Disney just released Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers on May 20th, 2022, on Disney+. It’s based on the classic animated series of the same name and features a star-studded cast that includes John Mulaney, Seth Rogen, Andy Samberg, and more. It’s no secret that animated rodents have been integral to Disney lore over the last century. Mice, rats, and other members of the Rodentia order are ever-present in the company’s films, television shows, theme parks, and video games and they have been key to the company’s success.
Disney’s most memorable rodents are fearless adventurers, dependable sources of comedy, and have the ability to connect with the humans and animals around them. These are some of the most popular and memorable rodents to appear in the expansive world of Disney.
Chispi: Encanto (2021)
One of the breakout stars of Disney’s animated musical hit Encanto is Chispi, the dispassionate capybara who lives in Antonio Madrigal’s room. Although the capybara is a minor character in the film, she steals one of Encanto’s most visually stunning scenes when Bruno has to form a vision circle around her because she refuses to move.
Capybaras, also known as water hogs, are rodents native to South America where Encanto is set. The film plays on the animal’s adorable but relaxed demeanor for comedic effect. Chispi is also highlighted in the movie’s credits, where she gets caught taking a bubble bath and eats the credits themselves.
Basil Of Baker Street: The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
When young mouse Olivia Flaversham’s father is kidnapped at the beginning of The Great Mouse Detective, she seeks help from Basil of Baker Street. With assistance from Dr. David Q. Dawson, the titular detective uses his investigative skills to trace the crime to the diabolical Professor Ratigan (voiced by horror legend Vincent Price) and rescues the child’s father.
Basil is modeled after famed detective Sherlock Holmes, complete with a deerstalker cap and Calabash pipe. In the film, he lives in the basement below his human counterpart and shares his fondness for mysteries. Basil is brilliant and adventurous but is so engrossed in his work that he often lacks interpersonal skills. This indifference to those around him makes Basil one of the more unconventional and fascinating Disney lead characters.
Roquefort: The Aristocats (1970)
Cats and mice are very rarely allies in animated films. Yet, when evil butler Edgar abandons Madame Adelaide’s cats in the French countryside in order to inherit her fortune, Roquefort the mouse springs into action to save his feline friends. His bravery in the face of both Edgar and Thomas O’Malley’s alley cat gang makes cute little Roquefort the true hero of The Aristocats.
Roquefort is just one of many characters voiced by Disney legend, Sterling Holloway. Although he is remembered most fondly as the voice of Winnie the Pooh, Holloway also lent his talents to a variety of other famous Disney characters, including Mr. Stork in Dumbo, Kaa in The Jungle Book, Flower in Bambi, and the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland.
Gopher: Winnie The Pooh (1966 – )
When Disney began adapting A. A. Milne’s classic Winnie The Pooh stories in the 1960s, they included all of the original characters from the Hundred Acre Wood. Those early shorts also incorporated a new original character named Gopher. The stout rodent is distinctly American, which sets him apart from his friends of British origin.
Gopher is a tunnel-digging expert who can never seem to avoid falling into his own holes. He is probably best known for his distinctive style of speech in which he whistles his consonants. The character was originally voiced by Howard Morris, an actor best known for his role as Ernest T. Bass in The Andy Griffith Show.
Timothy Q. Mouse: Dumbo (1941)
Timothy Q. Mouse is one of Disney’s most altruistic figures. When Dumbo’s mother is imprisoned after defending her son from the attacks of circus goers, Timothy steps up to act as the young elephant’s caretaker when no one else would. His encouragement helps Dumbo find the strength he needs to overcome his circumstances, free his mother, and succeed in the circus world in one of Disney’s most emotional mother-child stories.
Unlike many of the other characters in the film, Timothy is an open-minded defender of the downtrodden with no tolerance for cruelty. His unwavering confidence allows him to brush off the mockery of the other elephants in service of the ostracized Dumbo. Timothy’s kind and selfless approach make him one of the most popular early Disney characters.
Bernard & Miss Bianca: The Rescuers (1977)
The Rescuers tells the story of fearless socialite Miss Bianca and anxious janitor Bernard who are tasked by a mouse organization called the Rescue Aid Society with rescuing a kidnapped orphan from two jewel hunters. The mission leads the mice on an exhilarating escapade through the Louisiana bayou.
The mismatched rodent pair, voiced by Eva Gabor and Bob Newhart, share a romantic charisma rarely seen between animated rodents. The adventure flick was both a commercial and financial success and the two actors reprised their roles in a well-received 1990 sequel, a first for Disney.
The Mice: Cinderella (1950)
Cinderella and the mice that live in her home have a loving relationship. She feeds, clothes, and protects them from Lucifer, the mischievous cat of the house. In return, the mice help Cinderella with her endless chores. Although the mice are an ensemble group, intrepid Jaq and lovable Gus are her closest companions and serve to drive the film’s action and comedy sequences.
The mice’s affection for Cinderella is best illustrated during “The Work Song” and their rendition of “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” when the mice help Cinderella prepare a dress for the ball. With their help, Cinderella eventually marries Prince Charming and the mice move into the palace with her as rodent royalty.
Remy: Ratatouille (2007)
Remy, a rat voiced by standup comic, actor, and ardent foodie Patton Oswalt, is Pixar’s most famous rodent. He is a gifted rat with a “highly developed sense of taste and smell” who is put to work by his dad as a poison checker. After his family is forced from their home, Remy forms a symbiotic relationship with a garbage boy and applies his talents to the culinary industry in Paris in the film Ratatouille.
Through his passion for cooking, Remy demonstrates to rats and humans alike that the status quo need not dictate the direction of one’s life. The ambitious rat is inspired by his deceased idol, Auguste Gusteau, and his motto that “anyone can cook,” and Remy uses that message of universality to unite humans and rodents together in a common cause.
Chip & Dale: Chip ‘N Dale (1943 – )
Chip and Dale began their animated career in a series of Jack Hannah-directed shorts in the 1940s and ’50s. The best of these cartoons, including “All In a Nutshell” and “Out of Scale,’” pitted the crafty chipmunk pair against Donald Duck in their attempts to secure nuts or a warm place to sleep.
The duo achieved newfound popularity with the debut of Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers in 1989. In a complete departure from their earlier shorts, Chip and Dale took on more anthropomorphic traits and solved mysteries alongside fellow rodents, Monterey Jack and Gadget. The chipmunk pals recently reunited after a long hiatus in the Disney+ movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, once again proving their popularity with a new generation of viewers.
Mickey & Minnie Mouse: Various (1928 – )
These are the rodents that started a media empire. Since their debut in Steamboat Willie in 1928, Mickey and Minnie Mouse have been delighting audiences both young and old. While they haven’t changed much since their creation, their popularity seems only to have grown over the years.
Mickey, Minnie, and the rest of the sensational six have appeared in some of Disney’s most popular cartoons and movies. With recent hits like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Paul Rudish’s nostalgic Mickey Mouse series of shorts, the pair continue to demonstrate that they are the most popular rodents in the magical world of Disney.
