Droid Factory Playset

 Droid Factory Playset

Disney - Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Shop Disney continues to deliver the goods to Star Wars fans in the flyover states!  The Droid Factory playset is a new spin on the vintage Kenner Droid Factory.  I guess Disney figured they had done the build-a-droid thing to death and decided that water and color change features should be the ticket?  Meh.  I’m not so sure about the gimmick....but the set still looks nice.

I like the cleaner shape and colors.  Not as dingy as the used-universe model, but still sci-fi and tech-y.  There are some nice, clear markings designating the various stages of torture cleaning you can put your slaves droids through.  I take that last strike through back...you can’t sugar coat the “restraining bolt” station.

Your droids first go up a ramp to a conveyor belt and some sort of detector gate.  Are they scanning for breakages to address repairs?  Weapons?  Secret messages for the Empire/Rebellion?  Who knows...but it’s fun, and triggers some sound and light features when rolling the belt along.

From there, I guess some droids are allowed to walk or roll to the next area on their own.  Or a crane comes in for those in dire need of attention.  Either way, bath time!

There are two tanks.  One has a lowering mechanism, with robo-arms to assist in access and cleaning.  The other just straight up dunks them like clowns at a county fair.  “Thank the Maker!  This oil bath is going to feel-“ *DING!* *SPLOOSH!”

 

Now drag your metal carcass out of there and get over the drying fans!  There is a drip pan under the playset to catch water, but the fans dont actually move on their own.  This may be the one detractor.  It would have been nice to have some motorized fan action, even if they dont necessarily get the drying done.

Final station, as mentioned before, is the restraining bolt area.  They keep this one out around back as to not disturb the public with any metallic screams, or the unsightly business of having to shock or remotely restrain a droid during application.  Also on the back is the conveyor belt dial and several buttons that have a multitude of factory sounds and droid beeps and whistles.  You have to supply the screams, though.

The set comes with a gonk droid, but I purchased one of two offered 4-packs to get more out of the color-changing “fun.”  Not so much fun when your droid only goes from gray to dark blue or blue to black...cant see much of a difference.  Drastic changes, like white to red is where its at.  Overall, I would have preferred less solid washes for the color-changing.  Instead, I would have liked smaller applications resembling dirt, rubbing, carbon scoring...battle damage, if you will, that “washes” away with warm water.

    

The gimmick may leave you cold (or at least room temp), but at least the droids have the pull-apart build-a-droid components to swap around. This is still available online at $50.  I feel that is about $10 too much for what you get, but they do often run some good sales deals.  I think I got mine for 30-something.  Overall, I’m glad to see any play sets on the market.  Like some of the larger ships/park exclusives, one thing Disney is doing right with Star Wars is filling some gaps for us old school 3 3/4 inch figure collectors.

Take a look back at a couple of Disney exclusive ships/play sets:

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/search?q=Sandcrawler

Jawa Sandcrawler

Jawa Sandcrawler

Droid Factory Disney Exclusive

Disney managed to do something right post-Lucas buyout after all!  They have delivered one of my most wanted vehicles in a large-format, low-price (relatively) exclusive.  The Jawa Sandcrawler was an RC toy in the original 77 Kenner line, later repainted as an online exclusive...both have eluded me. It has been long overdue for an overhaul and, thankfully, the Dis delivers!

You get a pretty massive vehicle/playset for $100.  It rolls, has cockpit and headlight lights, and has multiple sound buttons with every Jawa scream and droid bleep imaginable.  The front panel of the ship drops down to act as a ramp and access for the droid crane.  There is a top-hatch access for the cockpit, which features decaled control panels and has enough room for at least three Jawas.  One full side of the ship opens so you can access the furnace, overhead catwalk, trap door/droid compartment, and motorized elevator.  The elevator has an up and down button on the outside and moves appropriately slow and mechanical.  It's gear-grinding sound is something you don't hear much in toys anymore.  Ah, nostalgia!

Lift demonstration:

You also get a decent Jawa figure (not as articulated as some Hasbro releases) and a Gonk droid.  The Gonk has moving legs and a removable headpiece to view his bot innards.  There is a hole in the top (standard for Droid Factory's interchangeable hat features) of his head so you can attach him to the moving crane feature at the front of the ship.

This is the best executed, most exciting Star Wars vehicle release since Disney's Star Tours Speeder in 2010.  My army of Jawas that I have amassed over decades of collecting finally have a home.  Maybe Disney can do the same for my Rebel Troops waiting aboard the Star Tours Speeder?  They've been waiting so long to taxi to the Tantive IV...please beat Hasbro to it before they try to bleed fans with another long-desired vehicle with a ridiculous price tag.  Help us, Mickey...you're our only hope.