Author Topic: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory  (Read 181920 times)

Offline Scockery

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #120 on: May 12, 2012, 10:14 PM »
Maybe there's not an unequal number of legs. maybe some shrewd person decided to make a certain style "rare" to cash in on this madness.

So you actually get to handle the parts yourself? What stops fast handed thieves from stealing the parts? I mean, how attentive are the employees/security?


Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #121 on: May 13, 2012, 12:26 AM »
There were actually two attendants at the station at all times, one to watch each side of the station since there can be 2 people building at any time.

Flow of people actually building was pretty light - I feel that they priced them way too high to be an impulse purchase. The last thing parents want to do is sit there and wait for the privilege to spend $12 while little Johnny hems and haws over what parts to use.

The staff was extremely help and polite to me today, so I have nothing but wonderful things to say about them, but I worry that with Star Wars weekends and Celebtration VI coming, the number of folks looking to build droids is definitely going to climb, and the amount of courtesy and assistance they showed me will not be sustainable.

I'm going back first thing in the morning in the hopes that they have received a few more parts that I need.

I'll give another update tomorrow.



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Offline JediJman

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #122 on: May 13, 2012, 09:25 AM »
Thanks for the updates Pete.  Sounds like a fun experience despite the product shortage.  Can't wait to see your pictures!
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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #123 on: May 13, 2012, 10:35 AM »
Well - they got more parts this morning, but unfortunately, no new non-white right legs. So I bought a few more to help me build up the library of parts I'll want for my eventual R6, R8 and R9s.

Heading back to the hotel now to check out. Will be flying out tonight.

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Offline Nicklab

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #124 on: May 13, 2012, 11:08 AM »
So is the pricing as noted in the Ultimate Orlando blog correct?  They noted it costs $11.95 to make one droid, or $18.95 for two.
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Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #125 on: May 13, 2012, 11:37 AM »
Please remember this is not aimed at consumers or collectors. Just like the build a lightsaber before it, this is aimed as a fun experience for tourists to do on vacation. It's not designed for the obsessed collector. People paid $28 for a custom lightsaber when they could have had all the parts in a box for about the same price down at walmart. It's the experience of the activity they are paying for not the item. No tourist is going to care that they are missing a certain leg or dome. 99.9999% of people doing this have no idea what all the options are anyway. The cast members are always stationed there to help move the line along, help the kids build their droid (lightsaber) and to give them a fun experience. How cool is it as a kid to go to WDW, then come home with something that they made there?
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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #126 on: May 13, 2012, 12:19 PM »
So is the pricing as noted in the Ultimate Orlando blog correct?  They noted it costs $11.95 to make one droid, or $18.95 for two.

Correct - that is the pricing.

I went with all 2-packs just so the 2nd droid only cost me $7 more.

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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #127 on: May 13, 2012, 12:28 PM »
Please remember this is not aimed at consumers or collectors. Just like the build a lightsaber before it, this is aimed as a fun experience for tourists to do on vacation. It's not designed for the obsessed collector.

Very true. The staff however are fully aware collectors are coming.

And I must add - being super friendly and polite with the staff went a long way.

They were very accomodating and it wasn't just for me, on my visit this morning, there was a member of a near-local R2 builders club who came hoping to grab one of each part. While he was disappointed none of the R6, R8 or R9 domes were there, he just made the most of it like I did and I watched as the staff accomodated him just as nicely and professionally as they accomodated me.

While I did come away with a lot fewer droids and parts as I had hoped, I don't regret doing this and I am hoping to make a return visit for a much longer stay in October - hopefully by then, all the remaining parts will be in circulation.
Peter

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Offline evenflow

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #128 on: May 13, 2012, 03:15 PM »
I may have missed it but how many different but matching droids can be made with the parts?
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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #129 on: May 13, 2012, 03:55 PM »
Eventually it will 25, but right now it's only 15 to go with the 15 domes they have.

That's if you follow strict combinations of dome-to-body-color-to-leg-color.

Right now that is extra difficult due to the lack of black, blue & red right legs. They have plenty of left ones, but haven't been sent right ones in two days according to the staff. Probably in a day or two that will be fixed.

Peter

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Offline shmashwitdaclub

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #130 on: May 13, 2012, 04:00 PM »
the staff at Disney is really great.  We went there about 2 years ago and had a blast all day long and all the workers truly loved their job. 

Then we went to Sea World the very next day.  Wow what a difference.  It seemed like everyone working there was about to kill themselves...

Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #131 on: May 13, 2012, 07:51 PM »
Disney works to get you on and off the rides quickly and keep you entertained during the wait. Compared to Six Flags where they let you on the ride, stand around for five minutes talking, check the seat belts, stand around some more, then dispatch the vehicle. The vehicle is already back by the time the next vehicle is checking seat belts.
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Offline JACKOFTRADZE

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #132 on: May 14, 2012, 10:13 AM »
Thanks for all of the updates Pete.

I am shocked these did not pop up on eBay yet as I have been looking. I hope some etailors or Disney themselves can help out collecting these. This will be a long haul to collect the series but eventually I can see these showing up at Toy shows and comic cons at jacked up prices.
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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #133 on: May 14, 2012, 12:13 PM »
Thanks for all of the updates Pete.

I am shocked these did not pop up on eBay yet as I have been looking. I hope some etailors or Disney themselves can help out collecting these. This will be a long haul to collect the series but eventually I can see these showing up at Toy shows and comic cons at jacked up prices.

As of right now, Disney has no plans on offering the parts in boxes or in any other format than you coming to the park, standing in line, standing in front of the work bench and making your own droid(s). As far as Disney is concerned a major part of the program is the "personal experience" you get from digging through the parts and making the droid you want.

That being said, since they have indicated that it will be a long term installation at the Tatooine Traders, I don't think that building your own will ever go away.

But while I was there on Saturday in my marathon building session that lasted 2.5-3 hours, there were several parents with kids who, while the kid wanted to do it, the parents were like "I've gotta wait for my son to pick through all of those parts to build a droid and THEN pay $12 for it? No way, we're on a schedule to see this whole park in one day, are you sure I can't just buy Johnny a box of parts?"

Now of course, I'm paraphrasing - but very few parents seemed to be willing to "wait" for one kid in their party to build a droid. And I think over time, that feedback from families will one day result in taking the 71 parts, adding an additional R2-D2 dome (to make it 72) and then splitting those parts up into two boxes of 36 parts each and letting a parent quickly grab one or both boxes, make the quick purchase and be on to the next attraction.

It's like what Paul was talking about with the Build-your-own-Lightsaber station (another "permanent" fixture of the store), you can either let your kid spend time building the lightsaber OR the store carries all of the same lightsaber products that every other store already carries - so if a kid wanted a lightsaber both options are available.

So in the long-run, I could totally see them EVENTUALLY making an option for box sets. I could totally even see them doing it with unique color-schemes on the parts in the box sets to make them a desireable purchase to someone who already picked up a lot of the parts via the build-your-own-option...

Peter

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Offline McMetal

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Re: Disney Exclusive Build-A-Droid Factory
« Reply #134 on: May 14, 2012, 02:48 PM »
I just have to say, I really pray they never do a promotion like this for the Clone Wars line. I know that is a virtual certainty anyway, but God, this would really drive me crazy.

Unlike Pete, I have a wife who would probably as soon divorce me as allow me to travel to FL to buy stuff like this.  :-[
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