The McDonald's Happy Meal Toy You Are, Based On Your Zodiac Sign

Do you have fond memories of collecting McDonald's Happy Meal toys? The toy, or prize, was usually the best part, and for many adults collecting the toys is a major hobby. McDonald's changes the toys it offers in the meals every few weeks, so if one month the toys don't seem that exciting to you, just wait because another toy will soon come along. But sometimes it's not just a boring toy that makes you want to wait. Sometimes, you want a special Happy Meal toy that will speak to a core part of your personality, such as your zodiac sign. And you can find those toys because the sheer variety that McDonald's has offered over the years contains something for everyone.

By the way, since there's always at least one person who asks, there's no hidden 13th zodiac sign in tropical astrology (which is the type of astrology used in most U.S. horoscopes that you find in papers and magazines). There is another constellation called Ophiuchus, and the sun passes through it from late November to the middle of December. But Ophiuchus is not normally used in astrology readings, so don't worry if you don't see it listed among these McDonald's Happy Meal toys. So, read on and find out which toy suits your zodiac sign.

Go, Aries, go! You're the driven first sign of the zodiac, ready to get moving and direct your energy toward practical matters. You've got the confidence and willpower to go far, and you need a Happy Meal toy to match all that power. You're in luck because it's a toy that's shown up in Happy Meals at least once a year in most years since 1988: Hot Wheels cars.

You're driven to succeed, so of course you're getting a toy involving driving and power. Hot Wheels are a Happy Meal staple, occasionally showing up in partnership with another organization, such as NASCAR in 1998. These aren't mini versions, by the way; these are actual Hot Wheels that you can use on your Hot Wheels tracks. One interesting note: Early on in Happy Meal history, McDonald's started offering the occasional gendered pair of toys. If you requested a boy's Happy Meal, you'd get one toy, but requesting a girl's Happy Meal would get you a different toy. Hot Wheels was often paired up with Barbie, and this partnership appeared again and again over the years.

Taurus, you're the sign of beauty, persistence, money, luxury, and the good life. Even if you think you have a fairly basic existence, chances are you really like your creature comforts and aren't above admiring those rich and famous lifestyles. So, your Happy Meal toy might not make much sense at first, but stick with it: the Teenie Beanie Babies, which were mini versions of the famous Beanie Babies. Why on earth are you supposed to have these little stuffed animals? Yes, they're soft and cute, but they're still stuffed animals. Those don't seem so luxurious at first.

However, Beanie Babies, including the Teenie Beanies, were highly sought after by collectors. The Teenie set is worth a lot now, and while collector prices can fluctuate, this set sometimes commands prices in the four digits, depending on the set's condition and completeness. That means these toys have value and represent profit, two things that anyone into luxury lifestyles will appreciate. McDonald's first included the Teenie version of the Beanie Babies in 1997, but the toys have appeared several times over the years. They appeared in Happy Meals as recently as 2021.

Gemini, your Happy Meal toy is one of the most straightforward matches ever: the Happy Readers series, or any of the other books that McDonald's has offered throughout the years. You're the sign of writing, reading, communication, and analysis, so it's only natural that you'd be paired up with the many sets of books that McDonald's has offered since 1982. As of March 2024, the most recent set was offered in early 2023.

By the way, these books aren't just McDonald's vanity projects that star the company's characters. These are stories from authors such as Roald Dahl and Cressida Cowell, and well-known titles such as "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie." Sets have featured characters such as the Muppet Babies and Peter Rabbit, and some have focused on educational subjects like the rainforest. Whether you're a fan of fiction or want to pass on knowledge about the planet, these books are the Happy Meal toys for you.

Cancer, you're often seen as caring, parental, emotional, and sensitive. You're supposed to be cute and adorable, and you can be, of course. But there's a lot more going on under the surface than people realize (or want to admit), and the metaphorical shell that people like to say you're hiding in is actually one heck of a boundary that you don't want people crossing. That's why your Happy Meal toy is a Furby.

When the original Furby was released in 1998, rumors started flying that the toy was a spy tool. The Furby could "learn" English words, and when two Furbies were together, they would interact without a human doing anything. There were so many fears about the toys having hidden recording devices that a rumor began that the NSA had banned Furbies from its offices (this rumor is still unproven). The manufacturer of the Furby said there were no recording devices, and that the English words were pre-programmed into the toy, which would gradually start using more and more of the vocabulary. Just like the Furby, you're cute on the outside, but people may not understand what's really going on in your head.

