McDonald's History: Best Happy Meal Toys of All Time

You are hard-pressed to find anyone who was born in the 70s to early 2000s who doesn’t have fond memories of going to McDonald’s. Those golden arches are associated with not just tasty nuggets, piping hot fries, and Shamrock Shakes, but also smiles and nostalgic feels.

At their prime, Mickey D’s was all about the kids. The playplace, Ronald McDonald, the bright colors, and of course Happy Meals, were all meant to have any 5 to 11-year-old saying: “I’m lovin’ it.”

The days of that McDonald’s are long gone (one trip to the newly renovated restaurants with digital screens prove that much). But let’s take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of the best Happy Meal toys and kid-friendly merch that put the fast food place on the map!

Most kids, no matter how poor or rich their parents were, could afford a Happy Meal from time to time. McDonald’s felt like a place specifically for kids. Unfortunately for our diets, it felt like another home sometimes.
Holden McNeely, host of Wizard and the Bruiser podcast

Watch this video to see the best Happy Meal toys of all time!

Timeline of McDonald’s Toys & Merchandise

McDonald’s was one of the biggest brands in the world by the 1960s. Here’s a timeline of how the fast food company got started and just when Happy Meal toys came into the picture.

The Beginning

1940

The very first McDonald’s opened in San Bernardino, California. It was called “McDonald’s Famous Barbecue,” before the name was shortened to “McDonald’s” 8 years later. Burgers cost only 15 cents!

1954

An ambitious salesman named Ray Kroc encouraged the McDonald brothers to start opening more restaurants. This led to franchises, and eventually, the partnerships that would be essential for the future of Happy Meal toys.

1963

Everyone’s favorite clown became the face of McDonald’s. At first Ronald McDonald looked like a creepy horror movie villain and wore a cup on his nose. Later on, he got a much-needed makeover and the Hamburglar, Grimace, Mayor McCheese, and Birdie joined the “Snack Pack.”

1969

McDonald’s was doing reusable straws before they were cool! Take a look at the Sippy Dipper Straws, which were shaped like the iconic arches. 33 million of these straws came with drinks the first year alone, which was huge for getting people familiar with the McDonald’s brand.

The 1970s

1970

Even before the Happy Meal, McDonald’s still sold little toys at select locations. These toys were modeled after their famous brand mascots. This vintage Ronald McDonald doll was very popular with customers.

1977

McDonald’s released kitchenware referred to as the “McDonald’s Action Series.” You could pay just 49 cents for a reusable souvenir glass, or spend about $1 for fun plates with the characters printed on the front. This kitchenware continued to be sold at select restaurants throughout the 90s.

1979

The Happy Meal was born! The box had a circus theme and came with fries, cookies, a soft drink, and a toy. The toys were “McDoodler” stencils, “McWrist” wallets, small bracelets, puzzles, erasers, or spinning tops.

1979

In December, McDonald’s partnered with Star Trek: The Motion Picture to offer themed Happy Meals and toys from the movie. It was the first time the fast food chain helped promote a TV show, video game, or movie, and they haven’t gone back since.

The 1980s

1982

McDonald’s ran into legal trouble when 10 million Playmobil Happy Meal toys were recalled since they were a choking hazard to kids under 3-years-old. Customers were given a box of cookies, an ice cream cone, or a refund in exchange.

1983

McDonald’s and Mattel formed one of the best brand partnerships of all time. Happy Meals came with either a Hot Wheels car or Barbie, depending on if you requested a “boy” or “girl” toy. In this gender-neutral world, that language is no longer used.

1984

Who ya gonna call? These days, it’s probably DoorDash or GrubHub to orders McDonald’s. Back in 1984, however, it was all about the Ghostbusters. Toys from the original movie came out in June.

1985

My Little Pony were popular 80s toys, so McDonald’s just had to saddle up and offer them in the Happy Meals. These bright ponies were such a hit, they came back again and again throughout the 90s and 2000s.

1986

McDonald’s offered books in lieu of traditional Happy Meal toys. The series was titled “An American Tail” and included four stories that followed the adventures of a little pipsqueak mouse.

1986

Things got a little spooky when McDonald’s used Halloween pails instead of their traditional Happy Meal boxes. These pails were known as “Boo Buckets” and each one had a name: McBoo, McPunk’n, and McGoblin. In October 2022, McDonald’s brought these back at select locations in Canada.

