McDonald’s happy meal toys have been a beloved part of many childhoods for over 40 years. These fun, collectible toys have turned millions of kids into excited little McDonald’s customers.
The McDonald’s Happy Meal toy phenomenon truly took off in 1979 when the company partnered with Star Wars to include themed toys based on the popular movie. This crossed over two iconic brands and has been a winning strategy for McDonald’s over the decades.
Offering toys based on hit entertainment franchises like Disney has allowed McDonald’s Happy Meals to evolve into a pop culture icon. Read on to learn more about the history and nostalgia around these iconic fast food freebies.
Key Takeaways
- McDonald’s first offered toys in Happy Meals in 1979, partnering with Star Wars
- New toys roll out approximately monthly to keep offerings fresh
- Some of the most iconic toy giveaways over the years include Beanie Babies, Hot Wheels, Tamagotchis, and retro Nintendo games
- People actively collect and trade Happy Meal toys on sites like eBay
- Combining cheap toys with fast food tapped perfectly into childhood nostalgia and consumerism
- The current Happy Meal toy promotion features a 50th Anniversary Walt Disney World collection
When Did McDonald’s Start Offering Toys in Happy Meals?
McDonald’s first began including a small gift along with its Happy Meals in 1979, partnering with the blockbuster film Star Wars to offer themed toys like standees featuring characters from the iconic movie.
This promotion was a huge success and kicked off McDonald’s still going trend of offering fun freebies alongside its popular kids meal bundles.
Offering exciting new toys based on top brands has been a winning strategy for McDonald’s in getting kids hyped up to visit the Golden Arches.
The fast food giant will often run movie and television show themed promotions timed along with major releases, helping build buzz around properties from Disney, Nintendo, and more.
How Frequently Do the Toys Change?
While that initial 1979 Star Wars Happy Meal toy series lasted several weeks, McDonald’s soon began rotating new toy series into Happy Meals much more frequently.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, new Happy Meal toys would generally arrive approximately monthly, always keeping the offerings fresh for kids.
Sometimes major events like the Olympics would get longer Happy Meal toy runs spanning a couple of months. Today the toys still change approximately monthly, providing a constant parade of new free collectible toys to tempt children and their parents into stopping by McDonald’s.
That first visit each month often turns into multiple return trips as kids look to collect full sets of the latest Happy Meal toy lineup.
What Are Some of the Most Iconic and Popular Happy Meal Toys?
There have been so many fun, colorful plastic toys offered in Happy Meals over the decades that it can be hard to narrow down the most iconic. But a few specific toy series stand out for driving huge excitement.
In 1996, McDonald’s launched a Happy Meal toy mini craze by offering tiny Beanie Baby plush toys based on its food items like Ham burgers and fries. Parents and children alike became obsessed with collecting the tiny plush toys, with some rare designs still commanding high resale values today.
Convertible Hot Wheels cars that could transform into robots became one of the most popular Happy Meal toys ever when introduced in 1993.Over 300 million of those toys were produced, showing just how popular they were.
On the more high tech front, Tamagotchis and Furbys that could interact when fed special codes found inside Happy Meal boxes highlighted the late 90s offerings.
Showing that nostalgia comes full circle, one of the hottest Happy Meal toy series in recent years came in 2015 when Nintendo launched miniature retro Nintendo game systems that played simple built-in games.
Kids loved the colorful mini NES and Game Boy keychain toys.
How Do People Collect and Trade These Toys?
Beyond just playing with the toys, one of the big draws around McDonald’s Happy Meal freebies has always been comparing them with friends and trying to amass full sets by collecting or trading.
Classrooms would always see trades going on as kids dealt duplicate toys in hopes of gathering that one last elusive toy to complete their collection.
Website like eBay have now given Happy Meal toy aficionados a global platform for buying, selling, and trading rare and limited edition finds. Completed sets of hard to find toys can sell for surprisingly high amounts.
Even individual rare toys like a first edition Beanie Baby Happy Meal toy might fetch over $100.
For collectors looking to trade rather than buy, there are Facebook Groups and Reddit threads dedicated to connecting folks with extra Happy Meal toys burning holes in their pockets.
A vibrant secondary market lives on thanks to nostalgia and the fun designs of these cheap plastic toys.
Why Are McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys Such an Iconic Part of Pop Culture?
On the surface, giving away cheap plastic toys in kids meals doesn’t seem an obvious strategy for building one of the world’s most powerful brands. But the combination of food and toys tapped perfectly into childhood consumerism, while allowing generations to fondly look back on McDonald’s as a memorable part of growing up.
