McDonald’s And Disney Reunite To Bring Disney Toys Back To Happy Meals Beginning With ‘The Incredibles 2’
The Walt Disney Company is always looking for new partnerships and it doesn’t hurt to reunite with one that it has worked with in the past. It was revealed on Tuesday that Disney has once again partnered with McDonald’s and will begin putting Disney-themed toys back into Happy Meals for kids. The multi-year “promotional alliance” will work well for both companies and it is going to officially begin this June with the release of Pixar’s The Incredibles 2.
It has been quite some time since the two major business powers had worked together. They partnered from 1996 to 2006 and that was when numerous Disney toys found their way into the homes of millions of kids who ordered Happy Meals.
As reported by the official website of McDonald’s, the start of Disney toys in Happy Meals will begin with the theatrical release of The Incredibles on June 15, 2018. After that, the next crop of Disney toys in Happy meals will be in the fall for the Nov. 21 release date of Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2.
CNBC reports that McDonald’s and Disney parted ways in 2006 due to childhood obesity rates being at an all-time high. There were major concerns as to the health of children and the food they were being served by fast-food restaurants.
We’re thrilled to announce a multi-year alliance w/ @waltdisneyco! More details here: https://t.co/ytVeviZO6R pic.twitter.com/HGAR3JMLxo
— McDonald’s (@McDonalds) February 27, 2018
Just a couple of weeks ago, McDonald’s revealed plans to change up its Happy Meal selections and make them much healthier. Selections with lower calories, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium were going to become options and Happy Meals were going to be better for the children eating them.
During their previous partnership, Disney didn’t just find their way into McDonald’s Happy Meals with their toys. McDonald’s actually found its way into Disney Parks as items, especially french fries, were offered at numerous locations around Walt Disney World.
A full-service 24-hour McDonald’s restaurant still sits on property near Disney’s All-Star Resorts. In 2010, the McDonald’s at Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs) closed down after being there for a number of years.
McDonald’s products were even served directly in some of the parks at Walt Disney World. Here are some locations that used to sell McDonald’s fries, burgers, chicken nuggets, McFlurries, and even Happy Meals, but have since been removed.
- Restaurantosaurus and Petrifries at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Fairfax Fries at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Refreshment Port at Epcot
- French Fry Wagon and The Village Fry Shoppe (now The Friar’s Nook) at Magic Kingdom
While there is no word on if McDonald’s products and food will ever be back in the parks of Walt Disney World, the partnership is back in place. Happy Meals will soon begin carrying Disney toys once again and it’s all going to start with The Incredibles in June. After that, it will be toys from Wreck-It Ralph and many others from there as Disney now has a multi-year partnership with a company that is looking to make food healthier for kids.
