McDonald’s fans race to restaurants over ‘nostalgic’ Happy Meal toys: ‘consider me done for’

Fast food fans can now purchase ‘nostalgic’ Happy Meal toys at McDonald’s.

The restaurant empire brought back its fan-favorite Happy Meal toys for a limited time at participating locations nationwide on January 21.

The promotion, which McDonald’s dubbed ‘Dragon Discovery,’ gives customers the chance to score a Pokémon card pack with their meals.

‘Catch me at McDonald’s tomorrow ordering a happy meal all for the Pokémon cards,’ an X user tweeted.

Each meal comes with a four-card pack, a double-sided poster, and stickers.

The fast-food chain has 15 cards in this year’s collection with characters like Eevee, Hatenna, and Jigglypuff.

Customers’ ‘Dragon Discovery’ Happy Meal comes in one of four Pokémon-themed boxes featuring Charizard, Dragonite & Pikachu, Rayquaza, and Roaring Moon.

The cards will only be available until February 24, and caused a social media frenzy on X.

Several X users were thrilled to learn about the return of the Pokémon cards.

‘Second day, I’m going to McDonald’s with my boys for the new pokemon happy meal. Sorry, not sorry,’ an X user tweeted.

‘Bruhhhh thoose are so sick really hoping I will be able to snag some,’ another X user wrote.

‘And it’s perfect to end it on February because is their 29th anniversary of Pokemon,’ a fan pointed out on X.

Others were more interested in thinking about the scalpers that will only purchase the cards and not the Happy Meals.

‘Finally a use for my reward points. Unless the scalpers get them first. Somehow,’ an X user wrote.

‘I can already see scalpers in the drive-thru, “Uhhhhh, I’ll take 100 happy meals, all chicken nuggets with extra fries,”‘ another X user joked.

‘Cant wait for scalpers to buy over 100 happy meals just so they can have the cards and sell them over high prices,’ a fan tweeted.

‘You get the older Sets for like less than 5 Bucks. This wont be any different,’ a fan responded. 

The Pokémon cards became an annual toy at McDonald’s in 2011, and collections have been released nearly every year since.

All cards usually have exclusive McDonald’s numbering, and its holo cards (cards with shiny finish) have confetti-patterned holofoil only used for the restaurant chain’s promotions. 

From 2011 to 2019, McDonald’s included 12 Pokémon cards in its yearly collections in the US.

The fast food empire updated its collection to include 25 cards in 2021.

The company then trimmed the card collections down to 15 for its 2022 2023 collections.

McDonald’s did not hold the annual promotion at its US locations in 2013, 2020, and 2024.

However, the fast food chain made up for it by starting it up in New Zealand and France last year and will launch it in Austria later this month.

Besides the Pokémon promotion, McDonald’s is running its $5 Meal Deal and Buy One, Add One for $1 offers on its all-new McValue platform.

McDonald’s franchisees nationwide are also offering special deals on fan-favorite products, according to the company’s press release.

‘I’ll admit – it’s tough to choose between some of my favorites sometimes, but now I don’t have to,’ McDonald’s ‘Value Champion‘ John Cena said. 

The fast food chain finished off its third quarter on September 30, 2024, with $6.87 billion in revenue.

Experts at Forbes have predicted McDonald’s total revenue for the fiscal 2024 year will be $26.2 billion.

The 2024 fiscal year results will be announced in its upcoming earnings report, which is set to be released on February 10.