1987

McDonald’s got in on the Transformers hype with McRobots. These toys were mini Bic Macs, fries, McNuggets, milkshakes, Egg McMuffins, and Quarter Pounders that transformed into tiny robots.

1987

The same year Mickey D’s was changing the game with McRobots, they also came out with these insanely adorable Muppet Babies toys. These vintage collectibles are well-remembered and loved by fans.

1987 – 1991

McDonald’s hit the jackpot by teaming up with Disney for toys inspired by their movies. The toys that came out in these years included The Brave Little Toaster, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, 101 Dalmatians, The Rescuers Down Under, and many more.

1988

Chicken McNuggets were added to the menu in 1983, and the fast food chain wanted to sell as many as possible. A good way to get on people’s radar was with little nugget toys wearing cool hats, also known as Nugget Buddies.

The 1990s

1990

A group of 18 adults in Ohio started the McDonald’s Collectors Club. This club is for all those kids-at-heart who still love the toys and collectibles that made the fast food restaurant famous.

1990

Kids could go home with 1 of 4 collectible Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle drink cups. These came for free with Happy Meals, replacing the traditional to-go cups. They’re now selling for about $25 on eBay.

1991

United Airlines offered Happy Meals (minus the fries because they didn’t reheat well) on some of their flights from 1991 until 2001. At first, the Happy Meals were only available on trips going to Disney World, but eventually expanded to any flight nationwide.

1991

Lo and behold – Dino Changeables! These fun toys changed from dinosaur to Happy Meal box in the blink of an eye and were huge fan favorites. If only McDonald’s had dinosaur-shaped nuggets, then we’d really be in business!

1992

Da na na na na….toys from Batman Returns! In 1992, you could get your hands on a ton of cool merch inspired by the Caped Crusader, including Batman and Batgirl action figures, as well as cars driven by Batman, Robin, Catwoman, the Penguin, or Poison Ivy.

1993

In a unique moment, McDonald’s helped promote a holiday rather than a show, movie, or video game. You could collect Earth Day Happy Meal toys, including a bird feeder, binoculars, shovel, and terrarium.

1994

All aboard! From the beginning to the end of June, McDonald’s gave out one piece of the “Happy Birthday” train in each Happy Meal box. Ronald McDonald drove in a Happy Meal shaped conductor’s train with 9 other pieces following including the Bernstein Bears and E.T.

1995

McDonald’s started 1995 on a superheroic note with Spider-Man toys in January. In June, it was all about these limited edition glasses for the release of Batman Forever. The following year, the superhero streak was still going strong with a whole series of Marvel toys.

1995

Halloween was a fun, exciting time for McDonald’s. They could try new marketing ideas and get creative with their campaigns. Take for instance the spooky sounds cassette tapes that came with Happy Meals in 1995. There were 4 cassettes and 4 toys of the Ronald McDonaldland characters dressed up in Halloween costumes.

1996

The Michael Jordan/Bugs Bunny film Space Jam was a huge hit at the box office, pulling in $230.4 million. This led to some cool Happy Meal toys that fit together like a puzzle. The movie and these toys have since gone on to become cult classics and favorites among the millennial crowd.

1997

Let’s call this the year of Disney! From March to December, Happy Meals came with toys from movies like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, and 101 Dalmatians. The same year, McDonald’s also sold exclusive Disney plates for $1.99 each.

1998 – 1999

The Happy Meals in the late 90s were all that and a bag of chips with rad toys like Tamagotchi’s, Hot Wheels, Barbies, LEGOs, Doug action figures, and most notably, the iconic TY Teenie Beanie Babies, which were available until 2004 and then made a comeback in 2009.

1999

The 90s wouldn’t be complete without the Furby! Over 40 million Furbies were sold in the first 3 years of production, and they were still huge when mini and keychain versions made an appearance in Happy Meals in 1999.

The 2000s

2000

Hot Wheels, Barbies, and Beanie Babies were still some of the most famous Happy Meal toys in the new millennium. Kids could also do cool tricks on fingerboards – mini skateboards that you’d absolutely recognize if you wore Jenko Jeans, gelled your hair, and rocked a silver chainlink necklace!

2003

Kids were moving away from playing with toys to picking up video games. This led to Sega handhelds with every Happy Meal purchase. You could use these devices to play retro mini games inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Monkey Ball.

