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McDonald's brings back a fan-favorite Happy Meal collaboration
McDonald's brings back a fan-favorite Happy Meal collaboration

Miami Herald

time6 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Miami Herald

McDonald's brings back a fan-favorite Happy Meal collaboration

As adults, we now appreciate the value of food, but as kids, if we could've ordered a McDonald's Happy Meal toy and had the McNuggets thrown in as a courtesy, we absolutely would have. McDonald's is one of the most recognizable fast-food chains worldwide. This might be because for decades, it has maintained its iconic golden arches, red and yellow branding, "I'm Lovin' It" tag line, and beloved Happy Meal. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter The company has strategically used customers' nostalgic association with its brand to build a loyal fan base and become the fast-food giant it is today. Related: McDonald's menu adds new Happy Meal fans will love To bank on this emotional connection, McDonald's has brought back classic Happy Meal toys, including its 40th Happy Meal anniversary release in Canada in 2019, and the recent launch of "Lil McDonald's" Happy Meals this month. Image source: Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images In January, McDonald's (MCD) partnered with Pokémon to launch a nationwide collaboration, releasing a new Happy Meal and creating an immersive PokéStops experience. Each Happy Meal featured a Dragon-type Pokémon design and came with a Pokémon Trading Card Game pack containing four out of 15 available cards, a Pokémon poster, and a sticker sheet. More Food News: This popular fast-food burger chain just turned into a hot dog standPopular chicken chain is begging customers to give it another chanceChick-fil-A offers free food to game-playing fans To encourage customers to download its app and continue its digital integration within Happy Meals, McDonald's also created a free Pokémon Trading Card Game. This was a unique partnership for the fast-food giant because Pokémon Trading Cards are among the most valuable and highly desired collectible items, with some worth up to millions of dollars per card. Pokémon is a Japanese world-renowned media franchise that began in 1996. It has developed an enormous fan base by creating multiple video games, animated series, films, products, and trading card games. McDonald's is once again teaming up with Pokémon for a limited-time partnership, but this time, it comes with multiple layers and will only be released in Japan. Because Pokémon has a fan base of all ages, McDonald's is introducing a 15-piece Chicken McNuggets box to cater to adult audiences. The packaging will feature three new designs, showcasing Pikachu and other beloved characters from the franchise. The Pokémon 15-piece Chicken McNuggets box will be available from July 23 to September 2. No Pokémon collaboration would be complete without the Happy Meal, which continues to be the primary appeal to younger audiences. Starting August 8, each Happy Meal will come with a Pikachu or Charmander toy. Related: McDonald's unveils new partnership with nostalgic childhood franchise True Pokémon fans know the most anticipated part of this partnership is the return of Pokémon Trading Cards. That's why each Happy Meal purchase will receive an exclusive Pikachu card, with additional cards randomly distributed. However, the Pokémon Trading Cards will only be available from August 9 to 11. Although the company hasn't explicitly revealed why it has made the trading cards available for such a short window, this unexpected decision might be an effort to prevent resales from getting out of hand, since the cards from previous partnerships were listed on eBay and other sites for hundreds of dollars. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.

McDonald's Japan announces Pokémon Trading Card Happy Meals with guaranteed Pikachus
McDonald's Japan announces Pokémon Trading Card Happy Meals with guaranteed Pikachus

SoraNews24

time7 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • SoraNews24

McDonald's Japan announces Pokémon Trading Card Happy Meals with guaranteed Pikachus

You don't need to specifically choose Pikachu, because it's a promise that he'll be in your Happy Meal. McDonald's Japan is right in the middle of a collaboration with Sanrio, currently serving up Happy Meals with summer suntanned Hello Kitty Toys. But cravings for burgers and fries will always return, and so McDonald's is already planning its next team-up with a superstar character in Japan, and this time it's Pikachu. Coming on August 8 is a new line of Pokémon Happy Meal toys, and fans of the franchise have most likely now marked that date on their calendars. If you can hold off until the next day, though, there's something even better, as in addition to the toy, you'll also get exclusive Pokémon Trading Card Game cards! The lineup consists of a half-dozen Pocket Monster species, including Riolu, Ralts, and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet starters Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. Then, of course, there's Pikachu, whose card features an adorable illustration of the franchise mascot sitting in a restaurant booth and about to dig into a delicious hamburger. Well, actually, judging from the way the cutlery on the table is oriented, he's asking for a bite of the burger ordered by the Pokémon Trainer who's taken him along on this McDonald's run, but come on, get serious, there's no way anyone would ever say no to such a heart meltingly cute appeal. 8/8(金)~ハッピーセット®にポケモンのおもちゃが登場!8/9(土)〜8/11(月)はポケモンカードも もらえるよ!#ポケモン #ポケカ — マクドナルド (@McDonaldsJapan) July 15, 2025 With a total of six designs, though, you might be wondering how many Happy Meals you're going to have to order in order to snag the Pikachu card, but that's where the deal gets really sweet. Each Happy Meal comes with two Pokémon cards, and one of them is guaranteed to be Pikachu. However, while the odds are in your favor, time isn't necessarily on your side. McDonald's is yet to say how long the Pokémon Happy Meal will be available for, but usually each toy theme runs for about two weeks. The Pokémon cards, however, will only be given out on August 9, 10, and 11. And should you decide to go on august 8 as well to make extra-sure you don't miss out on the toys, ending up with a bunch of leftover McDonald's French fries in the process, we've got some tasty ideas for how to reuse them. Source: Twitter/@McDonaldsJapan via Jin Top image: Twitter/@McDonaldsJapan Pokémon ©Pokémon, ©Nintendo/Creatures Inc./Game Freak Inc. ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

