McDonald's releases nostalgic McDonaldland Meal with exclusive collectibles and new shake
The fast-food chain has announced the launch of the new 'McDonaldland Meal' — inspired by the 'mystical world' they first created way back in 1971.
McDonaldland is the fictional, fantastical world where the fast food franchise's characters reside, and it features Apple Pie Trees and Hamburger Patches.
For two decades, McDonaldland was featured in everything from games to movies, before it largely disappeared.
But now, the company has created the new McDonaldland Meal, which comes complete with a collectible and a limited-edition shake.
8 The McDonaldland Meal will be available starting Aug. 12.
8 'For the first time in more than 20 years, Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Birdie, Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese and the Fry Friends are officially taking the trip out of the group chat,' the press release said.
McDonald's USA
8 McDonaldland was first introduced in 1971.
McDonald's USA
8 McDonaldland is the brand's 'mystical world' where the timeless and legendary cast of characters live.
McDonald's USA
'For the first time in more than 20 years, Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Birdie, Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese and the Fry Friends are officially taking the trip out of the group chat,' the press release for the new meal proclaimed,
The McDonaldland Meal — available from next Tuesday Aug. 12 — comes with your choice of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, fries, a 'first-of-its-kind' collectible souvenir, and the brand-new Mt. McDonaldland Shake — an ode to one of the land's major landmarks.
The Mt. McDonaldland Shake 'offers a secret concoction as enchanting as the world itself' and is inspired by the blue lava and pink clouds of the mythical volcano.
Each meal comes with a tin of collectibles which includes postcards and stickers recognizing the McDonald's characters, 'because no trip is complete without a souvenir.' Fans can collect six exclusive collectibles.
8 The meal comes with your choice of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, fries, a 'first-of-its-kind' collectible souvenir, and the Mt. McDonaldland Shake.
McDonald's USA
8 The Mt. McDonaldland Shake 'offers a secret concoction as enchanting as the world itself' and is inspired by the blue lava and pink clouds of the mythical volcano.
McDonald's USA
'Over the past few years we've seen how fans flock to our characters, everyone from Grimace to the Hamburglar. But many, especially the new generation, don't know that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's an entire magical world of McDonaldland filled with characters, places and lore,' Jennifer 'JJ' Healan, McDonald's VP, U.S. Marketing, Brand, Content & Culture, said in a statement.
'And so, for the first time in decades we are taking fans on a trip to McDonaldland with an immersive experience that taps into the past to create the future. It's a chance for us to give fans a new, modern way to experience this magical world.'
8 McDonald's collaboration with PacSun features sweat sets and graphic tees 'as colorful as McDonaldland itself.'
McDonald's USA
8 The McDonald's collaboration with Away includes complimentary luggage tags and bag charms.
McDonald's USA
The company also announced limited-edition merch in collaboration with Pacsun and Away.
The Pacsun collaboration features sweat sets and graphic tees 'as colorful as McDonaldland itself,' available on Aug. 12. The Away collaboration includes complimentary luggage tags and bag charms with any purchase at Away retail locations from Aug. 18 onward, while supplies last.