2004

The “Adult Happy Meal” was a way to appeal to the grown-ups instead of the kids. The meal included a salad, bottle of Dasani water, small pedometer, and 15-minute fitness DVD related to yoga, core, cardio, or strength training.

2006

Build-a-Bear opened its doors in 1997 and continued to grow well into the 2000s. For a limited time in May and June 2006, you could get these little teddies in your Happy Meals.

2007 – 2009

The Happy Meal toys from this time were inspired by American Idol, Cartoon Network shows, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Some restaurants even gave out Kidz Bop CDs.

The 2010s

2010

Get your passport ready and travel to McDonald’s in New Zealand. Rather than plastic Happy Meal toys, select restaurants offered books by famous children’s author Roald Dahl. You could read Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory while eating your McNuggets and fries. Pure bliss.

2011

The Happy Meal was getting a lot of heat for contributing to childhood obesity. McDonald’s changed it up by offering apple slices, smaller bags of fries, and a carton of 1% milk.

2012

Everyone’s favorite sponge was part of Happy Meal toys. This series of toys was designed to promote the 2012 London Summer Olympics. SpongeBob and his friends engaged in sports like basketball, skateboarding, and of course, ka-ra-tay!

2013

Happy Meals started to include QR codes that parents could scan with their smartphones. There was a ton of cool content available at HappyMeal.com, including games, downloadable e-books, and coloring sheets.

2014

Hamburger University is a place for McDonald’s hopefuls to go learn what it takes to manage a restaurant. The school offers a bookstore with a bunch of cool swag printed with the “HU” logo, proof that you don’t have to buy a Happy Meal to get awesome Mickey D’s merch!

2016

Emojis were all the rage, so McDonald’s got in on the hype with these tiny plushies. Kids could also download the McPlay App and scan the emoji with a smartphone for even more fun. These toys show just how far Happy Meals have come in this digital world.

2018

As part of a delivery campaign, McDonald’s started offering cool merchandise with every order made on Uber Eats. A lucky handful of people would get fun swag like branded PopSockets and fuzzy socks.

2019

To celebrate the Happy Meal’s 40th anniversary, McDonald’s brought back some retro fan favorite toys like Furbies, Nugget Buddies, Power Rangers, My Little Ponies, and classic Disney toys.

2019

Attention fans of super-sized proportions! You can get the coolest swag year-round online at “Golden Arches Unlimited.” This online store has awesome merch like beanie hats, pins, t-shirts, and ultra cool burger-shaped umbrellas.

2020

McDonald’s joined other fast food brands, like Taco Bell and KFC, to offer truly original promotional merch. These limited edition candles, which are scented like ketchup, pickles, cheese, and other Quarter Pounder ingredients, sold out insanely fast.

2020

McDonald’s did their part during the COVID-19 pandemic with “Thank You Meals,” which were offered for free to first responders. They were served in traditional Happy Meal boxes with a “thank you” note instead of a toy. The marketing also tugged at your heartstrings featuring real pictures of first responders as they dined at McDonald’s as kids.

When Did Ronald McDonald Come Out?

Ronald McDonald first showed up in a commercial in 1963. He quickly became popular after appearing in countless ads, billboards, and of course, the toys and kitchenware that McDonald’s used to promote their food.

Action figures School supplies Lunch box Glasses Stuffed animal Video game Sunglasses Slippers Telephone

Ronald mania took hold between the 70s and early 2000s. The clown mascot, and his lovable tribe of friends, appeared literally everywhere – video games, movies, clothing, Halloween costumes, school supplies, home goods, lunch boxes, action figures, drinking glasses, plates… the list goes on and on.

The love for this merchandise proved that McDonald’s had a following. It also paved the way for a future of Happy Meal toys that delight kids and collectors to this very day!

Did you know?

The idea of Ronald McDonald came from Bozo the Clown. McDonald’s commercials aired during the show, and ad execs were inspired to create a clown of their own to appeal to the kids.

When Did the Happy Meal Come Out?

The original circus-themed Happy Meals came out in 1979. The toys inside were wallets, stencils, erasers, and other small trinkets printed with the McDonald’s logo. Children’s book illustrators were hired to make the boxes look like retro lunch pails.

By the end of the year, McDonald’s partnered with huge companies for themed Happy Meal toys. The prize inside were inspired by toys, shows, movies, and games released by:

20^th Century Fox
Disney
Nintendo
Sega
Nickelodeon
Cartoon Network
Warner Bros.
Mattel

These partnerships made Happy Meal toys something special, boosting sales for the restaurants and creating even more interest in the movies, shows, games, and other products that were featured. Talk about genius marketing!

