There may have been no movie more anticipated in the first half of 2025 than A Minecraft Movie, and the hype extended to McDonald’s.
Just days before the movie hit theatres and made Chicken Jockey the buzzphrase of the month, the longstanding fast-food burger chain released its newest toy series, featuring characters from the film, in its Happy Meal kids’ option.
The chain did not stop there, however. Wanting to appeal to the legion of adults who fell in love with the popular video game series, McDonald’s created a series of toys from its iconic McDonaldland character series, giving them the Minecraft treatment.
This promotion followed Adult Happy Meal runs in 2022 and 2023, which were part of collaborations with Cactus Plant Flea Market (CPFM) and Kerwin Frost, respectively. In each case, the artists invoked nostalgia to lure the kid inside every adult back to their childhood favorite restaurant.
They worked not only for the home of Ronald McDonald but also for secondary-market savvy collectors. In the CPFM case, some figurines sold into the early five-figures— a Grimace, listed on eBay, went for $14,000 in August 2023.
History Lesson
The characters in these series were conceived in the early 1970s. They followed in the footsteps of Ronald McDonald, the iconic lead clown who arose in 1963. This new group of characters included Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese among others.
Surprisingly, it took a few years for those characters to become toys. While tumblers and other food consumption products were on the market, it took longer for playables to be available for eager kids. Roughly five years after the kid-friendly creations debuted, Remco issued these figurines in 1976 with a full fourteen pieces available. Each figure, individually packaged, was built from plastic and felt, with some also featuring realistic hair. A play set that featured a train and other pieces was also issued.
Soon after, other products hit the market. Glassware and plastic cups followed in 1977. Other pieces in the lineup included vinyl placemats, plastic plates, and other items to complete your McDonaldland dining set.
As the characters became popular, McDonald’s invested fully in their restaurants. Effects like seating and general decor soon incorporated the McDonaldland crew beyond Ronald McDonald’s ever-present presence. Those installations now populate auctions more than occasionally and bring in decent dollars.
Perhaps the McDonald’s Racing Team mini cars were the coolest toys to feature the McDonaldland crew. Racing Champions produced these models on a 1:64 scale and replicated NASCAR builds in 1994. The car-and-trading-card combinations weren’t Happy Meal offerings, and instead were retail offerings.
These toys followed in the footsteps of pullback racers offered to kids at McDonald’s locations in the 1980s. Featuring Ronald, Birdie, Hamburglar, and Officer Big Mac (in a couple iterations), these plastic racers featured the iconic heroes of McDonaldland in a toy that tore through restaurants and homes. The three-dimensional renderings of these characters were very well done and, thanks to their durability, can be found pretty easily in online auctions and marketplaces.
The height of the McDonaldland characters, undoubtedly, was the cartoon series. Released in direct-to-video format, the series, titled “The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald”, included six video cassettes, with Ronald and co., rendered in a similar cartoon style to Rugrats.
Disappearing Burgers
What you will see with these characters, as you build your collection, is that many were only temporarily part of the lineup. While Ronald McDonald, Grimace, and Hamburglar were part of the run from beginning to end, others came and went. Birdie the Early Bird (or Birdie for short) joined the lineup to promote McDonald’s breakfasts. At the same time, the Nugget Buddies, naturally, only became part of the crew after Chicken McNuggets were added to the menu.
Other characters, like Captain Crook and the Professor, didn’t last long, perhaps due to waning popularity. The most controversial, however, was Mayor McCheese due to a lawsuit brought forward—and won—by Sid and Marty Krofft, creators of H.R. Pufnstuf. In an article for Mental Floss, Mark Bellomo discussed the legal battle between the two sides, as well as the result:
“After a six-year battle, the courts ruled in the Kroffts’ favor. In Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions Inc. v. McDonald’s Corp., the plaintiffs proved copyright infringement, showing: a) their ownership of [the] copyrighted work, b) the circumstantial evidence of access to work, and c) that there was a substantial similarity in both idea and expression.”
The payout? $1 million while McDonald’s elected to retire Mayor McCheese.
Future of McDonaldland
As we’ve seen in the new Adult Happy Meals, there is substantial interest in the McDonaldland characters today. The new Minecraft toys could be the height of their return, thanks to their insane popularity, but they could also just be one level up on a continuing trajectory for this revival.
The next step could be a revival of some of the aforementioned giveaways at McDonald’s. Surely, parents would happily buy their kids a set of placemats similar to those they had growing up, and those race cars have the potential to return.
With another Adult Happy Meal not likely until late 2025 at the earliest, collectors can now bide their time by returning to their childhood favorites and reacquiring them online. Be sure to check the Price Guide before you hunt through the magical world of McDonaldland.
Jon Waldman is a Winnipeg-based writer. He has written for Beckett, Go GTS, Canadian Sports Collector, and several other hobby outlets over his two decades in the hobby. His experience also includes two books on sports cards and memorabilia. Connect with Jon on Twitter at @jonwaldman.
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