Rating The Good, Good Dogs of the Magic Kingdom

While we may often associate the Walt Disney Company more closely with mice and ducks, the company also has a long history of some pretty fantastic dogs, from Old Yeller to Dug to all 101 dalmatians!

But we’re not here to talk about just any Disney dogs. Oh, no. What we’re about to list for you is the top ten best dogs of the Magic Kingdom theme park, where to find them, and what makes them such good, good doggies! (Note: We’re just talking about the animal here. Sorry, Casey’s Corner hot dogs!)

#10 – Lady and the Tramp (Tony’s Town Square Restaurant) 

Based on the restaurant featured in the original animated Lady & The Tramp, you can find the romantic pair’s pawprints all over Tony’s Town Square Restaurant on Main Street, U.S.A. U.S.A. (including literal pawprints in a heart on the sidewalk outside)!

Within the restaurant, you can find a picture of the dog duo on the windows as well as the two of them immortalized as a statue within a fountain. Plus, you just might find them rendered in chocolate on your plate when you order dessert!

However, they only make the lowest spot on this list because there’s no animatronic representation, making them much less pet-able than any of the other dogs in the Magic Kingdom park.

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#9 – Rufus (Liberty Square Riverboat) 

Rufus might be the most obscure pup at the Magic Kingdom, but he’s still a jolly fellow and deserves to make the list!

When you’re onboard the Liberty Square Riverboat, you’ll pass by a man sitting in a rocking chair beside a little shack labeled “Alligator Swamp.” The narration tells us this gent is named Beacon Joe.

Well, just off to the side of Beacon Joe you can spot a little rowboat with a dog inside looking at an occasionally jumping fish. This good boy is Rufus, and we just bet that one day he’ll catch that fish!

#8 – Fifi & unnamed French poodle (it’s a small world)

The classic it’s a small world attraction is rightfully known for the many animatronic dolls of children, but there’s also a few doggies tucked away in here as well!

The most famous dog you can find is Minnie Mouse’s own pet, Fifi, sitting up on her hind legs and watching some penguins twirl in the South America room. But you can also find a delightful pink poodle in the France section, right next to the Eiffel Tower!

#7 – Nipper (Space Mountain)

OK, Nipper isn’t technically in Space Mountain, but he’s a part of the exit area, which is close enough in our book, especially since his backstory is so cool! You see, in the famous 1888 painting His Master’s Voice, by Francis Barraud, the painter immortalized his pet dog Nipper listening to a gramophone. Nipper became part of the logo for RCA Records, which was Space Mountain’s original sponsor.

During the course of RCA’s sponsorship, Nipper had a much more prominent position on Space Mountain, located in a flying saucer near the entrance to the attraction. When RCA was replaced by FedEx as the sponsor, Disney simply removed his fur and skin (um, ouch!) and turned him into a robot dog who became part of the exit ramp.

After enduring so much and still being such a good pup, the only reason Nipper doesn’t rate higher on this list is because he’s technically a robot and not a “real” dog.

#6 – Nana (Peter Pan’s Flight)

Nana is one of the classic Disney dogs, appearing in 1953’s Peter Pan as the Darling children’s nursemaid. At the Magic Kingdom, she can be found at Peter Pan’s Flight, first as a portrait in the queue and then on the ride itself. In the opening scene she barks at Guests’ pirate ships as they take to the air in the Darlings’ nursery, and then later she can be seen standing next to her doghouse and looking up at the night sky.

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Why does she round out the bottom half of this list instead of making it to the top five? BECAUSE SHE DID A TERRIBLE JOB WATCHING THOSE KIDS!

#5 – “Bones” & The Ghost Dog (The Haunted Mansion)

At the Haunted Mansion, you get to see two dogs in close proximity to one another – one live, and one a ghost!

The live dog – well, it’s still animatronic, alas – is the Caretaker’s Dog, sometimes called “Bones” because of his skeletal frame, who stands with his human, terrified, outside the cemetery gates. His ghostly doppelganger (because they share the same mold!) can be seen near the mummy’s tomb in the cemetery, looking up at the mummy himself and probably thinking up some mischievous way to unwrap all that paper!

#4 – Rover (The Carousel of Progress)

This sleepy fellow can be found in all four show scenes of the Carousel of Progress, loyally perched near the feet of his owner (and the attraction’s host/narrator), John. Sure, he gets to bark a couple of times and he wears a jaunty bow in the final, Christmas-set scene, but for the most part, he’s a sleepy guy laying his head on his paws.

And sometimes, that’s all you really want out of a dog.

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#3 – Prison Dog (Pirates of the Caribbean)

If you know one animatronic dog at the Magic Kingdom, it’s this guy. He’s the one holding a ring of keys just out of reach of a group of three imprisoned pirates who are trying to entice him closer to them.

Do you think he’ll ever succumb to their wiles? Unlikely! This stalwart prison guard is fully committed to keeping those naughty pirates locked up where they can do no further harm to his town!

Our hirsute hero would be number one on the list, were it not for a pair of pup megastars who can be found throughout the Magic Kingdom and the rest of the Walt Disney World resort . . .

#2 – Goofy (walkaround/meet-and-greet character/Goofy’s Barnstormer)

We know, we know, there’s lots of debate these days on just what, exactly, Goofy is. If he’s a dog, why is he able to walk and talk while Pluto is not? And is he just OK with his best friend Mickey enslaving another member of his species? Is he, as some folks are theorizing, actually a cow, hence his recent flirtation with Clarabelle?

Well, he was originally called Dippy Dawg, so . . . he’s a dog. Deal with it.

And as one of the big three of the Disney characters (alongside Mickey and Donald), there’s no better pal you could have than Goofy! Unceasingly loyal – like any good doggo! – and endlessly cheerful, even if he is a bit clumsy and, well, goofy, this is one dog you can’t help but embrace with a giant hug.

#1 – Pluto (walkaround/meet-and-greet character)

The best dog of the Magic Kingdom, and of Disney in general, is of course the one and only Pluto.

Mickey’s pet and a character in his own right, Pluto is unquestionably the top dog whenever he’s around. Why do you think so many service dogs at Disney are excited to meet their hero?

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Playful, loyal, joyful, and delightful – these are traits that define the best of all doggies, and which Pluto embodies. Which is why Pluto is our number one dog of the Magic Kingdom – and, indeed, of the Disney parks in general!