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New York Post
14 hours ago
- New York Post
McDonald's nostalgic new Happy Meal comes with wacky, Grimace-inspired shake — and fans are confused: ‘Tastes as bad as it looks'
McDonald's is shaking things up. The fast-food chain launched the new 'McDonaldland Meal' — inspired by the 'mystical world' they first created way back in 1971 — on August 12, and with it came the brand new Mt. McDonaldland Shake. The limited-edition pink-and-blue Mt. McDonaldland Shake, an ode to the blue lava and pink clouds of the mythical volcano in Grimace's hometown, was only described as a 'secret concoction' of flavors. Advertisement Now, people are discovering what it actually tastes like. A spokesperson for McDonald's revealed some more information about its flavor profile to Today. 'The Mt. McDonaldland Shake features McDonald's signature soft serve and berry flavors and has a vibrant blue color with pink whipped cream — an ode to the 'lava' that erupts from Mt. McDonaldland and the clouds that sit at its peak,' they told the outlet. Advertisement One person on Reddit claimed that it's a 'mishmash of different fruit flavors, but it's supposed to be similar to raspberry. It's got pomegranate, pear, apple, elderberry, peach, blackberry and plum concentrates included.' According to Today's review of the shake, the whipped cream was 'very pink' but tasted like any normal whipped cream, and the shake itself reminded the reporter of the berry-flavored Grimace Shake with notes that tasted like Fruity Pebbles or Trix. 4 The limited-edition pink-and-blue Mt. McDonaldland Shake was only described as a 'secret concoction' of flavors. McDonald's USA 'Is this the purple blob's birthday shake in a new, blue outfit? Maybe!' they wrote. Advertisement Similar to the Today review, the person who drank the shake for Taste of Home said that 'McDonald's colorful new milkshake flavor is nostalgia in a cup for millennials.' 'In terms of an actual flavor profile, I've got to say this milkshake lives up to the surprisingly expansive lore,' they wrote. 4 The Mt. McDonaldland Shake is an ode to the blue lava and pink clouds of the mythical volcano in Grimace's hometown. McDonald's USA Taste of Home said that the taste profile 'immediately recalls the nostalgic, slightly unnatural blue raspberry flavor that was so ubiquitous in popular candy of the '90s and early aughts.' Advertisement 'I just tried the shake today and I LOVED it,' one Reddit user said. 'It was probably my favorite McDonald's shake I have ever had.' Tasting Table declared the Mt. McDonaldland Shake to have the 'ultimate comfort flavors.' 4 McDonald's launched the new 'McDonaldland Meal' — inspired by the 'mystical world' they first created way back in 1971 — on August 12. McDonald's USA Today noted that while the shake is fun and 'summer' and tastes like berries and cream, those who aren't into very sweet treats might not enjoy it. With 64 grams of sugar for a small drink, perhaps the sweetness isn't so surprising. 'The shake is very sweet — sickeningly sweet,' decried the Delaware News Journal. 'It's not a very appealing flavor and best avoided.' 'The Mt. McDonaldland Shake seems like the perfect shake for someone under the age of 21 (Note: My 11-year-old daughter loved it).' 4 The McDonaldland Meal comes with your choice of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, fries, a 'first-of-its-kind' collectible souvenir, and the Mt. McDonaldland Shake. McDonald's USA Advertisement Meanwhile, some people just straight up don't like it. 'It looks artificial and disgusting,' Parade wrote. 'It tastes as bad as it looks.' One alleged McDonald's employee shared on Reddit, 'No one who taste tested it at my restaurant finished it.' 'It is gross!' one user declared. 'The shake is awful, tastes like melted popsicle mixed with skim milk.' Advertisement The McDonaldland Meal comes with your choice of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, fries, a 'first-of-its-kind' collectible souvenir, and the Mt. McDonaldland Shake. Each meal comes with a tin of collectibles that includes postcards and stickers recognizing the McDonald's characters, 'because no trip is complete without a souvenir.' Fans can collect six exclusive collectibles.
Business Insider
a day ago
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How McDonald's big bet on Pokémon cards ended with 24 hours of grown men fighting, pigeons snapping up fries, and scalpers cashing in
McDonald's launched a Happy Meal with Pokmon trading cards in Japan, and all hell broke loose. Picture Happy Meals in bike baskets, grown men fighting, and pigeons feasting on fries. The collaboration showed the power of the red-hot collectibles industry. This week, the fast food chain hit the jackpot in Japan with the help of colorful trading cards emblazoned with Pikachu the lightning rat, the source of much millennial nostalgia. The fast food chain announced that from August 9 to 11, customers could snag an exclusive pack of Pokmon cards with every Happy Meal purchase. Each set was priced at roughly 500 yen, or $3.50, with a five-meal-per-person limit. But before the first day was over, McDonald's pulled the plug on the promotion. The deal hadmorphed into a chaotic sprint for superfans and scalpers alike. In a press release on August 11, McDonald's confirmed that the campaign had resulted in customers buying large quantities of the meals for resale, which led to congestion in stores and food waste. "McDonald's does not tolerate the purchase of Happy Meals for the purpose of resale, or the abandonment or disposal of food," the release said, adding that it would impose stricter purchase limits in the future. McDonald's did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. From meltdowns to pigeons on fries Soon after the promo launched on August 9, social media feeds were filled with surreal scenes: bags of Happy Meals abandoned in stores, piled outside outlets, or stuffed into bike