Summary
- Disney Parks is introducing adorable BD droids to Galaxy's Edge, the immersive Star Wars land at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
- These droids, similar to fan-favorite BD-1, are shockingly accurate and interact with guests without any controls or supports.
- While slightly bulkier and slower than BD-1, these autonomous droids are a dream come true for Star Wars fans and add a new level of authenticity to the experience.
A new friend is making their way to the modest little planet of Batuu in the Star Wars universe. Disney Parks will soon introduce someone to the immersive land known as Galaxy's Edge who will be new to some and like an old buddy to others. But everyone will be equally charmed by the cuteness.
Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World has been the premier spot for Star Wars fans to lose themselves in their favorite far-off galaxy since it opened in 2019. It already proved popular enough to inspire the accessible VR game Tales from the Galaxy's Edge, offering the Star Wars faithful one more way to keep coming back. But the real meat is at the parks themselves. Guests can build their own lightsabers, have a drink at an authentic gritty Star Wars cantina, and even build a droid companion. Now, that last part just got even more adorable.
The Disney Parks TikTok account has revealed that BD droids are coming to Galaxy's Edge. The video game-inclined Star Wars fans will immediately recognize the droid model, as it's the same as fan-favorite sidekick BD-1 from the Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor games. But these aren't just some new parts guests can add to their expensive remote-controlled toys at the droid depot. These are about as close as fans can now get to playing with a real Star Wars droid.
The account posted a couple of videos showcasing these new droids in action at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and they're immediately and shockingly accurate to Jedi: Survivor's arguably perfect droid companion. Being taken out for supervised test runs at present, they can be seen walking around Galaxy's Edge without any controls or supports, interacting with guests, and emoting in ways that feel almost uncannily authentic. This includes doing a little happy dance, showing frustration, and even expertly navigating uneven terrain with the dexterity one might not expect from a bipedal robot.
Naturally, there are some differences from BD-1 itself. These little friends are a bit bulkier, sporting a midsection that looks like BD-1 discovered all-you-can-eat buffets. Aside from other design differences, they also move differently than those familiar with BD units might expect. They've got a slight sluggishness that comes with various animatronics like C-3PO on the beloved Disney Parks ride Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. So, this means they won't be adorably clambering up guests' legs like BD-1 does with Cal Kestis.
However, that's a small price to pay for what fans are getting, which is a largely autonomous version of what is sure to be a universally beloved droid. The concept of Star Wars droids roaming around Galaxy's Edge has been teased for quite some time. So it will be immensely satisfying to not only see it finally happen but to see this feature introduced by the cutest little buddies around. There's unfortunately no word on exactly when the Star Wars droids will officially debut at the parks.
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other mediums like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
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Source: Disney Parks/TikTok