Disney Movie Dads We Love

There’s nothing quite like knowing your dad is behind you cheering you on. We are preparing to celebrate dad’s in the United States on June 19, 2022. From gift guides to seasonal park happenings, we have you covered for all things this Father’s Day. To get in the spirit, we decided to highlight some Disney movie dads we love. We covered those awesome movie moms last month. So today is about the gentlemen. From Bob Parr (aka Mr. Incredible) to Mufasa in The Lion King, to Merida’s burly Father King Fergus to Ariel’s dad, King Triton in The Little Mermaid, there are a plethora of awesome Disney dads to remember.

Is your favorite Disney movie dad on this list?

Goofy

Sure, Goofy is, just plain goofy, but he has great intentions and is an awesome dad. In A Goofy Movie and some cartoons, we see Goofy in the role of dad to his son, Max. This well-meaning and adorable part of the original Disney gang is always getting into scrapes. From embarrassing Max in front of girls in A Goofy Movie to making a death-defying dash to mail a letter to Santa in a Christmas short film – Goofy is always up to antics.

That said, his love for Max could not be more genuine. Even mean when his clumsy ways hamper plans, he keeps a great attitude. Who can forget the holiday cartoon when Goofy puts together a fun Christmas evening for a family in need? He dresses up as Santa, bringing gifts to the children, and serving up a delicious holiday meal for his neighbors. Goofy doesn’t just tell Max about values and the importance of serving others, he lives it. That is one top-notch dad.

Marlin

Marlin the clown fish is the picture of the stereotypical nervous dad. A traumatic loss of his wife and babies left him as a single father and consequently made him a very stressed-out helicopter father. Finding Nemo is the story of a Marlin’s journey as he quite literally swims the whole ocean to find his lost son. Normally reserved, Marlin taps into every resource by chatting up sea creatures all over the “big blue world” to learn news of his son.

Marlin mobilizes during a daring rescue to ensure they are reunited. This father’s love knows no bounds. In fact, anxious Marlin acts so different from his normal self that when Nemo hears the journey of a clown fish out searching for his son — he actually shrugs it off and knows it couldn’t be his father. Despite Nemo’s doubts, Marlin pushes through and makes his way to Australia to save his son. This Disney/Pixar film is one of our favorites.

Related: Enjoy A Finding Nemo Day in Walt Disney World

Geppetto

Poor lonely Geppetto is the father we find in the Disney classic, Pinocchio. This dad embodies the sweet and forgiving qualities that many of us love in our own dads. When his boy puppet Pinocchio comes to life, Geppetto is overjoyed and quickly becomes an attentive father. He looks out for Pinocchio, being sure to send him to school equipped with essentials like school books and even a shiny apple for the teacher. When Pinocchio’s is led astray by that terrible villain Honest John, Geppetto strikes out to search for his son and will stop at nothing to bring him home. We really mean will stop at nothing, as Geppetto ultimately winds up in the belly of Monstro the whale during his seafaring pursuit of lost Pinocchio. All’s well that ends well, with Geppetto and Pinocchio ultimately reuniting just before Pinocchio becomes a real boy.

Pongo

This 101 Dalmatians dog dad is a showstopper. Handsome dalmatian husband to the beautiful Perdita, Pongo is a hands-on (er paws-on) father. He is loving and is always interacting with his adorable puppies. When Cruella De Vil captures the litter, Pongo goes into super Dad mode in an effort to save his puppies.

Great dads follow through and never stop when the going gets tough. That is exactly how Pongo acted as he took matters into his own paws by activating the twilight bark, learning where to find his puppies and setting out himself with Perdita by his side to rescue his children. Pongo also takes the top prize as the Disney dad with the most children.

James

True, this Disney dad didn’t have a lot of screen time but James, Tiana’s dad in The Princess and the Frog, was obviously an important force in her life. Though he dies early on in Tiana’s life, he instilled in her a love of cooking and a strong work ethic. Tiana faithfully keeps James’s special gumbo pot, as she uses memories of her father for motivation to push through tough shifts waitressing each day. This Disney princess has her sights set on a dream of opening her own restaurant to honor her Dad’s memory – Tiana’s Place. James was obviously a really special dad.

Related: Father’s Day Special on ABC – “John Legend & Family: A Bigger Love Father’s Day”

Carl

Another Disney Dad is grumpy old man Carl from the Disney Pixar movie, Up! We know, we know, Carl wasn’t technically a dad. After all, this film shed light on the sensitive topic of pregnancy loss in a way other cartoons never had. Carl and Ellie didn’t have any biological children, but that didn’t stop Carl from stepping into the role of a father figure later in life.

Carl begins as a crotchety, begrudging senior citizen who detests interacting with young wilderness explorer, Russell. His views change after getting to know Russell. As the film closes, we find Carl standing alongside other wilderness explorer dads bestowing the “Ellie badge” to Russell. The photo film credits show viewers that that was just the beginning of Carl and Russell’s journey together. Snapshots share photos of them on camping trips, at school awards ceremonies and a plethora of other outings.

Maurice

This quirky dad in Beauty and the Beast is near and dear to our hearts. An inventor by trade and a doting dad to Belle, Maurice is wrapped around his daughter’s finger. Not only does Maurice support Belle as she is ridiculed by the village people for her peculiarity, he always keeps a bright outlook and positive attitude about the future.

Because her mom is deceased, Maurice serves as both father and mother to Belle. He is definitely one of the sweetest Disney Dads out there. Maurice is an awesome girl Dad!

Zeus

Is anything cuter than a big, burly man becoming a dad and absolutely melting at the sight of his kid? We think not! This is exactly what happened in the 1997 film, Hercules, when Zeus met his new baby son. Sure, he’s the ruler of the universe, but he is also putty in those strong baby hands. From gifting his son a loyal and beautiful best friend (Pegasus) to watching over him during his years on earth, Zeus is an unconventional but awesome Dad.

Happy Father’s Day to these Disney dads and your very own father figure!