baskets. Buyers were snapping up multiple Happy Meals for the exclusive cards, often ditching the food. # # #? # # — 11 (@SkE3eyFOzdSnwME) August 10, 2025 Kiko Ochoa-Beovides and Madison Hodges told Business Insider they snapped up around 20 Happy Meals to collect the toy sets and Pokmon cards. They hadn't expected to find any. On Sunday, the pair stopped by a McDonald's on the Yokosuka Fleet base, on the outskirts of Tokyo, and were surprised to find cards in stock. "We called everywhere and they were completely sold out," said Ochoa-Beovides, 22, an American who moved to Yokosuka in May. Hodges, 21, who moved to Japan last August, added: "As soon as they told us they had them in stock, we went right over." They bought 15 meals on their first trip, then returned two hours later for another 10. They ended up with so much food that they drove around handing out free Happy Meals to make sure nothing went to waste. They told Business Insider that the restaurant let them place unlimited orders. Others weren't as charitable. A video posted on Saturday — the first day of the promo — showed two people dumping multiple bags of Happy Meals straight into the trash. # # — (@APEXsaikooou39) August 9, 2025 Some customers took to social media to gripe about snaking queues and hourlong waits. "There was a huge line, far surpassing the time of Chiikawa," X user "hinoko" wrote on X on Saturday, referring to McDonald's Japan's tie-in with the popular rabbit-like anime character. "I waited for nearly an hour, with people in line getting irritated," they wrote. In some cases, the frustration reached a boiling point. At one outlet in Japan, two men — one of them juggling armfuls of McDonald's bags — got into a heated argument. A video of the altercation, posted on Saturday, went viral on TikTok, racking up about 11 million views by Thursday. @satou19880303 15 # - - The chaos also spilled into the online hours, the Pokmon cards — and even the untouched meals — were listed on resale sites for as much as 2,000 yen, nearly four times the original price. On Thursday, Business Insider saw dozens of Pokmon card listings on Mercari, Japan's largest online resale marketplace, with some priced as high as 3,000 yen. 100 # # # — 3 (@pooh_yan0131) August 8, 2025 The frenzy moved from human hands to pigeon beaks. A viral post on Sunday showed pigeons on the usually impeccable streets of Shibuya pecking at food scraps on the pavement next to crumpled McDonald's bags. "Early morning chaos in Shibuya. McDonald's burgers and fries were scattered on the streets, turning into a feast for pigeons," the post on X read. — Z (@iijNWqUQ7i41630) August 9, 2025 A home run collaboration Globally, McDonald's is no stranger to high-profile brand collaborations. Some promotions, like their BTS meals and Hello Kitty giveaways, have similarly resulted in massive crowds and a shortage of collectible items. In its most recent earnings call, CFO Ian Frederick Borden said McDonald's partnership with "A Minecraft Movie," which was held in more than 100 markets, had an "incredibly strong" response from consumers. Most of its Minecraft collectibles sold out ahead of the intended promotion window. Kieran Gibb, the founder of Monogic, a Hong Kong-based food and beverage marketing company, called the McDonald's Pokmon Happy Meal a "home run collaboration." He said it drew in customers of all ages, from children to nostalgic adult collectors. Frenzy is an effect that is "incredibly hard to achieve," said Gibb. "McDonald's has tapped into a brand with super fandom at a period in time where collectability is at its sheer peak," Gibb added. Pokmon has had generations of fans since its debut in the late 1990s, said Ryan Hoge, the president of Professional Sports Authenticator, atrading card grading company. "Now, those original fans are in their 30s and 40s, have disposable income, and are sharing their fandom with their children," Hoge said. "It's become a generational hobby and connection point." The promotion was launched shortly after McDonald's reported strong second-quarter results. Same-store sales in its international developmental licensed markets segment grew by more than 5.5%, led by Japan. Tapping into a booming collectible market Trading cards — and the collectibles industry at large — are red-hot now. Adam Goulston, Japan's strategic advisor for the Singapore-based public relations and marketing agency Ellerton & Co., told Business Insider that the real target of the Happy Meals trading cards was collectors and resellers, for whom the meals were a "very cheap way to acquire limited-edition inventory for resale." Buying and selling trading cards is made easy by platforms like Mercari in Japan and eBay outside Japan, Goulston said. The McDonald's Pikachu card will hold value because of collectors who chase specific characters, Hoge said Pikachu is arguably one of the most popular Pokmon card characters of all time. There's also a sprawling industry to hold up the resale value of these cards — and big money in it. Some Pokmon cards have been sold for millions. In 2022, the YouTuber Logan Paul clinched a Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokmon card sold in a private auction, having paid $5,275,000 for his PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card. Collectibles of all sorts are also flying off the shelves. A consumer group called "kidults" — who go all in on board games, figurines, and plush toys like Labubu — is fueling the growth of the toy sector. Madness might leave a 'sour taste' for McDonald's, brand experts say The Pokmon Happy Meal frenzy could still lead to trouble for McDonald's. The Japanese care about social etiquette and reducing food waste — and this isn't a good look. Gibb from Monogic said the chaos may have left "a sour taste" in the mouths of its Japanese consumer base. However, Guy Llewelyn, a professor at EHL Hospitality Business School in Singapore, said the collaboration was a net positive for McDonald's.
