Over the years, McDonald’s has come up with some pretty special Happy Meal toys—some of the best have been the Hot Wheels, Barbie or Beanie Baby prizes. They even had tiny little Build-a-Bear toys at one time! Basically, whatever is most popular with kids tends to get miniaturized and put in a Happy Meal. It’s always exciting to see what McDonald’s will come up with next. Each new release of Happy Meal toys is available for a limited time. However, once the supply runs out you may still be able to find missed favorites on eBay. Typically, each Happy Meal toy launch lasts for about one month. Throughout the month, a different toy in that particular theme will be given out. So, you have the entire month to try and collect the whole set. And if you’re feeling a little nostalgic (and maybe a little envious?) about McDonald’s Happy Meals, you’ll be extra happy to know they are releasing a brand new adult Happy Meal collaboration as the “Cactus Plant Flea Market Box” with four figurine options starting Oct. 3. We’re ready to line up!
How Did McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys Get Their Start?
It may seem like Happy Meals have been around since the time Mcdonald’s first went into business back in 1940, but that’s not the case. The Happy Meal wasn’t introduced until 1979, almost 40 years later! The first Happy Meal had a circus theme on its box and included fries, cookies, a soft drink and a toy (not much nutrition there!). At that time, the toys were little stencils, bracelets, erasers, wrist wallets, spinning tops and puzzles. Through the years, the Happy Meal has had a wide assortment of themes, but one thing that hasn’t changed is how popular they have been with kids. And the toys that come in the Happy Meals have grown progressively more sophisticated to go along with the times. They have even incorporated technology to allow the toys to work with an app for more play options!
What Is the McDonald’s Collectors Club?
Like anything that has a limited supply, people like to search, find and collect vintage items that are hard to find. McDonald’s Happy Meal toys are no exception. Once they are no longer available, people start to look for them on eBay or in antique stores. Because of all of the interest, there are now various collectors clubs. The official club is on eBay where you can list or purchase Happy Meal toys. And there are other ones on Facebook where you can show off your collections. Some of the McDonald’s toys—like the mini beanie babies—are more popular to collect than others, and see a high increase in value. With more and more popular brands and movies teaming up with McDonald’s, it is expected that there will be even more valuable reasons to collect.
Disney Happy Meal Toys September 2022
Starting on Sept. 20 and running through Oct. 17, 2022, Disney Pixar’s Cars On The Road cars will be the Happy Meal toys you can expect. When Disney teams up with McDonald’s, it’s always a good thing! This time, Disney Pixar is featuring their all-new original series, Cars On The Road. The episodes feature the two main characters, Lightning McQueen and Mater, who go on a cross-country road trip to meet up with Mater’s sister. This series is full of adventure with plenty of roadside attractions to keep things interesting.
Disney Pixar’s Cars in McDonald’s Happy Meals
Fans of Disney Pixar’s, Cars On The Road, are going to love these fun little cars that pull back to zoom forward. The cars that are featured in the Happy Meals include Lighting McQueen in three different versions, Mater in three versions as well, Cruz Ramirez from Cars 3 and Ivy the monster truck. What’s extra fun about these cars is that they come with stickers for decorating! So, not only do you get a toy in your Happy Meal, but an activity, too. There are even online activities at HappyMeal.com as well!
McDonald’s Happy Meal App
As if that’s not enough, you can also download a McDonald’s Happy Meal App which has lots of games and activities that kids can take part in. What’s more, it has toy scanning built in where you scan the Happy Meal toy to unlock additional surprise content. Next up, 125 fun things to do with kids!