All the restaurant and pub chains that are cheaper than a McDonald's meal
All the restaurant and pub chains that are cheaper than a McDonald's meal

Scottish Sun

time12-07-2025

  • Business
  • Scottish Sun

All the restaurant and pub chains that are cheaper than a McDonald's meal

We offer some alternatives for punters looking to save cash the next time they dine out HAPPY MEAL All the restaurant and pub chains that are cheaper than a McDonald's meal Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE price of McDonald's has shot up in recent years, with punters now forking out nearly £10 for a large Big Mac Meal. Gone are the days when fans of the classic meal could pay for it with the spare change in their pocket. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The price of a Big Mac has shot up in recent years. Credit: Ian Whittaker In 2022, the meal cost a mere £6.29, including fries and a drink. Today, just a single Big Mac will set you back £5.89 in London, and if you want to make it a large meal expect to hand over £9.19. Of course, McDonald's prices across the UK vary, with fast-food fans in Leeds paying £8.79 for the same exact large meal. With money tight, many punters are saying adios to the Happy Meal maker and looking for cheaper alternatives. Over the past few weeks, hangry customers have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to complain, with some describing it as "extortionate". While another said: "I just don't go anymore. For the same price as a Maccies I can go to Spoons and get a full meal with a pint." And to make matters worse, favourites such as Happy Meals, fries, and wraps have seen price increases of up to 15% in just a few months. A McDonald's spokesperson previously told The Sun: "We refuse to compromise on the quality of our ingredients – and that means when these ingredients cost more, we have to review our prices. "Raising some prices means we are able to stand by our quality commitments, like our beef patties being made from 100% British and Irish beef or our Chicken McNuggets being made from 100% chicken breast." But if you are keen to save a few quid the next time you are treating yourself, why not try these alternatives. I went to the UK's biggest Wetherspoons with rooftop bar overlooking the beach WETHERSPOONS - £7.49 Spoons is known for its bargain prices and some menu items are cheaper than Maccies. Its American Burger, which comes with a beef patty, cheese, chips and a drink, costs just £7.49. That's £1.70 cheaper than a large Big Mac. Better yet, if you want to enjoy your meal with an alcoholic beverage, it still costs less than a meal at Maccies. Wetherspoons asks punters for an extra £1.53 to add a tipple to their meal, which comes in at £9.02. And Spoons has also hiked prices for customers with the cost of some of its food items by 30p earlier this year. SIZZLING PUBS - £8.79 This family-friendly chain sells a burger and chips at a bargain price. Punters can enjoy "The Old Faithful" Beef burger for £8.79 at its branch in New Farnely in Leeds. That is on par with what some customers pay for a Big Mac meal and 44p cheaper than a London Maccies. But it is worth noting that prices can vary from branch to branch. Its "Two Brothers" branch in Southampton charges £10.79 for the same meal. And unlike Maccie's, this offer does not come with a drink so you will need to fork out extra for that. You can find your nearest branch by visiting ASDA CAFE - £6.75 The popular supermarket charges around £6.75 for a cheeseburger and chips, which trumps Spoons and Maccie's. You can pay 50p to upgrade to large chips, which would take your total to £7.25. Again, you will have to pay extra for a drink as this is not included. Punters can enjoy a warm meal at 205 diners which are located within the supermarkets across the UK. HUNGRY HORSE - £4.64 You will need to follow a hack to get these delicious burgers for less. A cheese burger at the chain costs £9.29 at its Garforth branch, slightly more expensive than a McDonald's meal. But if you head there on a Friday, you can make the most of its "Two for One" offer on burgers. That means if you went there with a friend, you could split the cost the cost of the first burger, paying £4.64 each. This offer is available at all of its 250 locations in the UK. You can find your nearest chain by visiting

