If you’re anything like me, you grew up watching Disney Channel on a daily basis and kind of made it your whole personality as well. Every day after school, I would come home off the bus, get myself a snack, and sit down to watch any one of my favorite Disney Channel shows, which included ones like Jessie and Austin and Ally. As a young girl, my first ever crushes weren’t any of the boys in my class or the boys on the playground; they were on Disney Channel, and I am very proud of that.
I would literally cut out all of the mini posters that came with my monthly Tiger Beat magazines (real ones, remember Tiger Beat) and post them up on my wall for all of my friends to see when they came over for playdates. These Disney Channel boys were so handsome and dreamy in my eyes, and I had my eyes on a select few that I deemed to be ultimate boyfriend material. Now, as an adult, I’m looking back at my top Disney Channel crushes through a retrospective lens, evaluating their behavior and decisions throughout their series, and deciding once and for all, which Disney Channel heartthrob would be the best boyfriend for me.
4. tyler james (dog with a blog)
Not only did I grow up with Blake Michael in this role, but I grew up watching him as Charlie Delgado (drum god) in the iconic Disney Channel Original Movie Lemonade Mouth, so he’s been iconic in my mind for a while now. But we’re not here to evaluate the actor or his other roles; we’re here to talk about Tyler specifically. He was the older brother on the show, showing himself to be very confident and outgoing, and most notably, he has a passion for BMX and gearing up to the professional level, making him very driven and goal-centered, which I absolutely love in a man. He knows what he wants, which many men in real life don’t.
He does have kind of a rocky history in the dating department, finding himself in a love triangle with two girls, Nikki and Emily. He was unsure which girl was really for him, and in the process of trying to decide, he ended up breaking both of their hearts. This was earlier in the series, as he was still trying to figure out what he really wanted out of his life. Overall, I admire his perseverance when it comes to personal goals, but I believe his focus on that would distract him from really being a devoted boyfriend.
3. pj duncan (Good Luck Charlie)
Musician? Aspiring professional chef? We have a winner! Just kidding, but those are some of the qualities that initially drew me to PJ as a kid watching this show. I love a man who can play an instrument and who can cook me a Gordon Ramsay-level meal every night. But aside from those things, PJ is such a sweetheart, especially as the series goes on into the later seasons. He goes from being just the dumb older brother to a kind and lovable person who knows how to make anyone’s day better the second he walks into a room.
Throughout the course of the series, he is in an on-and-off relationship with a girl named Skylar, the reason for this instability being long distance. They were such a perfect match, in that they both care so deeply, even when neither of them really has a clue what’s going on. What PJ lacks in logical intelligence, he makes up for in emotional intelligence, and that is such a rarity with men nowadays. He could make a great boyfriend, but I would hate to take him away from Skylar, as they are just amazing together.
2. Austin Moon (Austin and Ally)
When I tell you Ross Lynch consumed so much of my mental energy as a 9-year-old, I’m not exaggerating. Most of those Tiger Beat posters on my walls were of him. I put the premiere of any new thing he was starring in on my calendar, and I finally got to live out those dreams when I saw The Driver Era at the UCONNIC music festival in April. Needless to say, I love Austin Moon. He is such a classic Disney heartthrob, he has an incredible stage presence, and he is always looking for ways to make others in his life happy.
My main gripe with Austin is that, unlike the others on this list, he is actually famous. I would imagine that touring and things of that nature would take away from so much quality time that he could spend with his hypothetical girlfriend. We see this in his relationship with Ally, as the two struggle to spend even an hour together at a time because their schedules are so different. While this is not his fault, I need my man to be committed and have plenty of time on his hands to spend with me. So while Austin Moon will always hold a special place in my heart, he cannot be number one for this reason.
1. Tony Chiccolini (Jessie)
My top choice may be very unexpected for many of you, given that when talking about Disney Channel men, Tony often gets left out. This may be due to the fact that he isn’t really a main character, and he very easily flies under the radar. But I’ve taken a look back at Tony and have come to the conclusion that he is the ultimate boyfriend, at least according to my standards. He is kind, sweet, funny, and just an overall wonderful person to be around. He’s also not afraid to shoot his shot and let a girl know how he really feels.
One of my favorite standout moments of his is when Jessie is about to go on a date with a guy named Brody, who the kids love because he’s rich and rides a motorcycle. When they find out that Brody actually has a girlfriend, they learn what a scumbag he really is, and Tony goes off on him, telling him that he doesn’t deserve a girl like Jessie, defending her honor like a true gentleman should. He may not be rich, but he has a big heart, and Tony really exemplifies how a lack of material possessions doesn’t define your worth as a person; it’s how you treat those around you. And that’s why I think he would be the perfect boyfriend.
Conclusion
Overall, the Disney Channel men I picked have great qualities that are similar and different from one another, which made this ranking very fun and very difficult. I think what it mainly came down to was not only how much time they’d be willing to commit to a relationship, but how they treat the other women in their lives. This is, in my opinion, a good criterion to look to for real-life relationships, even in this silly context.