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New Article: McDonald’s Halloween Happy Meals Tribute!

Here's a new article covering some of McDonald's best Halloween Happy Meals, including a quick look at what dey got goin on this year. Several old favorites are covered -- spooky McNuggets, costumed McDonaldland figures, treat certificates, and yes, my personal favorite, the holy "McBoo Trick-Or-Treat Pails." I loved those things; they're actually one of the things I always kept on my mind to review for this October. Finally, the day has come. And now I'm glad it's over. Now I can put away that small part of me who constantly nagged every nerve in my body to write about McBoo pails. It's over, it's finally over. Happy Halloween. Updating the Countdown in a few minutes...

Posted by Matt on 10/23/2003. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 78 comments

My neighbor has the mcboo pails hanging on their tree. And yes..they "decorate" for Halloween as much as they do for Christmas. It’s really windy out today..and if one blows off…I’m gonna steal it!!

Chestnuts roasted by Brenna @ 10/24/2003 1:19 PM

Ah the pillowcase, I remember it well. I used to carry a pillowcase in my mcboo pail for when it filled up. And as for McD’s Hallowe’en promos, I have a cassette laying around of Ronald McDonald singing "What Am I gonna be for Hallowe’en?" I remember one line which begs the question, "Should I be something frightful, or something more delightful?"

My condolences on the passing of your chinchilla, Matt.

Chestnuts roasted by Linda @ 10/24/2003 5:01 PM

I just got the Lagoon Green Monster. I asked for a pumpkin pail… no luck. Damn. Oh well, I guess I can use him to get through the dark when my brain tells me I can make it without flipping the switch. Goodbye broken toes.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt (#2?) @ 10/24/2003 6:35 PM

O, dear departed Chilly, you will be missed.

Hey, Matt, if you won’t get another chinchilla, might you get something else equally as odd? Something… sturdy. Something that won’t die… Like a lobster!

Chestnuts roasted by Freezair @ 10/24/2003 10:30 PM

Where can you still get the cardboard box for the happy meal? I have not seen one in at least 6 years. Maybe its just a California thing… any one else been stuck with just the crappy paper bags?

Chestnuts roasted by cdawg @ 10/24/2003 10:52 PM

Funny you should mention that, Freezair. We’ve actually been thinking about buying one from the supermarket to keep. Just not sure what kind of mega filter would be needed, or how much it’d cost. Alternately, I’ve had my eye on those elusive blue crayfish for the past year or so.

CDawg: They’re still around, but it’s no longer a given that you’ll get one. For the ones I’ve reviewed in the past year, in virtually all cases, I had to ask specifically for the box after being handed the food in one of those lame bags. My hunch would be that they try to hoard them for people who are going to complain about not getting one, while giving the bags out to those who seem like they wouldn’t care. Oh yeah, it’s a conspiracy.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 10/24/2003 10:55 PM

It kinda looks like the Hamburgler is supposed to be a bat with a spider on his chest. I couldn’t tell at first, but then I got a look at him on the box. Looks like a bat to me.

Chestnuts roasted by blstnddskrewt @ 10/25/2003 6:26 AM

Ah man…I had forgotten about those McDonalds Halloween coupons. My parents used to give them out at my house but a lot of the kids didn’t care for them. There were some strange kids around my neighborhood. I guess they were more interested in the instant gratification of candy in their bucket…which was fine ’cause there were always plenty of the things left for me and my sibs to split. Goo’ times.

Chestnuts roasted by Lucid @ 10/25/2003 8:28 AM

Really! Huh! Well, if you do get a lobster, we here in the X-E fanbase will be expecting a full article on the antics of Mr. Lobsterman! Actually, I was quoting a line from Lilo & Stitch, though. Lilo and her big sister Nani are at the dog pound, and Nani is explaining their situation to the pound lady: "We need something… sturdy. Something that won’t die…" and Lilo pipes in with, "Like a lobster!"

Chestnuts roasted by Freezair @ 10/25/2003 1:33 PM

Oh, an update on our Halloween McDonald’s stuff. I talked to my mom on Friday. According to her, we had six of the pails – three pumpkins and three ghosts. Alas, she finally got rid of all of them a few years ago. We do, apparently, still have the Chicken McNuggets. She didn’t seem to know where Birdie and Grimace might be (although she may after my brother finally moves all his junk downstairs).

Chestnuts roasted by starwenn @ 10/25/2003 9:45 PM

I think I still have a few of the halloween pails sitting in my basement. I know I have the witch!

