Retrotalk : Food : Mcdonalds McMemories and McThoughts

I definitely remember the whole "box as toy" concept. They were made of a really flimsy plastic-I think we had one shaped like a tugboat and one shaped like a UFO (probably around the introduction of CosMc)-the pumpkin candy buckets and beach pails are still in my parents' garage.  view

I definitely remember the whole "box as toy" concept. They were made of a really flimsy plastic-I think we had one shaped like a tugboat and one shaped like a UFO (probably around the introduction of CosMc)-the pumpkin candy buckets and beach pails are still in my parents' garage.  view

These days, I don't eat at McDonald's that much, but when I was a kid, I had some really fond memories.

When I turned seven, for instance, I had my birthday party at McDonald's, and I got to invite six of my first grade classmates to join in the festivities. It was a typical party. At the time, our PlayLand had the typical slides, but we had this vintage carousel where instead of horses, you could ride on likenesses of Fryguys, Birdie and the Hamburglar. (this was back in 1988) Sadly, in '90, they retired the carousel for good, but ah...what memories.

For my 13th birthday, I took 3 friends with me for a "grown-up" party, where we proceeded to throw french fries and Chicken McNuggets at each other. Heck, at thirteen, we were still kids!

The only thing that I'm kind of sad about is that the Happy Meal toys aren't as good as they once were. Maybe it's just me, but the newer toys look like they aren't as original or well-crafted as the previous ones I grew up with.  view

I loved McDonald's as a kid! Man, that was THE place to go! Anyway, like you Jughead, I don't eat there much anymore. A few days ago I decided to stop and get a Value Meal, but when I pulled in the drive thru, the whole menu was different!! There were endless choices, and it was too confusing. I miss the days of simply ordering a Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with cheese, Chicken or Fish sandwich, Nuggets, or a burger (plain or with cheese). Now, it seems like you have to make 10 different decisions just to eat!
Oh and on the Happy Meals....my only disappointment is that they don't come in the the little cardboard "lunchbox" containers with cookies anymore.  view

Oh, I have to respectfully disagree with giving kids cartoons in the restaurant. If those kids are going to eat the scary preservatives and calories as located in a McDonalds hamburger (or especially the fries-- have you seen the special feature on the Super Size Me DVD called the "smoking fry"? It will blow your mind) they need to play on the playground like we did when we were kids. I have vivid memories of the spinning hamburger (like the Disney teacup ride.)

I don't eat at MickeyD's at all anymore. But we did eat there a lot (I'll say once a week) when I was a kid. I loved-loved-LOVED the Disney tie-in toys. I was doing some research about Ebay yesterday and happened upon a great many of ones I'd forgotten from my youth. (Even a Kit Cloudkicker one, which I promptly PMed to Tom Cloudkicker.) The Bambi ones, the Bearnstein Bear ones, especially those Muppet Babies ones. That is a chunk-o-my-childhood. And some of yours, too, so if you don't mind I'll reply to myself in this thread and upload a few of them to the server.  view

Here's a little collage of all the CRAPPY toys that were around when I was getting happy meals! Kids today are so lucky! Check out the pieces of garbage I got in MY childhood Happy Meals!  view

Well, I miss the days when McDonald's was all about Ronald McDonald and McDonaldland. All of the corny commercials, characters and the cool stuff like McDonald's calendars, coin keepers, Happy Lids, (mini frisbees), stickers, fun boxes, glasses, all w/ our friends from McDonaldland on them. And when you could get the gift certificates for 50 cents each or a book of ten for $5. When they would have special shakes at different times of the year. When you could get a whole meal for under a buck, and still have some left for McDonaldland cookies. I remember wishing that I could meet Ronald at one of those Grand Openings, but since I lived in the city, and Ronald only visited the burbs, it was not meant to be. I miss when going to McDonald's was a TREAT and not just b/c Mommy just didn't have time to cook. I rue the day the "Happy Meal" was invented. At first they were just for special occasions like school starting and offered you a cool school related thing like a ruler or something. Even when they had their joke books it was OK. But The "Star Trek" meal was the beginning of the end IMO. I hate that kids associate McD's w/ the latest movie, TV show or gimmick, and not know the pure joy of just going to McDonald's for its own sake.  view

I've been searching for this picture FOREVER and I finally found it!

I know this topic is REALLY old, but I gotta post this. It's the coolest Halloween costume ever.

Here it is. My friend Jen's brother dressed as "Mac Tonight" from the McDonalds commercial in 1987!


Shot at 2007-07-24





Talk about a RANDOM costume choice!  view

I've been searching for this picture FOREVER and I finally found it!

I know this topic is REALLY old, but I gotta post this. It's the coolest Halloween costume ever.

Here it is. My friend Jen's brother dressed as "Mac Tonight" from the McDonalds commercial in 1987!


Shot at 2007-07-24


Talk about a RANDOM costume choice!  view