- 9 months ago
Remember when fast food toys were actually worth collecting? Join us as we count down our picks for the most impressive kids meal toys from the 90s! From buildable Inspector Gadget figures to Disney treasures and collectible Pokémon, these weren't your average cheap plastic trinkets. Which of these premium fast food treasures did you have in your collection?
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the most impressive toys sold alongside kids' meals in the 90s.
00:11Now your kids can find all their Disneyland favorites at McDonald's when you buy them a hamburger Happy Meal for just $1.99.
00:18Number 10. Hercules. If there was one thing Disney was good at in the 90s, it was merchandising.
00:25What are those?
00:30I don't know. I thought they looked kind of dashy.
00:32In spite of its underwhelming performance at the box office, if you can believe that,
00:37the toys, apparel, and dinnerware made for the release of Hercules are still coveted to this day.
00:42Even the film's fast food tie-ins were surprisingly great quality.
00:46Hercules is at McDonald's. You get two toys in each Happy Meal from Disney's new movie.
00:50Mike Kirk and Hydra.
00:51McDonald's gave kids the possibility of getting 10 different sets of toys with their Happy Meals,
00:55each containing a full-color figure of one of the film's characters and an accompanying statue.
01:00This included everyone from Hercules himself to lesser-known characters like Hermes.
01:05One year later, the Greek hero would be promoted by the fast food giant once more,
01:09this time with working megaphones, sound sticks, and footballs.
01:13So, you want to be like Hercules, the strongest hero ever?
01:15Now you can with McDonald's Happy Meal, celebrating Disney's Hercules on video.
01:20Eight great sports toys that'll really get you pumped up.
01:24Number 9. The Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection.
01:27Throughout the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, McDonald's and Disney were a match made in corporate heaven.
01:33Eight Disney Masterpiece Collection characters in their own mini video boxes.
01:36I like Alice in Wonderland.
01:38I like McDonald's fries.
01:40One in each $1.99 hamburger Happy Meal, you buy your kids.
01:43The fast food company promoted all of the studio's newest films in their Happy Meals,
01:47and even hosted two storefronts on Walt Disney World property.
01:50So when Disney decided to promote their home video Masterpiece Collection in the mid to late 90s,
01:55it was a no-brainer to involve the Golden Arches.
01:58This is Woody.
01:59This is Tigger.
02:00T-I-double-g-er.
02:02And this is the Disney Video Masterpiece Collection Happy Meal.
02:05Howdy, howdy, howdy.
02:07Bang.
02:07Each set of toys included an often articulated figure of a character from one of Disney's Masterpiece films,
02:13as well as a depiction of the film's VHS, either as a case or platform.
02:18There were a lot of memorable toys in the promotion,
02:21including some representation of overlooked Disney films like Pete's Dragon and even Flubber.
02:25For Best Costume Design, Pocahontas.
02:29Best Screen Kiss, Lady and the Tramp.
02:32Best Bluezy Green Thing.
02:34That's a new category.
02:35Flubber!
02:36Number 8.
02:37Tamagotchi Toys.
02:38Do you have Tamagotchi fever?
02:40If you hang toys from pets, enjoy lasers in secret compartments, you've got it, and McDonald's has the cure.
02:46With the introduction of brands like Moshi Monsters, Webkinz, and Neopets,
02:50the 2000s quickly became the decade of the virtual pet.
02:53This unique digital revolution came shortly after the release of the Tamagotchi in 1997,
02:58which captivated a generation of kids with charming designs and addictive gameplay.
03:03Look, Goldie!
03:04I took good care of her, and she changed again!
03:07Change?
03:08How about changing some water here?
03:10At the time, McDonald's was eager to collaborate with the brand,
03:13and managed to do so just one year after its North American release.
03:17Of course, a fast food toy couldn't replicate all of the interactive aspects of Tamagotchi,
03:22but kids were still happy to own plastic keychains of their favorite pets to hang alongside the real thing.
03:27So you open it up, and inside is a little Puchichi.
03:31That's the name of this little toy. Look at this.
03:33Nowadays, these would be sold in $9 blind bags,
03:36but in 1998, you could get them for free with your kid's meal.
03:40Number 7. The Flintstones.
03:42Starting Friday, you can go back to Bedrock
03:45for Flintstones fun and mammoth values.
03:50Welcome to McDonald's. May I chisel your order?
03:52In the 90s, live-action remakes of cartoons were still something of a novelty,
03:57and the Flintstones boasted an all-star cast featuring John Goodman, Rick Moranis, and Elizabeth Taylor.
04:03McDonald's celebrated the occasion with a themed McRib, collectible glasses,
04:07and, of course, a brand new set of Happy Meal toys.
04:10And now from Bedrock, this late-breaking story.
04:13McDonald's is rolling out the Flintstones Happy Meal.