Chestnuts roasted by dethstryke @ 10/26/2003 1:37 AM

I think it is… I forgot what I was going to say. whatmind?…neverever?…bye

Chestnuts roasted by blonde-and-proud-of-it-! @ 10/26/2003 6:49 PM

I remember having a ghost, I didn’t like it though because halloween was a sad time for me in my childhood. My mom insisted that Halloween was for devil worship, very sad that pail only reminded me of what I couldn’t do… Even though I didn’t have the heart to throw it away. My daughter will be a pumpkin this year though. All you parents remember that! Excluding your kids from halloween is… well.. excluding them… Love the Mario ghosts next to who posted too.

Chestnuts roasted by Chrono Killer @ 10/26/2003 9:08 PM

The most important part of the McGhost pail was that, and unless I’m totally forgetting my late 80s McDonald’s promotions, it was glow-in-the-dark! Honestly, what better way to make a totally lust-worthy object even better? I may have to check around at my parent’s house when I stop by this weekend, but I’m pretty certain that at least one version glowed.

Chestnuts roasted by Belgand @ 10/27/2003 1:43 AM

I kept all my M.U.S.C.L.E.S. in my McBoo Pail and I DISTINCTLY remember realizing halfway through my trick or treat route, that I had made a grave miscalculation in only bringing McBoo.

Chestnuts roasted by Andrew @ 10/27/2003 8:37 PM

By the way, after watching I Love the 80′s "Strikes Back" and now having read this article about McBoo pails, I think I can say, without a doubt, that the 1985-1986 span of my childhood was hands down the best years of my young life.

Chestnuts roasted by Andrew @ 10/27/2003 8:50 PM

My mom has converted the pails into halloween decorations using old halloween costumes from me and my brother.
Oh and Matt, the Juggalo and ICP reference surprised and pleased me. Anytime I see an ICP-related quip, it always puts a smile on my face. Do you listen to them at all?

Chestnuts roasted by Scott Kupka @ 10/29/2003 3:30 PM

lol i remember having those toys and loving to play with them..now im sitting here wandering why..oh yea cause they had costumes thats why

Chestnuts roasted by MR.FUN @ 01/21/2004 6:03 PM

I had these! I think I still have them in a cabinet it the basement. I never wanted to use the witch either lest I me called a wimp. Remember having to support them from the bottom because the strap was just so damn cheap? I also had one or two of those McNuggets. I loved them! I really need to track some down on ebay or something. Great article.

Chestnuts roasted by realmeanmotorscutor @ 01/25/2004 3:31 PM

I remember those.I was actually rather hurt when thye stopped making them. Sure, you couldn’t hold alot of candy with them, but they became a Halloween tradition for me.

Chestnuts roasted by Dragonrider @ 01/31/2004 4:01 PM

I remember those.I was actually rather hurt when thye stopped making them. Sure, you couldn’t hold alot of candy with them, but they became a Halloween tradition for me.

Chestnuts roasted by Dragonrider @ 01/31/2004 4:01 PM

I have or had all of those items…

Chestnuts roasted by hitokiri_diesel @ 02/24/2004 12:20 PM

I HATE grimace. When I was five a was coming down a slide in the playplace (which I think is a stupid name. I mean, McPlayPlace! DUH!) with such inertia that I could not stop, which resulted in a collision with a metal grimace chair. For the next month I looked like Warf. Not kidding. I still hate grimace. That purple fatso has tormented me for many years. In the future I hope to battle him in my mind, Bruce Li style, and cause him excruciating amounts of pain using various happy meal promotions crafted into weapons.
IDEAS:
Spooky mcnugget shuriken

An Uzi that launches those little guys with detachable arms that are so rare now.

A staff/sword/club made entirely out of plastic baggies melted down and reshaped.

I also plan to shove him into one of those little tubes in the McPlayPlace and leave him to starve. Then give him fecal matter to ingest every few weeks. Then take him out, and dip him in a vat of fleas, crickets, and rabit, hungry hampsters. All in succesion. Then make him look at Gay Porn. Then… hrm… what now…… START OVER AGAIN!! Rinse and repeat until he dies of old age. WHICH IS NEVER SINCE HE IS A MYTHIlOGICAL CHARACTER!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Chestnuts roasted by hitokiri_diesel @ 02/24/2004 12:43 PM

Scared Silly?
There was another commercial advertising these pails I was hoping X-Entertainment’d have!

But sitll, this site has tons! Awesome.

Chestnuts roasted by SoreThumb @ 03/14/2004 1:33 AM

My friend kept a mouse in the green witch one, I remember the airholes on the top….

Chestnuts roasted by Chris @ 05/24/2004 1:38 PM

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