McDonald's Happy Meal toys have become a part of Americana.
They first appeared in the summer of 1979.
Beloved by kids in the USA, they are also prized in other countries.
Kids know that their Happy Meals will include exciting toys that are right on-trend, as
well as the usual fast food.
These little toys have always been a clear reflection of exactly where pop culture is
at.
While there are loads of McDonald's toys to choose from, we've narrowed down the field
to these top ten McDonald's toys that really caused a sensation.
Mini Furby Toys Were In Demand
Remember Furby toys?
The full-sized toys were robotic and electronic...and fuzzy!
They were created by Tiger Electronics and they were released in 1998.
Furby toys looked a bit like owls or hamsters.
They were really popular, after being launched during the winter holidays, and sales stayed
strong for two full years, before the Furby fad started dying down a little bit.
The full-sized Furby toys began talking in a language known as Furbish.
Over time, they would begin to say things in English.
It was like the toys were learning a whole new language.
McDonald's jumped onto the bandwagon by offering Furby toys that were compact enough to travel
along with kids wherever they went.
The McDonald's Happy Meal toys didn't make any noise.
These silent and miniature versions of Furbys may have been appreciated by parents, because
some people found the noise that full-sized Furbys emitted to be a bit annoying.
Mickey D's began offering these toys with Happy Meals in 1999.
There were many different mini-Furby toys, in different colors.
All had the same googly eyes and funny expressions.
Kids could collect a bunch of these pint-sized toys, in hot pink, white, canary yellow and
tons of other colors.
The toys even had a little bit of faux-fur on the top of their heads.
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Tamagotchi Keychains Were A Fun Novelty
The Tamagotchi keychains that were included in Happy Meals didn't have all of the features
of the Japanese digital toys, but both versions had distinctive egg shapes.
A typical Tamagotchi keychain offered in a Happy Meal in the late 1990s included a plastic
case with a special digital feature.
In case you've forgotten, Tamagotchi toys were digital pets, which were launched in
Japan in 1996.
By 2010, more than 76 million of these toys were sold all over the world.
That's a lot of digital pets!
The version offered by McDonald's featured an egg that measured two and a quarter inches
in height.
Tamagotchi digital pets were inspired by real animals, or people, or objects.
The versions sold in stores usually had three buttons which allowed Tamagotchi owners to
interact with their digital pets.
Tamagotchis were definitely one of the biggest toy fads during the 1990s.
McDonald's made a lot of kids happy by offering them stripped-down versions of these popular
toys, right along with their french fries and other McDonald's Happy Meal food.
Kids could collect all of the Happy Meal Tamagotchis and have fun playing with them, even though
they didn't have as many interactivity features as the original toys.
Changeables Got Kids Excited
Kids were McLovin' it when the famous American fast food chain offered Changeables in Happy
Meals.
These exciting and whimsical toys started appearing in Happy Meals in 1987.
Also known as McRobots, Changeables were transformable toys, except for certain toys which were made
especially for the under three crowd.
Kids loved Changeables.
With a Changeable, a kid had the power to transform a burger into a fierce robot, or
something along those lines.
The figures were known for being well-made, with plenty of fun details.
They were imaginative toys that kids enjoyed playing with.
Thanks to these lovable little toys, McDonald's food stayed on the minds of kids long after
their Happy Meals were consumed.
Ice cream cones, burger cartons and Big Macs were easily transformed into ultra-cool McRobots,
which could battle other McRobots or just hang out with fellow Changeables.
With this particular collection of Happy Meal toys, McDonald's definitely succeeded in capturing
the imaginations of kids.
More than a few adults remember them fondly.
Some have hung onto their Changeables, while others only wish that they had.
Inspector Gadget Toys Were Unique And Trendy
Some of the most adored Happy Meal toys from yesteryear now fetch a pretty penny at auction
and Inspector Gadget toys are definitely prized by collectors.
If you're lucky enough to own all eight of the Happy Meal toys that form an entire Inspector
Gadget figure, you may want to sell it, even though you might find it hard to part with
your treasure.
Collectors are paying big bucks for completed Inspector Gadget figures.
This "go go Gadget" figure dates back to 1995 and people are paying as much as three hundred
and fifty bucks for completed figures nowadays.
The figure looks just like actor, Matthew Broderick, who played Inspector Gadget in
the movies.
This was a cute and fun McDonald's promotion.
The fact that you'd get a fairly sizeable figure when you had all of the parts made
it especially unique and intriguing.
It was kitschy, fun and silly.
That's everything that a Happy Meal toy collection should be.
Sky Dancers Sparked Children's Imaginations
Kids who were fans of Sky Dancers loved it when McDonald's added Sky Dancer toys to Happy
Meals.
These toys started making their way into Happy Meal boxes in 1996.
Sky Dancers were flying princesses, with romantic names, such as Swan Shimmer, Rosemerry and
Princess Pegasus.
Sure, these particular toys may have been a bit more popular with girls, but the Sky
Dancers enjoyed sensational popularity - even boys loved them, too.
Toys should be for any children who enjoy them.
After McDonald's starting adding small Sky Dancers to Happy Meals, they became even more
popular.
The Happy Meal promotion may have set the stage for a TV spin-off, which happened the
very same year that the toys were given out to children in their Happy Meals.
In the spin-off, characters got new names and then went to a dance academy.
Sky Dancer toys could be launched into the air once they were propelled from their plastic
bases.
A string needed to be pulled to make the toys fly.
Once they were airborne, their wings would spin like mini-propellers.
Children appreciated these flying princess toys.
They were special because they could do something that most toys couldn't.
