Talking Dug Meets Guests on Discovery Island Trails at Disney's Animal Kingdom

The Talking Dug has once again been meeting at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We last saw this version of him when he debuted back in 2024. Sadly, that meet-and-greet only lasted about two months. We were told at the time that there was some trouble with his collar.

As you likely know, most regular characters do not verbally communicate with guests. Of course, face characters like Disney princesses always greet guests and chat with them. But characters like Dug remain silent, using their body language and gestures to communicate. Well, except for the talking Dug. You’ll know when you see him if his collar is working or not. He’ll greet you with a fine hello.

As of this visit, we found Dug greeting guests on the Discovery Island Trails. He was meeting with Russell at this location, but Russell can’t seem to stay in one spot lately. We often find him roaming the Discovery Island Trails, especially toward the front of the park near the Wilderness Explorer’s kiosk.

On this visit, I got in line to meet Dug at 12:45 p.m. for his next scheduled appearance at 1:00 p.m. I was the first person to start the line, and he arrived promptly at 1:01 p.m. There were about 10 or so guests behind me in line by the time he arrived. After a brief greeting, he signed my autograph book.

Here is a look at his signature. He leaves a paw print under his name.

A PhotoPass photographer was also available at this location.

Dug from 'Up!' at Disney's Animal Kingdom wearing his talking collar

Dug’s meet-and-greet is listed in the My Disney Experience app. Here are our instructions on how to use the app to confirm his times and exact location on the day of your visit.

How to Use the My Disney Experience App to Find Dug

Open the My Disney Experience app and select the pin drop at the bottom of the home screen.
Scroll (left to right) through the icons at the top of the screen and select “Characters.”
After selecting characters, use the locations drop-down to select the park of your choice.
Then, on the bottom right of the screen, select “Show List.”
Scroll through the list of characters with their times and locations.
As an alternative, you can use the map view to locate characters.

*As the day passes, you might notice that characters disappear. When their last scheduled time passes, the meet-and-greet automatically disappears. A new schedule won’t be loaded until the following day. It is essential to check the app for meet-and-greets on the day of your visit. We have a tutorial that walks you through how to use the My Disney Experience app to find characters.

Final Thoughts

If you get a chance to meet Dug, this is a great opportunity. You might also like to take a video of the meet-and-greet since he talks. I had my hands full on the day of this visit, so I was only able to get a short clip of when he first arrived. Sometimes a video makes for a unique memory of the visit, especially if you’re using the PhotoPass service for pictures or have someone who can help take a few.

If you’re a fan of UP, you might also enjoy meeting Kevin on Discovery Island. She is a roaming character who’s pretty easy to spot if you’re in the area. You may also remember that we found Mr. Fredricksen with Russell at this location during Spring Break. Cast members told us that it was just too hot for Carl to be out this summer, and we probably wouldn’t see him anytime soon. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for Russell, he’s also listed in the My Disney Experience app! For more meet-and-greets, see our list of what characters meet at Animal Kingdom. You might also enjoy our entire guide to Disney World Characters.