Hello Kitty's new McDonald's Japan Happy Meal items are here, and we've got them all to show you【Pics】
Hello Kitty's new McDonald's Japan Happy Meal items are here, and we've got them all to show you【Pics】

SoraNews24

time12-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • SoraNews24

Hello Kitty's new McDonald's Japan Happy Meal items are here, and we've got them all to show you【Pics】

Suntan Kitty and yukata Kitty are here for fun on summer days and summer nights. Whether you call them Happy Meals or use their for-Japan name of Happy Sets, the point of McDonald's meals for kids and kids at heart is to put both a burger in your hands and a smile on your face. Those smiles are going to be especially big for Sanrio fans this month, as McDonald's Japan is releasing Hello Kitty Happy Meals, and we've got a special sneak peek at the whole lineup! First previewed last week, we knew that these were going to be very cute. How cute? So cute that even the boxes the toys come in are adorable. ▼ With Mt. Fuji in the background, Kitty-chan is spending her summer on the shore of either Kanagawa or Shizuoka Prefecture. As you can see, the themes here are the two best parts of summer in Japan, days at the beach and nights at festivals watching fireworks. The first of those is the subject of the initial batch of three possible Hello Kitty Happy Meal items, which will be available from July 11 to 17 and feature the suntanned Hello Kitty who rose to popularity in the late '90s. The surfer Kitty isn't just a decorative figurine, either. The surfboard is hollow inside, and the top pops off to reveal a shaft for making your own popsicles. Just fill the surfboard with fruit juice, replace the top, and place it in the freezer to solidify. ▼ The shaft has a playful heart-and-ribbon motif, and since it's plastic, you won't have t worry about the unpliant texture and taste of a wooden popsicle stick. Hello Kitty is taking a watermelon snack break on the lid of the Summer Drink Cup, which serves as a reminder that it's important to rest and rehydrate to prevent heat exhaustion. There's a slot on the back for a straw, and while the cup's capacity is on the small size for adults, each refill you do is another opportunity to say hi to Kitty-chan. Rounding out the suntan beach-theme is the vaguest of the items, the Sunglass Cap Mini Tray. This is a two-piece tray with Hello Kitty artwork on both sides, plus a set of heart-shaped sunglasses that you can either keep on her forehead or snap shut as a case. There's not a whole ton of space inside, but you can at least use them to hold an accessory or two, or for organizing thigs on your desk or picnic blanket. Hello Kitty will be back to her regular complexion from July 18, as the theme switches to Japan's traditional summer festivals, and she gets into the mood by wearing a traditional yukata (summer kimono). The first festival item is a bag clip set. Though not super strong, they're still a cute way to seal up sandwich or snack sacks, and the like, so they're handy to have if you're carrying some munchies in your bag on extended outings this summer. Alternatively, they're also useful for sealing up bags with any trash you might have accumulated while out and about, since public garbage cans are few and far between and the etiquette expectation is that people will take their trash back home or to their hotel and dispose of it there. The most inventively abstract design of the series comes in the form of the Wind Chime Hello Kitty Fork and Spoon Set. The soothing, psychologically cooling sound of wind chimes makes them a traditional summertime decoration in Japan, and while this toy doesn't actually function as a chime, that's still the visual motif for it. Honestly, the fork and spoon aren't really sized or shaped in a way that makes them very viable eating utensils, especially for adults, but you can actually separate them from the 'chime' part and use it as a key holder or carabiner. And last, we come to this spherical Kitty, once again sporting a yukata. This is actually an onigiri (rice ball) maker. Ordinarily, to make onigiri you have to scoop rice into your hands and press the grains together. This is actually easier said than done, though. Press too softly, and the rice ball will fall apart when you try to eat it. Press too hard, and you'll squash the grains, turning the texture into an unpleasant and uneven mush. The Hello Kitty onigiri maker (which is shaped like a paper festival lantern), offers a way around that problem, though. All you have to do is put cooked rice inside, close the ball up, and give it a nice vigorous shaking, and the rice grains will press themselves gently but firmly together. Oh, and remember those boxes the Happy Meal items come in? Don't throw them away, and not just because they're adorable. On one side, you'll find a QR code. Scan this with your phone, and you'll get to play a special Hello Kitty version of smash-hit mobile game Suika Game. As mentioned above, the suntan Hello Kitty items will be available from July 11 to 17, followed by the summer festival yukata ones from the 18th to the 24th, and then a third phase where any of the six items could be yours, while supplies last, from July 25. Related: McDonald's Japan Photos ©SoraNews24 Hello Kitty © 2025 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. L655449 Suika Game © 2021 Aladdin X Inc. ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]