Sometimes people do not have time to cook. For them, a quick meal may be a short drive away. They look for McDonald’s Golden Arches.
Sara Green, author of Brands We Know: McDonald’s

Fun Statistics About McDonald’s & Happy Meal Toys

There’s a reason McDonald’s is one of the most iconic and well-known brands of all time. They’ve built a company on smiles – whether it’s in their slogans, indoor playgrounds, or Happy Meal toys.

Take a look at the numbers!

You’ll find 37,855 McDonald’s in 120 countries and territories around the world.

In 1973, 96% of American kids were more familiar with Ronald McDonald’s name than the name of the president.

The early Hot Wheels toys were so popular, McDonald’s purchased just over 33% of Mattel’s worldwide production.

100 million TY Teenie Baby Babies toys were sold when they first came out in 1997.

A little over 50% of the U.S. population lives within a three-minute drive to a McDonald’s.

The world’s largest collection of McDonald’s toys belongs to a 60-year-old man in Pennsylvania. He has over 75,000 toys and other branded items in his collection.

McDonald’s gives out 1.5 billion toys in their Happy Meals every year.

The influential partnership between Disney and McDonald’s lasted for 10 years, starting in 1996 and ending in 2006.

Happy Meals have been a huge draw for families to come to the restaurant for over 40 years. It’ll be exciting to see what the future has in store!

How is McDonald’s Using Branded Merchandise Today?

The kid-friendly McDonald’s of yesteryear is long gone, and the brand is now gearing up to offer branded merchandise to a whole new generation of adults that dined at their restaurants as kids!

Need proof? Feast your eyes on this wall of merch at the solar-powered McDonalds on Clark Street in Chicago, IL.

Select locations like this one are selling all kinds of McDonald’s gear and swag right in the restaurant, from shirts and hats to socks and bags. Ronald McDonald may have retired, but the branding is still going strong!

Not only that, but McDonald’s also revealed the “Quarter Pounder Fan Club” in 2020. You can get all sorts of promotional merch like calendars, stickers, pins, t-shirts, heart lockets, and of course, burger-scented candles.

Basically, McDonald’s merchandise is now all grown up. It’s a far cry from the Happy Meals toys of the past, but this is all in the name of the restaurant going in a healthier, more forward-thinking direction.

Few things are more iconic in American kid culture than the garishly decorated McDonald’s Happy Meal box. Who among us can’t remember whining to their parents for a cheeseburger when all we really wanted was the latest Barbie figurine, Hot Wheels car, or cheap movie tie-in tchotchke?
Kayla Webley, writer for Time Magazine

Final Thoughts

You probably look back at trips to McDonald’s with fond feelings. They really held true to their original slogan and loved to see you smile.

The good news is the fast food restaurant is still going strong and is doing everything in their power to reach a new generation of burger lovers and nugget enthusiasts everywhere. Go ahead and hit up the drive-thru to get a Happy Meal for old time’s sake!

References

Maynard, M. (2018, November 16). McDonald’s Makes More Happy Meal Changes, Bringing it Closer to a Healthy Meal. Retrieved from,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2018/11/16/mcdonalds-makes-more-happy-meal-changes-bringing-it-closer-to-a-healthy-meal/#5e1e174a14b7

Semple, S. (2020, February 25). McDonald’s New ‘Quarter Pounder Fan Club’ is All About the Branded Merchandise. Retrieved from,
https://www.promomarkit.com/article/mcdonalds-new-quarter-pounder-fan-club-branded-merchandise/

Graham, M. (2020, February 21). Why McDonald’s is Putting Out a Beef-Scented Candle. Retrieved from,
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/21/mcdonalds-candles-smell-like-beef-onion-pickle-and-ketchup-heres-why-its-brilliant.html

Fandom. McDonald’s Happy Meal (USA)/List of Toys. Retrieved from,
https://kidsmeal.fandom.com/wiki/McDonald%27s_Happy_Meal_(USA)/List_of_toys

Jacinto, L. (2006, January 7). McDonald’s Makes a Not-So-Happy Meal Toy Recall. Retrieved from,
https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=93922&page=1

Rosenberg, J. (2019, July 3). Pac-Man. Retrieved from,
https://www.thoughtco.com/pac-man-game-1779412

