McDonald’s has undoubtedly become all of our go-to places when we want to hang out with our friends. But do you know that McDonald’s looked way too different in the ’80s and ’90s as it looks now?
From the french fries designed chairs, hamburger chairs to super Mario Happy meals, everything has got changed. You can scroll down to have a look.
1. Hamburger Chairs.
These chairs really take me back. I remember spinning in circles on them while I ate one chicken nugget at a time. This might be one that McDonald’s should bring back.
2. Prison Burger.
The irony here is that back then, eating McDonald’s as often as people did was a sort of prison sentence. There wasn’t the same nutritional information available back then as there is now. So we ate the burgers willingly, without realizing the harm that we were causing our bodies.
3. The Big Twist Cone.
I have to admit, this one was hard to say no to. It was incredibly cheap, very delicious, and always hit the spot. I can remember a few hot days at the drive-thru with my family in the ’90s.
4. McSalad Shakers.
I believe this was McDonald’s first attempt at putting something healthy on the menu. Unfortunately, when you added up all the calories from the dressing and the toppings, it really wasn’t healthy at all. Good try Ronald.
5. The Mac Tonight Commercial.
Remember this Mac Tonight commercial? I do. There’s nothing like an old, grainy video to get those nostalgia juices flowing.
6. More Transformers.
Once again, I think that these transformer toys from the ’80s were the coolest toys that ever came in a happy meal. They were something you could take home and play with again and again. And no doubt you wanted to try and get every single one if you could.
7. Baby Chairs.
No child was too young for McDonald’s to market to. The sooner they could get you hooked on their food the better. This highchair from the ’90s says it all.
8. Reusable Cups.
McDonald’s may have been ahead of the curve when it came to reusable cups. Fast food joints are known to be extremely wasteful with all of their single-use containers. If only Mickey D’s had continued this trend.
9. The Nugget Crew.
These little guys would have given Ronald’s crew a run for their money if they ever played against each other in some kind of sport. I remember having a few of these growing up. I never did collect them all though.
10. McRecord.
This one was definitely before my time. I don’t think I ever listened to a record until they became cool again a few years ago. I wonder how many of these McRecords made it into private collections in the ’80s?
11. Food Chairs.
Nothing says McDonald’s in the ’90s like sitting on a burger while you knock back some fries. You can see that some chairs are regular and meant for the adults to sit at. This was one of many of McDonald’s ploys to get kids excited about eating here.
12. Super Mario Happy Meals.
The Mario game even looks pixelated on the cardboard box. This is a great example of how far McDonald’s (and videogames) have come since the ’80s. Nothing like using an old Nintendo controller with greasy fry-fingers.
13. You Were A Part Of The Crew
Whoever painted this mural wisely added some normal human kids in there with the McDonald’s crew. It made you feel like you were welcomed and a part of the gang. I’d be much more inclined to buy a burger from my friends than from complete strangers.
14. Mickey Mouse Cups.
McDonald’s was smart to partner with some of the big-name entertainment companies for kids. If you were a fan of Mickey Mouse and saw that Ronald Mcdonald was too, then you would surely ask mom for a happy meal for dinner.
15. Playtime And Mealtime.
As a parent, the two most time-consuming tasks are feeding and entertaining your kid. So why not take them to a place that allows you to do both at the same time? Well played, ’80s McDonalds, you got that one right.
16. Gold Medals For Burgers
Remember when you could win Big Macs? I do! I did everything I could to get my hands on one of those gold medals.
17. Happy-Meal Hotwheels.
When they started putting Hotwheels in happy meals, I was hooked. I used to have a Hotwheels track running all around my room. And when I found out I could get some nuggets and a new car, I was in little kid heaven.
18. The Bear Necessities.
Many of the happy meal collectibles are still around to buy. This set of bears is on eBay. Who knew that what used to come for free in a box of fries would someday be worth something?
19. Inspector McGadget.
This was one of my favorite movies as a kid. But I don’t think I remember when they offered these toys in the happy meals. I did know about it, I would have gone there.
20. McDonald’s Play Toys.
Once again we see Mickey D’s teaming up with an entertainment juggernaut: Fisher-Price. Kids in the ’80s and ’90s never got those golden arches out of their minds. It was always time for McDonald’s.
21. Dinosaur Hand-Puppets.
Remember these? You had to keep going back to try and get all the different types of dinos. But somehow, you always seemed to get the same one as last time.
22. Ronald At Walmart.
It seems like the guys at McDonald’s tried to put old Ronald anywhere they could back then. It makes sense though. You can’t help but crave a Big Mac when you see that freaky clown.
23. Spooky Gift Certificates.
I remember getting one of these in my candy bag one year while I was trick-or-treating. I was bummed at first, thinking it was just a piece of paper. But when I opened it up, my smile returned.
24. Transformer Toys.
It seems like the toys have gotten worse since the ’80s. They really used to put in effort in order to give you something you’d enjoy. I’m not sure what comes in the happy meals today, but I can guarantee they aren’t as cool as these transformers.
25. Disney Movie Characters.
As a kid, I was hooked on Disney movies. So when I found out that they were giving the action figures away in happy meals, I had to get one. McDonald’s sure had their child-marketing on point back then.
26. Birthdays With Ronald.
Nothing says 1989 like a birthday party at McDonald’s. They had the playpen, the ice cream, and even the entertainers. Something tells me a McDonald’s birthday nowadays wouldn’t be quite as fun.
27. Mickey D Ashtrays.
Remember the good old days when you could eat non-nutritious food and smoke cigarettes at the same time? Things sure have changed since the ’80s. I doubt McDonald’s wants to be known for supporting smoking these days.
28. Hercules Plates.
Hercules aired in 1997 and McDonald’s was all over it. They jumped on the Disney hype and made collectible plates for you to get at the store. I like the Zeus plate the best.
29. Bugs Bunny Racecars.
McDonald’s was good about offering toys with multiple options. That way, you couldn’t just get one happy meal and be satisfied. You had to keep buying meals until you had all the characters.
30. Ronald Hand-Puppet.
Back in the ’80s and ’90s, there weren’t all of these high-tech toys that kids have now. You used to have to use your imagination a lot more. This hand-puppet was able to provide entertainment for hours on end.
31. Teenie Beanie Babies.
I remember this one hooking my sisters. They collected the regular size Beanie Babies but when they heard that McDonald’s had some tiny ones, they begged our parents for a happy meal. I think my parents still have that little flamingo laying somewhere around their house.
32. Dollar Big Macs.
Something that surprised me the last time I stopped at a Mcdonald’s was how expensive the food is. I remember these prices here. I think now it’s almost $10 for a Big Mac meal.
33. The Golden Arch Water Dispenser.
McDonald’s found a way to put their name on the most essential thing that we put into our bodies–water. It seems like back then, you couldn’t go anywhere or eat/drink anything without thinking of or seeing those golden arches somewhere.
34. Spooky Nuggets.
These monster nuggets were iconic back in the ’80s and ’90s around Halloween time. They got us kids ready for our favorite holiday while reminding us where we could get our favorite meal. There was always a hidden agenda with these toys.
35. Batman Cups.
One of the biggest movies in the ’90s was Batman. We loved watching as kids and somehow McDonald’s knew that. Once they offered Batman cups, we couldn’t help but ask our parents to take us on a trip to the drive-thru.