Thumper is one of my favorite Disney characters.  This adorable little rabbit made his debut in Bambi as a little ball of excitement, wonder, and, at times, mischief.  Originally, Thumper was to only have a minor role in Bambi.  After Disney cast young voice-actor Peter Behn, who was only four years old, Thumper took on a prominent role in the movie.

Thumper, in the 21st century, became the centerpiece of a series of books under the Disney Bunnies.  These books were I Love You, My Bunnies, Thumper Counts to Ten, and Goodnight Thumper.  My daughter had a copy of all of these books.

I want to spend a some time discussing why I like Thumper, who in my opinion, is one of Disney’s best supporting characters.

1) Even at a young age, he had his own law – “Thumper’s Law”

“If can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”

It’s a great rule to live by for everyone.  Saying things that aren’t nice only leads to confrontation and that leads to unpleasant things like fights or even worse wars.  It also teaches children to hold their tongue and be polite.  All of these are traits which can still be passed down to children today.

2) He’s always full of energy and willing to teach.

Thumper is a great source of energy and wonder.  You can easily tell his emotional state from his face.  His face tells everything.  There is no hiding about how he is feeling.

Thumper is also very helpful.  When he first meets Bambi while Bambi is exploring the world, Thumper takes it about himself to teach Bambi how to speak.  Thumper is able to teach Bambi a couple of words, “bird” and “flower.”  We all know that Bambi used flower as the word for skunk.

3) Thumper is related to Roger Rabbit

We know that rabbits like to multiply which, of course, leads to a lot of rabbits and large families.  Thumper’s large family includes Roger Rabbit.  In fact, Thumper is Roger Rabbit’s uncle and made a brief appearance in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.  There is no lineage between Thumper and The White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

Thumper continues his lineage through his marriage to Miss Bunny.

With the closure of Camp Minnie-Mickey, Thumper and Miss Bunny can no longer be seen regularly at Walt Disney World.  My daughter and I were lucky enough to meet them before they disappeared from the parks.

These are just some of the reasons why I love Thumper.  What are some of your reasons for loving the energenic little bunny?

The Dad For Disney Facebook Group is continuing to hold its first giveaway.  Entries close at midnight on September 16.  Information on the contest can be found on the giveaways tabs on the Facebook Group.  This tab can only be found on a laptop or computer version of Facebook.  The tab can not be found on the Facebook app for phone or tablet.

I can also be found on twitter: @DadForDisney

Thanks for reading!