Walters, N. (2015, October 24). McDonald’s Hamburger University Can Be Harder to Get Into than Harvard and is Even Cooler Than You’d Imagine. Retrieved from,
https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-hamburger-university-2333

Choi, C. (2014, March 27). Here’s the Bizarre History of Ronald McDonald, Starting With An Actor Who Was ‘Too Heavy.’ Retrieved from,
https://www.businessinsider.com/ronald-mcdonald-facts-2014-3

Jay, K. (2018, May 30). The Untold Truth of Ronald McDonald. Retrieved from,
https://www.mashed.com/124443/untold-truth-ronald-mcdonald/

Mashed. (2018, August 6). The Untold Truth of Ronald McDonald. Retrieved from,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WySwn67yEg

Webley, K. (2010, April 30). A Brief History of the Happy Meal. Retrieved from,
https://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1986073,00.html

Hunt, K. (2014, May 8). World’s Biggest McDonald’s Fan Has a Hoarding Problem, is Loving It. Retrieved from,
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/mike-fountaine-owns-worlds-largest-collection-of-mcdonalds-memorabilia

Click Americana. McDonald’s Friendly Skies Meals on United Airlines (1991 – 1993). Retrieved from,
https://clickamericana.com/topics/travel-tourism/mcdonalds-friendly-skies-meals-united-airlines-1991-1993

Sanchez, J. (1991, September 25). United to Take McDonald’s to New Heights. Retrieved from,
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-25-fi-2744-story.html

Valinsky, J. (2019, November 7). McDonald’s is Bringing Back Retro Happy Meal Toys. Retrieved from,
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/01/business/mcdonalds-happy-meal-toys-trnd/index.html

Ward, M. How the McDonald’s Happy Meal Has Changed Over the Years. Retrieved from,
https://www.rd.com/list/mcdonalds-happy-meal-changes/

Borrelli, C. (2019, July 5). Who Created the McDonald’s Happy Meal? 40 Years Later, the Answer is Complicated. Retrieved from,
https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-happy-meal-anniversary-0707-20190703-4c7xooiaubdlddo2qsbsuny3me-4c7xooiaubdlddo2qsbsuny3me-story.html

Everything 80s Podcast. (2019, January 14). The Crazy History of the Happy Meal. Retrieved from,
https://www.everything80spodcast.com/happy-meal/

McCarthy, A. (2016, February 23). The Past, Present, and Future of Happy Meal Toys. Retrieved from,
https://www.eater.com/2016/2/23/11093906/happy-meal-toys-mcdonalds

Tyko, K. (2019, October 31). McDonald’s Celebrates Happy Meal’s 40th Anniversary By Bringing Back Retro Toys. Retrieved from,
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2019/10/31/mcdonalds-surprise-happy-meal-retro-toys-return-nov-7-11/4113190002/

Reiter, A. McDonald’s is Swapping Out Happy Meal Toys for Books. Retrieved from,
https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/news/2019/02/mcdonald_s-is-swapping-out-happy-meal-toys-for-books

Fast Food Menu Prices. The Coolest McDonalds Happy Meal Toys in History. Retrieved from,
https://www.fastfoodmenuprices.com/coolest-mcdonalds-happy-meal-toys-history/

Corcoran, N. (2017, January 16). Fast Food’s Most Recognizable Kids Meal has a Long and Winding Story. Retrieved from,
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McDonald’s Newsroom. (2019, December 4). McDonald’s® Unveils New Online Merchandise Shop, “Golden Arches Unlimited,” Exclusively for Fans. Retrieved from,
https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/en-us/our-stories/article/ourstories.online-merch-shop.html

McDonald’s Newsroom. (2018, July 13). McDonald’s Releases Throwback ‘90s Theme Collection for McDelivery Day 2018. Retrieved from,
https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/en-us/our-stories/article/ourstories._90s_clothing.html

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Timeline of McDonald’s Toys & Merchandise

1940

1954

1963

1969

1970

1977

1979

1979

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1986

1987

1987

1987 – 1991

1988

1990

1990

1991

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1995

1996

1997

1998 – 1999

1999

2000

2003

2004

2006

2007 – 2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2016

2018

2019

2019

2020

2020

When Did Ronald McDonald Come Out?

When Did the Happy Meal Come Out?

Fun Statistics About McDonald’s & Happy Meal Toys

How is McDonald’s Using Branded Merchandise Today?

Final Thoughts

References

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