McDonald's fans fuming as fast food chain quietly puts menu prices up
McDonald's fans fuming as fast food chain quietly puts menu prices up

Metro

time04-07-2025

  • Business
  • Metro

McDonald's fans fuming as fast food chain quietly puts menu prices up

McDonald's fans have been sharing their outrage online after spotting that the popular fast food chain has raised some of its prices recently. Customers took to Reddit to claim that Fries, Happy Meals and the Wrap of the Day deal all cost more in July than they had in previous months. But after taking a closer look at the menu, it seems these aren't the only items that have had a price hike. Chicken Nuggets, Big Macs and Wraps have all become a little more expensive, with noticeable changes to the Saver Menu as well. In 2023, a Double Cheeseburger cost just £1.99, but by the end of 2024, it was £2.29. In July 2025 on the McDonald's app it's gone up again to £2.49. Similarly, a Big Mac was £4.69 in June, but it's now £4.89 on the McDonald's app and £5.59 to order via Deliveroo. A nine-piece box of Chicken McNuggets cost £5.09 to order from McDonald's in June 2025, but in July the price has risen to £5.19 on the McDonald's app and £6.19 on Deliveroo. In terms of the Saver Menu, most items have become 10p more expensive, with Small Fries rising from £1.19 to £1.29, the Mayo Chicken going from £1.39 to £1.49 and the classic Hamburger now costing £1.29 instead of £1.19. A small Americano or White Coffee has risen from £1.39 to £1.49 and small soft drinks are £1.29 as opposed to the previous price of £1.19. The Mini Core McFlurry, like Smarties and Oreo have also gone up. They were £1.29 each, but according to the McDonald's app they're now £1.49. Another noticeable price change is on the Katsu Wrap, which launched at McDonald's UK in December 2024. At the end of 2024 and start of 2025 it was £3.49 as a single item and £5.29 as part of a meal, but it's now £3.79 on its own and £5.39 for a meal. And yes, the Wrap of the Day deal has also gotten pricier, changing from £1.99 earlier this year to £2.29 now. Taking to the r/McDonald'sUK sub on Reddit, fans of the chain claimed they were 'done' after seeing some of the new prices. A user known as u/HawaiiNintendo815 said: 'Chippy food is far better priced than McDonald's and you're getting way more food for just a bit more money.' And u/ThrowawaySunnyLane responded to the Wrap of the Day change, proclaiming: 'If that's nationwide, I'm done with Maccies, that was my last little pleasure with them.' Similarly, u/4kreso wasn't happy, writing: 'Damn we got two large Big Arch and two McFlurry as and was £32. Literally done with McDonald's now. There's no justification for these increases.' While u/mr_xcoii commented: 'First they took away Chili Double Cheeseburger & Triple Cheeseburger and now they increase every price, f**k McDonald's actually.' However, some users pointed out that the delivery price was always going to be higher when ordering fast food, with u/Virtual_Remote_8467 posting: 'That's the delivery price. You're going to pay more, as they have to pay the delivery companies commission on the orders.' While u/colawarsveteran was tired of people complaining, adding: 'Why keep moaning. Just stop buying!' A McDonald's spokesperson confirmed to Metro that prices had been reviewed recently and some had risen as a result. They said: 'We refuse to compromise on the quality of our ingredients – and that means when these ingredients cost more, we have to review our prices. More Trending 'Raising some prices means we are able to stand by our quality commitments, like our beef patties being made from 100% British and Irish beef or our Chicken McNuggets being made from 100% chicken breast. 'We know how much these mean to our customers. Providing value remains an absolute priority. We continue to work tirelessly to ensure that every customer has a value offering that works for them. This includes weekly app offers that sit alongside always on value offers like our incredibly popular Wrap of the Day, and of course, our Saver Menu.' This comes after McDonald's recently launched the brand new Double Filet-O-Fish, making a change to the iconic burger for the first time in 50 years. View More » And the fast food chain has also confirmed Squishmallows will be returning to Happy Meals in July. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: £55 Three-course sharing dinner and champagne in The Shard: 10 unmissable Time Out deals MORE: We tried London's 'incredibly chic' fried chicken – this is how it compares to KFC MORE: The Double Filet-O-Fish has arrived — but McDonald's fans have one issue with it Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.

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