a movie set. From the Millennium Falcon sitting proudly in the distance to Stormtroopers patrolling the streets of Batuu, Disney has done an incredible job of making this corner of the park feel like its own world.
Among all the attractions, shops and experiences, one of the most popular is Droid Depot. Here, guests have the opportunity to build their own custom droid, choose its personality and take it home as a unique souvenir from their trip.
Of course, there’s one obvious question. With prices now approaching $200 for some packages, is Droid Depot actually worth it?
Having built three droids across separate trips to Walt Disney World, we’ve experienced Droid Depot from both a child’s perspective and an adult’s perspective. We’ve also transported those droids back to the UK, customised them with different personality chips and, years later, still have two of them sitting proudly in the office.
That long-term perspective probably makes this review a little different from many others.
Droid Assembly line - Droid Depot, Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World, Florida.
What Is Droid Depot?
Located inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Droid Depot allows guests to build and customise their own Star Wars droid.
The experience begins by choosing which style of droid you want to build. Traditionally, guests can choose between the classic R-Series design, inspired by droids such as R2-D2, or the BB-Series design made famous by BB-8. More recently, Disney has introduced additional options and parts, giving builders even more opportunities to create something unique.
Once you’ve selected your preferred style, you’ll be given a basket and directed towards the assembly line where all the parts travel along a conveyor belt. This is where the experience really starts to feel immersive, as guests search for the pieces they want before collecting everything needed for the build.
It’s surprisingly easy to get caught up in the process, regardless of whether you’re eight years old or forty-eight.
Our Experience Building Droids
We’ve now completed the experience on different trips.
The first time was in 2022 when our eldest daughter, who was around eleven at the time, built an R2-D2 style droid while I opted for a BB-Series unit. It was one of those experiences where we initially thought it would be mainly for the children, only to discover that the adults were just as invested in choosing parts and deciding how the finished droid would look.
When we returned in 2025, our youngest daughter was ten and keen to build her own. By that point, prices had increased significantly compared to our first visit, but she had already decided this was one experience she wanted to do. Rather than building another version of the droids we already had at home, she chose a different design, which added another layer of personalisation to the experience.
One thing Disney does particularly well is making the build process feel accessible. The instructions are clear, Cast Members are always nearby to help and children who enjoy Lego-style building or hands-on projects generally pick it up very quickly.
Once assembled, your droid is paired with a remote control and activated for the first time. Watching it come to life is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the experience and creates a genuine sense of accomplishment, particularly for younger builders.
More Than Just a Toy
One of the reasons Droid Depot continues to be popular is that the experience doesn’t end when you leave the workshop.
Guests can choose additional personality chips that influence how the droid behaves and reacts. During our visits we experimented with different chips, including a Resistance personality, which added another layer of fun once we returned home.
Perhaps surprisingly, that’s one of the aspects we’ve enjoyed most over the years. The droids interact differently, make different sounds and even react to each other. It’s a small detail, but it helps them feel more like a collectible than a simple remote-control toy.
Years later, two of our droids still sit in the office and occasionally get brought out for a bit of fun. That longevity is something worth considering when you’re deciding whether the experience justifies the cost.
What Do You Do With a Droid for the Rest of the Day?
This is one of the questions many families ask before booking. After all, carrying a droid around Hollywood Studios for eight or ten hours doesn’t sound particularly appealing.
On our first visit we had slightly different plans for the day, but during our 2025 trip we used one of the lockers located near the entrance to Hollywood Studios. After completing the build, we placed the droid safely inside and collected it later in the evening before leaving the park.
It was a simple solution that allowed us to enjoy the rest of the day without worrying about carrying a large purchase around Galaxy’s Edge or onto attractions.
If you’re planning a full day in Hollywood Studios, that’s probably the approach we’d recommend.
Taking Your Droid Home to the UK
For UK visitors, one of the biggest concerns is whether the droid will survive the journey home. The good news is that all three of ours made it back without any problems.
We purchased the carry bags as part of our packages and found them surprisingly useful. The bags are designed specifically for the droids and include a sturdy base insert that helps protect them during transport. They also make carrying the droid around the parks significantly easier.
In fact, the bag has probably seen more use than we ever expected. Long after the holiday ended, it became a regular gym bag rather than simply something left in a cupboard gathering dust.
While prices have increased over the years, we still think the bag is worth considering if you’re planning to take your droid home internationally.
Droid Bag! This was the original bag but it’s now updated to a smarter grey option.
Is Droid Depot Worth the Money?
This is ultimately the question most people are trying to answer.
When we first completed the experience, the package including the droid, bag and personality chip cost around $150. By our 2025 visit, the equivalent package was $200, which inevitably changes the value equation.
At that price point, Droid Depot is no longer an impulse purchase. It’s one of the more expensive experiences in Hollywood Studios and deserves some consideration before booking.
However, looking back now, we’d still say it’s worth it for the right person.
The reason isn’t just the build experience itself. It’s the fact that years later the droids are still displayed, still occasionally used and still prompt conversations whenever someone notices them. That’s a level of longevity many Disney souvenirs simply don’t achieve.
That said, if your child has little interest in Star Wars, there’s probably no point forcing the experience. The magic comes from building something connected to a franchise you genuinely enjoy. Without that connection, it’s difficult to justify the price.
For Star Wars fans, however, Droid Depot offers something a little different from simply buying merchandise off a shelf. You’re creating something personal and taking home a souvenir that has a story attached to it.
Booking Tips for UK Visitors
Droid Depot remains one of the most popular experiences inside Galaxy’s Edge, so advance reservations are strongly recommended.
One quirk UK visitors often encounter is that reservation availability can be awkward to access from outside the United States. During our own planning, we’ve generally found that using a VPN makes it easier to view availability and secure reservations online before travelling.
We use NordVPN ourselves when travelling, not just for Disney planning but also for accessing services securely while abroad. If you’re struggling to view reservation availability from the UK, it’s worth investigating before your booking window opens.
Alternatively, you may also have success booking through Disney directly by phone or via the chat service within the My Disney Experience app.
Final Thoughts
Droid Depot is one of those experiences that becomes easier to appreciate with time.
On the day itself, it’s fun, interactive and something a little different from the usual theme park attractions. However, the real test comes months or even years later when the holiday is over and you’re looking back on what was worth the money.
For us, the fact that we’ve built three droids across two trips, successfully brought them home to the UK and still have them on display years later probably says everything that needs to be said.
If you’re a Star Wars fan, it’s a genuinely enjoyable experience that creates a souvenir with lasting appeal. If you’re travelling with children who love Star Wars, it’s even easier to recommend.
And while the price has certainly increased since our first visit, we’d still consider Droid Depot one of the more memorable premium experiences available at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
If you’re still planning your Walt Disney World holiday, you’ll find more park guides, dining reviews, transport advice and family planning tips in our Disney Planning Hub, where we share everything we’ve learned from multiple trips to the Most Magical Place on Earth. And if you’re researching the wider holiday, including Universal Orlando, hotels, transport and Florida travel tips, be sure to explore our Florida Planning Hub, which brings together all of our Orlando and Florida content in one place.