Getting a new McDonald’s Happy Meal toy felt fun and special thanks to the frequent rotation and popular entertainment properties they featured. Unboxing your kid’s meal to discover which toy lay inside brought excitement.
Comparing your find with friends encouraged bonding while also building peer pressure to keep collecting.
Basically McDonald’s created viral marketing decades before the internet. The whole experience, bothas a kid begging your parents to go and now as an adult fondly remembering your favorite Happy Meal toys breeds brand nostalgia and loyalty.
And it has succeeded by making McDonald’s Happy Meal toys one of the most iconic parts of pop culture.
What Toy Series Are Available in Happy Meals Currently?
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort, McDonald’s began featuring special 50th anniversary Disney Happy Meal toys on October 1st, 2022. This exciting lineup pays tribute to classic Disney characters including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck.
The individually wrapped Disney toys feature a retro design. Options include a Mickey Mouse zipper pull, Minnie Mouse figurine, Donald Duck flying disc, and old-school Goofy on a push scooter.
There are also special 50th anniversary Disney Happy Meal boxes with gold commemorative logos and graphics.
This nostalgic lineup aims to excite both older Disney fans through that retro design while introducing new generations of kids to these iconic cartoon characters.
It should spark happy memories for parents as well as create new ones for kids discovering the magic of Disney for the first time.
When Will the Next Happy Meal Toy Series Begin?
McDonald’s has not yet announced what toy series it plans to roll out after the current 50th Anniversary Walt Disney World lineup expires. Historically the fast food chain tends to tease upcoming Happy Meal toys about a month ahead of each new promotion launch.
To make sure you don’t miss any news and announcements about upcoming Happy Meal toys, be sure to subscribe to McDonald’s email newsletter updates through the McDonald’s app or website.
You can also follow fan news sites tracking the latest rumors about which iconic entertainment franchises may partner next with McDonald’s for must-have new kids meal toys.
Stay tuned for exclusive reveals of 2023’s first new Happy Meal toy lineup!
Where Can I Find Out What Toys Are Coming Up?
Wondering what exciting Happy Meal toys are headed to McDonald’s next? Here are some top ways to stay on top of the latest toy news:
- Check the McDonald’s website and sign up for email updates – They often share images or news of upcoming Happy Meal toy series a month or so in advance.
- Follow McDonald’s on social media – Photos of new toys sometimes get teased ahead of the official announcement.
- McDonald’s Fan Sites like McNuggetFanPage.com do great reporting on rumors and leaks around future Happy Meal toy launches.
- Subreddits like r/ McDonalds also sometimes have insider early news as employees spot marketing images for toys arriving soon.
Using the above sources you can often find out about upcoming Happy Meal toys weeks before they officially launch nationwide. It’s a great way to start building excitement and gives kids longer to pine for that next elusive freebie!
Do McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys Increase Sales?
McDonald’s has enjoyed an over 40 year run of success with Happy Meal toys for a good reason – they work magic when it comes to boosting visits and purchases.
Offering frequently changing toy series gives kids (and persuasive kids at that!)a compelling reason to beg parents for yet another trip to McDonald’s.
Limited time food deals combined with hot toy releases also increase social media buzz and word of mouth. A parent taking their child to score that toy they just have to have is likely going to need a meal too after all. Even parents might succumb to curiosity over what the new toy mania is all about.
Ultimately the special promo toys help attract new visitors, incentivize higher frequency visits from regulars, and encourage bigger overall orders.
It’s been a winning formula that has helped make Happy Meals with toys one of the most successful fast food offerings ever!
Well over one billion toys get distributed globally each year thanks to Happy Meals, highlight the massive appeal. No wonder McDonald’s keeps expanding the toy program with exciting new partners and iconic giveaways!
FAQs
When Will the Next Happy Meal Toy Series Begin?
McDonald’s hasn’t yet announced the toy lineup after the Disney 50th series. Be sure to subscribe for updates!
Where Can I Find Out What Toys Are Coming Up?
McDonald’s sometimes shares future promotions on their website and through email newsletters you can sign up for. There are also fan sites tracking upcoming Happy Meal toy releases.
Do McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys Increase Sales?
Yes! Offering engaging toys frequently refreshes interest and brings in more children hoping to score the latest toy.
Conclusion
McDonald’s Happy Meal toys have been a beloved part of many childhoods for over 40 years. These fun, collectible toys have turned millions of kids into excited little McDonald’s customers.
So for over 40 years kids have been thrilled to unwrap new McDonald’s Happy Meal toys. And with major entertainment companies continuously looking to partner with the iconic brand, exciting new freebies will keep coming.
Hopefully this trip down memory lane also sparked some nostalgia for your own favorite McDonald’s toys through the years!