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
How McDonald's big bet on Pokémon cards ended with 24 hours of grown men fighting, pigeons snapping up fries, and scalpers cashing in
Not all McDonald's promotions are created equal. This week, the fast food chain hit the jackpot in Japan with the help of colorful trading cards emblazoned with Pikachu the lightning rat, the source of much millennial nostalgia. The fast food chain announced that from August 9 to 11, customers could snag an exclusive pack of Pokémon cards with every Happy Meal purchase. Each set was priced at roughly 500 yen, or $3.50, with a five-meal-per-person limit. But before the first day was over, McDonald's pulled the plug on the promotion. The deal had morphed into a chaotic sprint for superfans and scalpers alike. In a press release on August 11, McDonald's confirmed that the campaign had resulted in customers buying large quantities of the meals for resale, which led to congestion in stores and food waste. "McDonald's does not tolerate the purchase of Happy Meals for the purpose of resale, or the abandonment or disposal of food," the release said, adding that it would impose stricter purchase limits in the future. McDonald's did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. From meltdowns to pigeons on fries Soon after the promo launched on August 9, social media feeds were filled with surreal scenes: bags of Happy Meals abandoned in stores, piled outside outlets, or stuffed into bike baskets. Buyers were snapping up multiple Happy Meals for the exclusive cards, often ditching the food. #マクドナルド #日本マクドナルド #アンハッピーセット 商売繁盛おめでとうございます 廃棄されることが自明のセット作るの 店員の皆さまは楽しかったですか? #フードロス削減 だの ウソ発信しないでくださいね #マクドナルド不買運動 — チャーニー11 (@SkE3eyFOzdSnwME) August 10, 2025 Kiko Ochoa-Beovides and Madison Hodges told Business Insider they snapped up around 20 Happy Meals to collect the toy sets and Pokémon cards. They hadn't expected to find any. On Sunday, the pair stopped by a McDonald's on the Yokosuka Fleet base, on the outskirts of Tokyo, and were surprised to find cards in stock. "We called everywhere and they were completely sold out," said Ochoa-Beovides, 22, an American who moved to Yokosuka in May. Hodges, 21, who moved to Japan last August, added: "As soon as they told us they had them in stock, we went right over." They bought 15 meals on their first trip, then returned two hours later for another 10. They ended up with so much food that they drove around handing out free Happy Meals to make sure nothing went to waste. They told Business Insider that the restaurant let them place unlimited orders. Others weren't as charitable. A video posted on Saturday — the first day of the promo — showed two people dumping multiple bags of Happy Meals straight into the trash. #マクドナルド #ハッピーセット ハッピーセット転売したいんか知らんけど毎度のことやけど買い占めの度を超えてない？ほんでバーガーは捨てるってモラル欠如しすぎやろ、まじでどうにかして欲しいわ。もったいない😞 — みあき (@APEXsaikooou39) August 9, 2025 Some customers took to social media to gripe about snaking queues and hourlong waits. "There was a huge line, far surpassing the time of Chiikawa," X user "hinoko" wrote on X on Saturday, referring to McDonald's Japan's tie-in with the popular rabbit-like anime character. "I waited for nearly an hour, with people in line getting irritated," they wrote. In some cases, the frustration reached a boiling point. At one outlet in Japan, two men — one of them juggling armfuls of McDonald's bags — got into a heated argument. A video of the altercation, posted on Saturday, went viral on TikTok, racking up about 11 million views by Thursday. @satou19880303 マクドナルドでポケモンハッピーセット1人5セットなのに４０個買った人に注意してた人まぢ勇者 #バズれ ♬ オリジナル楽曲 - 三杯目ひかる⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 三杯目ひかる⭐️⭐️⭐️ The chaos also spilled into the online resale hours, the Pokémon cards — and even the untouched meals — were listed on resale sites for as much as 2,000 yen, nearly four times the original price. On Thursday, Business Insider saw dozens of Pokémon card listings on Mercari, Japan's largest online resale marketplace, with some priced as high as 3,000 yen. 朝マック買いに行ったらこれ。 店前にも100人以上並んでる。 あかんやろこれ。。。 ちなみに日本語は聞こえない。。。 #マクドナルド #ハッピーセット #ポケモンカード — プ〜やん🐷3連系ニキ🐷 (@pooh_yan0131) August 8, 2025 The frenzy moved from human hands to pigeon beaks. A viral post on Sunday showed pigeons on the usually impeccable streets of Shibuya pecking at food scraps on the pavement next to crumpled McDonald's bags. "Early morning chaos in Shibuya. McDonald's burgers and fries were scattered on the streets, turning into a feast for pigeons," the post on X read. 早朝の渋谷のカオス。 マクドナルドのバーガーやポテトが道にばら撒かれた結果、ハトの大宴会が開かれている模様。 買った食品は責任持って食べきっていただきたいし、ゴミは持ち帰っていただきたい。 — スミレンジャーZ（愛称スミレちゃん、元スラウザーです） (@iijNWqUQ7i41630) August 9, 2025 A home run collaboration Globally, McDonald's is no stranger to high-profile brand collaborations. Some promotions, like their BTS meals and Hello Kitty giveaways, have similarly resulted in massive crowds and a shortage of collectible items. In its most recent earnings call, CFO Ian Frederick Borden said McDonald's partnership with "A Minecraft Movie," which was held in more than 100 markets, had an "incredibly strong" response from consumers. Most of its Minecraft collectibles sold out ahead of the intended promotion window. Kieran Gibb, the founder of Monogic, a Hong Kong-based food and beverage marketing company, called the McDonald's Pokémon Happy Meal a "home run collaboration." He said it drew in customers of all ages, from children to nostalgic adult collectors. Frenzy is an effect that is "incredibly hard to achieve," said Gibb. "McDonald's has tapped into a brand with super fandom at a period in time where collectability is at its sheer peak," Gibb added. Pokémon has had generations of fans since its debut in the late 1990s, said Ryan Hoge, the president of Professional Sports Authenticator, a trading card grading company. "Now, those original fans are in their 30s and 40s, have disposable income, and are sharing their fandom with their children," Hoge said. "It's become a generational hobby and connection point." The promotion was launched shortly after McDonald's reported strong second-quarter results. Same-store sales in its international developmental licensed markets segment grew by more than 5.5%, led by Japan. Tapping into a booming collectible market Trading cards — and the collectibles industry at large — are red-hot now. Adam Goulston, Japan's strategic advisor for the Singapore-based public relations and marketing agency Ellerton & Co., told Business Insider that the real target of the Happy Meals trading cards was collectors and resellers, for whom the meals were a "very cheap way to acquire limited-edition inventory for resale." Buying and selling trading cards is made easy by platforms like Mercari in Japan and eBay outside Japan, Goulston said. The McDonald's Pikachu card will hold value because of collectors who chase specific characters, Hoge said. He said Pikachu is arguably one of the most popular Pokémon card characters of all time. There's also a sprawling industry to hold up the resale value of these cards — and big money in it. Some Pokémon cards have been sold for millions. In 2022, the YouTuber Logan Paul clinched a Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokémon card sold in a private auction, having paid $5,275,000 for his PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card. Collectibles of all sorts are also flying off the shelves. A consumer group called "kidults" — who go all in on board games, figurines, and plush toys like Labubu — is fueling the growth of the toy sector. Madness might leave a 'sour taste' for McDonald's, brand experts say The Pokémon Happy Meal frenzy could still lead to trouble for McDonald's. The Japanese care about social etiquette and reducing food waste — and this isn't a good look. Gibb from Monogic said the chaos may have left "a sour taste" in the mouths of its Japanese consumer base. However, Guy Llewelyn, a professor at EHL Hospitality Business School in Singapore, said the collaboration was a net positive for McDonald's. "The equity gained from the promotion will outweigh the short-lived surge of negative press on wasted food and long lines," Llewelyn said. "Customers see the collaboration as a short-lived, isolated event, and not a systemic failing of the brand."