They could move through the air, at least, for a little while.
This gave these toys a magical quality.
Muppet Treasure Island Toys Were For Bath Time
The Muppet Treasure Island bath toys offered in Happy Meals were so cute.
Most of us have a soft spot for the Muppets.
Maybe we even have favorite Muppets.
With these toys, kids - and possibly some adults - had the opportunity to soak in the
tub as they played with one or more toys from the four-toy collection.
When kids ordered Happy Meal toys during this promotion, which started in 1996, they might
receive Kermit playing the role of Captain Smollet.
Kermit sat in a little pirate ship and the ship's cannon squirted water out of its front.
Another possibility was receiving a toy of Miss Piggy as Benjamina Gunn.
She relaxed on a pool lounger and the color of her skirt would change when it came into
contact with warm water.
Gonzo was also a part of this collection.
He was in a boat that featured a paddle wheel on its underside.
When kids pushed down on bundles of gold situated at the backs of the boats, the paddle wheels
would spin.
The last toy from the Muppet Treasure Island collection was Fozzie Bear.
He played the role of Squire Trelawney and he floated in a barrel.
Kids could push his head up or down.
McDonald's also offered "under three" toys for little ones, which were designed to be
very safe.
One example was a four-page book that could be read in the bathtub.
Kids under three couldn't play with the other "over three" toys because they had pieces
which were a choking hazard.
Pokéballs Were A Hot Craze
Pokemon Go was a recent craze that an enormous amount of people tried.
People of all ages were wandering around their neighborhoods, trying to catch 'em all.
While Pokemon Go is awesome and unique, and possibly a bit too distracting to be a totally
safe activity, it certainly wasn't the first Pokemon craze.
Pokemon has been going strong for ages and McDonald's once offered Pokeball keychains
in Happy Meals, which were really popular with kids.
These Pokeballs were crafted from plastic, like most Happy Meal toys, and they contained
teensy Pokemon figures.
Every ball would open up to reveal a miniature Pokemon.
Kids wanted to get all of the characters that they loved best.
Pikachu was often on the top of their lists but trying to catch them all was part of the
fun!
Hello Kitty Toys Were Beloved
Hello Kitty is a perennial fave with kids and adults alike, so it's not surprising that
McDonald's has offered lots of cute and fun little kitty toys in Happy Meals over the
years.
Some were plush and adorable.
They wore little McDonald's outfits, such as Ronald McDonald-style suits or Hamburglar
striped ensembles.
It's safe to say that many kids were thrilled to open their Happy Meal boxes and find Hello
Kitty toys inside.
McDonald's has actually offered some amazing toys over the years and these ones are definitely
standouts.
Happy Meal watches and body stickers were also offered, to name just a couple of other
examples.
In 2016, another round of exciting Hello Kitty by Sanrio toys were offered, including a Chocolat
Furniture Store, a Hello Kitty Fashion Boutique and a Hello Kitty House.
Kids could customize the little plastic buildings with stickers that also came with their Mickey
D's kid's meals.
Collectors can find an extensive range of Hello Kitty Happy Meal Toys on eBay and other
online platforms.
There are tons of older Happy Meal toys for sale online.
Disney Masterpiece Collection Toys Were Special
If you're into the Disneyverse, with its black-and-white morality, gentle princesses, and evil queens,
you'll probably enjoy learning about Disney Masterpiece Collection Happy Meal toys.
These toys came in mini-VHS-style boxes.
The boxes contained plastic figurines, including Scat Cat from The Aristocats, Alice from Alice
in Wonderland, Merlin from The Sword in the Stone, Aladdin from Return to Jafar and of
course a few classic Disney princesses.
Snow White and Cinderella were in the collection and Robin Hood was, too.
These figures measured four inches in height and they were crafted from resin.
They had awesome video cases that made them even more special.
These keepsakes honored the superb animation classics that helped to build the Disney empire.
Today, kids are still digging Disney.
If you want every figure in this collection, you should know that complete sets are available
online.
The whole set does look pretty cool when all of the cases and figures are displayed together.
There are actually tons of Happy Meal toys for sale online.
People are making money selling them, because collectors want them.
While some of the toys are worth next to nothing, others have impressive retail prices.
Teenie Beanie Babies Were A Sensation
Ty Beanie Babies were a mega-craze and McDonald's took advantage of the popularity of these
plush toys by offering a collection of Teenie Beanie Babies in Happy Meals.
One notable example was a Grimace Beanie Baby, who had all of the charm of the large, purple
McDonald's mascot, albeit on a slightly smaller scale.
McDonald's mascots like Grimace are really pretty hilarious and they do have retro charm.
There is a Texas McDonald's which features these characters on the outside of the restaurant.
The fast food joint is shaped like a giant Happy Meal.
While you won't get a Teenie Beanie Baby at this Dallas McDonald's these days, it's safe
to say that a lot of kids loved getting Grimace Beanie Babies from Mickey D's back in the
day.
This particular Happy Meal toy collection was launched in 1997.
One hundred million of these plush toys were given away in just fourteen days.
McDonald's knew that kids would want these toys, but were still surprised by the demand.
Some toy crazes, like Beanie Babies and Cabbage Patch Kids, really motivated kids and parents.
People would fight over the original toys at stores.
Today, unlike some Happy Meal toys, Teenie Beanie Babies are not rare and valuable.
They were in fierce demand, but so many of them made it into the hands of kids and adults.
They don't have any real value nowadays, unlike completed Inspector Gadget figures.
Now that you have the inside scoop on the top 10 Happy Meal toys, be sure to let us
know if you agree with our picks.
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