McDonald's has released two different mini versions of Furby toys in 1998 and 2000. The 1998 toys were mainly plastic with a tuft of hair on top, moveable eyes, and a switch in back that you'd press to make the eyelids flutter. The 2000 set consisted of soft Furbies with plastic clips.

Who recently roared onto the silver screen with a record-breaking comedy that made pink the color of the year? Barbie, of course, and the leadership, glitz, and glamor that were on display were totally you in a nutshell, Leo. It's not a coincidence that your sign is associated with lions as you charge ahead, ready to lead your family and friends into the full glare of a spotlight. You're social, adventurous, and set on generating compliments, just like Barbie.

Barbie has been a Happy Meal mainstay for decades, so you have your choice of toys. However, we'd suggest focusing on the sets released after 1992 as those were the first to have actual doll hair that you could play with instead of a painted layer that was supposed to look like hair. Overall, this leading lady showed up in Happy Meals starting in 1990 and again in most years of the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Sets typically included different Barbies in different professions or scenarios, and some included additional dolls like Skipper, Ken, and other friends.

Virgo, you're a special case because your Happy Meal toy was not the first one we thought of. You need something that honors your commitment to being healthy and getting things right, but the supposed first choice encountered problems that did not get things right. Luckily, the alternative is still appropriate, so your toy is the Michael Jordan Fitness Fun Set. This was a group of toys that were mini versions of sports equipment, including a flying disc, inflatable soccer balls and basketballs, foam baseballs and footballs, a jump rope, a stopwatch, and a straw-topped bottle. The set was released in 1991 and included pamphlets about each toy plus advice from Jordan.

Athletics is often associated more with Sagittarius instead of Virgo, so why did you end up with these toys and not, say, the Step-It fitness tracker that was offered in 2016? A fitness tracker would be an amazing match for you, but the Step-It was recalled after several children suffered skin irritation, blisters, and burns from the back of the tracker. Granted, with your eye for detail and devotion to health, you probably could have figured out what was causing the problem and developed a workaround. But you want your Happy Meal toy to work well from the start, and a recalled fitness tracker is not an optimal choice. Plus, the tracker was really just a glorified pedometer on a wristband, and the Jordan set offered way more in terms of usability.

Libra, your sense of harmony and justice may be your more stereotypical trait, but with a ruler like Venus, your love of art and fashion stands out, as well. You're quite the stylish sign, and shopping with your squad of friends may be a frequent event in your life. You need a Happy Meal toy that's social and spectacular, one that promotes harmony and group activities — and that toy is anything from the many lines of Sanrio characters. Hello Kitty and her friends have been together for decades, embodying the concept of group harmony and friendship.

Sanrio toys first showed up in Happy Meals in 2000, coming back in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 in the U.S. Japanese McDonald's locations had Hello Kitty toys as recently as the end of 2023 in honor of the character's 50th birthday in 2024.

Possibly the most Libran of these is the 2016 set, which consisted of eight adorable "buildings" that all contained character figurines and stickers. For example, the Hello Kitty House toy had a red plastic house along with a Hello Kitty toy and stickers, and the Chococat Furniture Store toy had a yellow plastic storefront along with a Chococat figurine and stickers, and so on. One of the buildings was a hot pink "fashion boutique" where another Hello Kitty toy could sit in the window, and this is right up your alley, Libra.

Scorpio, you may think you're a brooding enigma — and yeah, some of you are — but you're also a sign of secrets, discretion, anything hidden, and even combat. Your Happy Meal toy is Inspector Gadget, a group of eight separate pieces that all worked on their own but would combine to form an Inspector Gadget figurine. Did we mention you're also the sign of obsession? Because that was necessary if you wanted to ensure you got each piece by buying Happy Meals again and again.