04:16Although there were only five different variations for this particular run of fast food kids' toys,
04:21each set included one or more characters riding in a toy car
04:24and a colorful, freestanding building.
04:27If you collected all five, you could build yourself your very own Flintstones town.
04:31There's a town I know where the hipsters go called Bedrock.
04:35Twitch, Twitch, when you get that hitch, you can do the twitch in Bedrock.
04:41Twitch, Twitch.
04:42Number 6. Furby.
04:44Furbies took the world by storm in the late 1990s.
04:47The controversial electronic pets had eye-catching, colorful designs,
04:50and the unique ability to learn English over time.
04:54Furby, the first gigapet you pet.
04:57Pet me.
04:58Teach to say her name.
04:59Me? Noodle.
05:00Play games.
05:01Peek, bab.
05:02And love you, babe.
05:04Of course, the supposed intelligence was simply pre-programmed speech,
05:07but the toys were still a little too technologically advanced
05:10for McDonald's to give away comparable replicas for free.
05:13Instead, they offered kids the opportunity to get one of 80 different plastic Furby figures,
05:18which had a variety of different designs and actions.
05:21Each one's a surprise in every Happy Meal you buy.
05:23They blink.
05:24They flap.
05:25They fit in a Happy Meal.
05:27They could say simple phrases, wiggle their ears, or blink their eyes.
05:31It's clear that a lot of time, effort, and money went into making these mini McFurbies fun.
05:36You wanted them?
05:37We got them.
05:38Furbies at McDonald's.
05:39Right now, there are 80 different colorful characters in all.
05:42Each one's a surprise in every Happy Meal you buy.
05:44Number 5.
05:46Happy Meal's 15th Birthday.
05:48Promoting several different movies at once was nothing new,
05:51particularly when it came to Disney.
05:53But promoting a variety of different IPs, all from unique parent companies?
05:57Well, that was something special.
05:59It's McDonald's Happy Birthday Happy Meal.
06:01Yeah!
06:03Let's decorate.
06:05Good work!
06:06For the Happy Meal's 15th anniversary, McDonald's released a set of 15 different rolling figures,
06:12which connected together to create a celebratory train.
06:14This set included Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Sonic the Hedgehog, and E.T., among others.
06:20What was that?
06:21A Sonic boom!
06:23There's the Berenstain Bears, Hot Wheels, Muppet Babies.
06:25Collect all 15 and make a birthday train.
06:27If you were a kid in the 90s, there was bound to be something you liked in this lineup.
06:31And with the exception of the Sonic TV, all of the figures were lovingly detailed and full of personality.
06:38Number 4.
06:39Pokemon the First Movie.
06:40Coinciding with the theatrical release of the franchise's first movie,
06:44Burger King's 1999 Pokemon promotion gave a new meaning to Gotta Catch Them All.
06:48A Burger King restaurant in Greece was replenishing its supply as another shipment of the Pocket Monsters arrived late this afternoon.
06:56We just can't keep them on the shelves.
06:58They're just going out the door faster than we ever thought they'd go out.
07:00Fans were given just under two months to collect 59 toys of the popular Pocket Monsters, 57 unique,
07:07with the opportunity for three different Pikachu variants.
07:10These tiny toys were all exceptionally good quality for a kid's meal,
07:14ranging from rev-tops to plush beanbags, and featured under-merchandise characters like Raveler and Muck.
07:20Now inside every Burger King Big Kid's meal you buy, your kids not only get more of the great-tasting food they love,
07:25they get Pokemon toys and limited-edition trading cards from Pokemon the First Movie.
07:29Moreover, the promotion included the option to purchase one of six gold-plated cards,
07:34which appealed to adult and child collectors alike.
07:37The toy line proved to be so popular that Burger King brought it back just one year later,
07:41allowing kids another chance to complete their collections.
07:45Burger King took steps to spell out customer limitations.
07:49Customers can't buy the toys and cards separately.
07:52They have to buy a kid's meal, and the limit is 10 per person.
07:56Number 3. Halloween McNugget Buddies.
07:59Cool costume, Ronald.
08:00Show up.
08:00But the McNugget Buddies need costumes, too.
08:02We don't want to be chicken on Halloween.
08:05While many McDonald's Happy Meal toys feature tie-ins with popular brands, films, and video games,
08:10the fast-food giant has been known to occasionally throw their own original characters into the mix.
08:15Such is the case with the McNugget Buddies,
08:17originally introduced in the late 80s and given a fun, fresh Halloween makeover in 1993.
08:23Now McDonald's latest Halloween fashion.
08:25Just flying in McNugula.
08:27And boy, are his arms tired.
08:29Fixed toys with changeable costumes, one with each Happy Meal you buy your kids.
08:32While the quality of the nuggets themselves weren't necessarily up to par with their 80s counterparts,
08:36being made of plastic rather than rubber, the costumes were a big improvement.
08:41They were far more durable, and the Halloween theming allowed for some uniquely fun designs.
