McDonald's Fans Told Mashed Their Favorite '90s Happy Meal Toy - Exclusive Survey
For many '90s kids, going to Mcdonald's was like taking a trip to paradise. The bright colors, the Play Place, the finger foods, and — above all — the Happy Meal made the iconic fast food chain a cornucopia of fun for the young and the young at heart. Nation's Restaurant News reported that around 30% of parties that frequent the chain are family groups. Data research company Sense360 estimated the fast food giant made $10 million on Happy Meals every day in 2017. That revenue came from selling 3.2 million Happy Meals daily, per Forbes.
McDonald's began serving Happy Meals in 1979, according to Quality Logo Products Blog. Originally packaged in a circus-themed box, it included fries, cookies, a soda, and one of several different toys. A few toy options that came in the Happy Meal included "McDoodler" Stencils and "McWrist Wallets." The toys that come with a Happy Meal have traveled a journey of change since then. In 1982, the company had to recall 10 million Playmobil toys because they were a choking hazard for kids under three years old. The '90s were marked by a few fun, distinct toy offerings so we asked our readers which Happy Meal toy from the decade was their favorite — the answer may surprise you.
Hot Wheels win the race for number one
Few experiences match the joy and surprise of cracking open a Happy Meal to find a mystery toy inside. Those toys have varied widely over the years, but a Mashed survey just revealed the ones most loved by customers in the '90s. According to the survey, Hot Wheels toys were the most popular treat to accompany the famous Happy Meal. Of 582 survey participants, 211 said Hot Wheels were their favorite. That equals about 36.25%.
According to Complex, these tiny toy cars were the best-selling Mcdonald's toys of all time. They were also the most commonly featured toy in the Happy Meal, appearing more than 15 times in the first 25 years of serving the product.
The Mashed survey revealed that Teenie Beanie Babies were the second most popular choice of Happy Meal Toys in the '90s, with 152 votes from 26.12% of survey participants. Disney Masterpiece Collection (11.68%), My Little Pony (10.65%), and Mini Furbies (8.25%) also received a shoutout.