Inspector Gadget actually showed up twice, in 1999 and 2003. However, it's the 1999 version that's totally you, and you are going to love this. Each component of the figurine had its own function that made it perfect for spycraft. The head-and-torso portion actually produced sparks, thankfully contained within a transparent case in the torso. The front portion of the torso made sounds, the hat had a propeller, and there was even a small watch. Another arm could pick things up; you'd press a button that made the hand move in a grasping motion. One leg opened up to reveal plastic pliers, and the other was a flashlight. And if someone discovered you slinking around, you could use the remaining arm as a squirt gun. Once you had all the parts, you could put them together to form Inspector Gadget.

Sagittarius, you often get stereotyped as being all about optimism, travel, law, and a stunning aversion to commitment. But you're also the sign of publishing, performing, comedy, and higher education, and McDonald's has the perfect Happy Meal toy for you: the Tiny Toon Adventures set. In fact, there are four sets that you can choose from, although two specific sets may be easier to find.

The cartoon focused on younger versions of the Looney Tunes stars, all of whom were students at Acme Looniversity, learning the animation ropes from the likes of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. The students would routinely get caught up in shenanigans and drive their teachers nuts. This is a perfectly Sagittarian show, with its university setting and tons of jokes.

McDonald's brought Tiny Toons around four times. The first was in 1990, the second in 1991 as "flip cars" (little cars with one character on one side and another on the flip side), the third in 1992 as "wacky rollers" where the cars performed some little trick, and the fourth as part of the Happy Meal's 15th anniversary. The flip cars and wacky rollers are the toys for you, especially if you are one of those Sagittarians who really do like travel.

Capricorn, everyone thinks you should be in a business suit, making money. While fiscal prowess is part of your sign, you're also the sign of responsibility and consistency — the adult in the room, and not an easy one to find toys for. Your Happy Meal toy, believe it or not, is Tamagotchi. Yes, the little egg-shaped toy that required users to care for a computerized pet is yours. You're the one who's responsible enough to ensure the best care, and your drive to succeed would help see you and that pet through. You're loyal to your family and love having a comfortable home, which are both perfect for raising a little one.

But if caring for an electronic pet isn't for you, you'll be glad to hear that the McDonald's Happy Meal versions were mere lookalike toys that had different functions. The actual Tamagotchi toys that were so popular in the late 1990s involved checking in on and caring for a small pet that needed occasional "feeding" and other care. McDonald's version, released in 1998, was a keychain that opened up to reveal another toy or function. There were nine different versions, and they included things like a small wind-up toy inside the main egg, a flashlight, and additional keychain designs.

Aquarius, you're an innovative trendsetter, creating and using new technology and forging your own path. You believe in utopia and societal equity, and science is often at the root of your belief system. For you, the Star Trek: The Motion Picture set of toys is the best.

Gene Roddenberry famously described the original Star Trek series as "Wagon Train to the Stars," which sounds kind of Sagittarian with all the exploration and travel. But the series focused not only on exploration, but also on the ethics of contacting unknown species and the development of a fair society where people supported each other. The technology of the series was so captivating that it influenced the designs of some real-life devices, including flip phones, floppy disks, and flash drives. All of this is in your realm, Aquarius!

These Happy Meal toys were released in 1979 and came in a comic-festooned box that had five versions with spotlights on different characters. The toys themselves included four different iron-ons, four different rings, a fold-out paper game board, a bracelet, and a small "video communicator" that contained a comic.

Pisces, you've got two different toys to choose from: Sleeping Beauty (1997) or the Flutterbye Fairies (2014). You're the sign of dreams, fantasy, magic, myth, imagination, art, spirituality, and illusion, so what better toy for you than one from a fairy tale — or some actual toy fairies?

Yours is a creative sign, and the desire to make art and write is strong. If these are the Piscean traits you want to match with a toy, choose Sleeping Beauty. Released in 1997 (you'll find some sources claiming it was 1996), the set consists of six different figurines that doubled as writing and school supplies. A large raven worked as both a book and pencil clip, Maleficent came with a ruler and stencil, Prince Philip had a paint palette and brush, grandmotherly fairy Flora was a paper punch, the dragon was an awesome pen (imagine getting to use that in class as a kid), and Sleeping Beauty and her spinning wheel functioned as a pencil topper and eraser.

If you prefer to focus on your love of imagination and illusion, the 2014 Flutterbye Fairy set is your thing. This was a group of six toys that involved balancing, flying, and spinning. Some toys required you to push or otherwise manipulate the toy, but others just relied on letting part of the figurine balance on a point.