McDonald’s releasing 50 Disney themed Happy Meal toys

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McDonald’s is partnering with Disney to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World by distributing 50 different Happy Meal toys.

The toys will start appearing in Happy Meals starting Sept. 14, 2021, and were designed especially for Happy Meals.

Some will also come dressed in what Disney is called “EARidescent” outfits that mirror the specially designed clothing that select Disney characters will wear at the parks from Oct. 1, 2021 through April 1, 2023 as part of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” event.

Toys will range from Star Wars to “Little Mermaid characters to Jiminy Cricket.

Happy Meals will also start coming in special, limited edition cartons featuring Disney World themed art on Sept. 14.

Customers who order and pay through the McDonald’s app are also eligible to be entered into a contest to win a trip to Disney World.

Last November, McDonald’s offered miniature versions of some of the most famous Disney park attractions in Happy Meals.

As with all Happy Meals, there’s typically no way to know what toy will be included with each meal, which is a marketing gimmick to get people to buy more meals in order to “collect them all.”

Most restaurants simply instruct workers to grab a random toy from the storage container when assembling a Happy Meal (in some instances, the toys have been packaged in non-see through bags to prevent store employees from being able to tell, at least at a glance, what’s inside).

With 50 toys in the lineup, that could lead to some pretty intense buying by diehard Disney fans.

Some McDonald’s restaurants sell toys separately to help prevent people buying dozens or even hundreds of Happy Meals that they don’t plan on eating and buy just for the toys.

With particularly desirable toys, third party sales on sites such as eBay often start popping up as well.

Happy Meal toys have come under criticism for issues surrounding childhood obesity, with some arguing that they encourage children to buy less healthy food because of the toys. Some areas require meals with toys included for “free” meet certain nutritional standards, though McDonald’s has gotten around this by adding a 10 cent “fee” for the toy.

The toys also have been criticized for generating waste in the form of the packaging and bags themselves — which both tend to be made of plastic.