08:46What are you making?
08:48Sauce. We're using my mommy's recipe.
08:50Mommy? Uh-uh.
08:52This better be good.
08:53It'll be great.
08:54Hmm, does your daddy have a recipe?
08:57Three years later, another set was released using the same sizing and materials,
09:01allowing kids to mix and match their own original costumes.
09:04Number 2. Teeny Beanies.
09:06In 1998, it wasn't just children who were arguing over what toy they got in their Happy Meal.
09:11This, uh, Teeny Beanie Baby-itis, will she outgrow it?
09:14Not necessarily.
09:16At the height of the Beanie Baby craze, McDonald's released their second line of Teeny Beanies,
09:21many versions of the popular plush toy, which were highly coveted by kids and adults alike.
09:26During this time, several incidents were reported across the nation, including physical fights and one theft.
09:32The following is in code to avoid panic in the streets.
09:35Beanie Tay, Eeny Bay, Aby's Bay, or Act Bay at McDonald's May.
09:38There's one Teeny Beanie Baby in each McDonald's Happy Meal you buy.
09:41While we definitely think people went overboard, the toys were cute.
09:46They had the same simplistic charm as a real Beanie Baby, just in a smaller handheld form.
09:51Beanie Beanie.
09:52Oh, Teeny Beanie Baby.
09:54Teeny Beanie Baby.
09:55Teeny Beanie Baby.
09:57Teeny Beanie Baby.
09:57No, there's one in every Happy Meal you buy at McDonald's.
10:00This has been a Teeny Beanie Baby alert.
10:02The Teeny Beanie's would come back to McDonald's just one year later,
10:05maintaining the same quality with an even bigger variety of teeny animals.
10:10Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:14101 Dalmatians.
10:15What better way to promote 101 Dalmatians than with 101 Happy Meal toys?
10:20The puppies are here!
10:21Now all the cute puppies from Disney's 101 Dalmatians are at McDonald's.
10:25One toy in each Happy Meal you buy.
10:27Look!
10:28Each one's a surprise.
10:29101 in all.
10:30You can collect and trade as many as you want before she does.
10:34Snoopy World Tour.
10:35This promotion allowed kids to travel the world with Snoopy from Jamaica to Japan.
10:40Presenting the Snoopy World Tour.
10:44There are 28 different designs to collect.
10:47You'll never know which Snoopy you'll meet.
10:50But one thing's for sure, there's one free with every Happy Meal.
10:54At McDonald's.
10:55Spider-Man the Animated Series.
10:57A superhero fan's dream promotion featuring detailed action figures and fun cartoon cars.
11:03Sorry I can't hang around.
11:05Because the action's at McDonald's.
11:07Take a break with a hamburger Happy Meal for just $1.99.
11:10They're Spidey, Spider-Man characters and hot cars with cool moves.
11:14One with every $1.99 hamburger Happy Meal you buy your kid.
11:17Animaniacs.
11:17These pull-back cars and bikes are must-haves for any Animaniacs enthusiast.
11:22Now you can get a break and your kids get their favorite characters with the Animaniacs Hamburger Happy Meal for just $1.99.
11:27You can bend them, push them, squish them, or stretch them.
11:32Wait a minute.
11:33Is that in our contract?
11:34Universal Monsters.
11:35When it comes to Halloween, you can't go wrong with the classics.
11:40Nice costume.
11:41I'm so scared.
11:43Universal Studios Monsters are on the loose.
11:45You can get one toy and glow-in-the-dark sticker inside every Kids Club meal at Burger King.
11:50Wow.
11:50Really nice costume.
11:53Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
11:59You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
12:03If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
12:09Number 1.
12:10Inspector Gadget.
12:11It's not uncommon for fast food companies to encourage kids to collect an entire set of toys.
12:16But for this release, it was practically required.
12:19Each gadget is its own gizmo.
12:21Put them all together and they create one colossal crime fighter.
12:23Excuse me, sir.
12:25You don't have the crush time.
12:26Why, yes, then I do.
12:27Kids who visited McDonald's during their 1999 promotion of Inspector Gadget would be opening their Happy Meals to find plastic legs, arms, torsos, and backpacks.
12:37While these might not have been very exciting separately, when put together, they created one of the best Kids Meal toys to date.
12:44Now you add the hat and he's huge.
12:46Look at the size of this guy.
12:47I can't even keep him in frame.
12:49Look at this.
12:50Amazing.
12:50So now he's like 15 inches tall, maybe 15 and a half inches tall.
12:53That's huge.
12:54This was a substantial action figure, the kind that would typically be found on the shelves of any actual toy store.
13:00Looking back, it's crazy to think that a fast food toy this high quality was made for what is now a mostly forgotten movie.
13:11What the hell?
13:14What have they got me on?
13:15What was the best toy you've ever gotten from a Kids Meal?
13:18Let us know in the comments.
Comments