How McDonald's Is Bringing Some Disney Magic To The Pandemic

There are two places that seem to bring joy to many people around the world — McDonald's and Disney World. While one serves up smiles with delicious bundles of golden fries, chicken nuggets, and juicy burgers, the other serves up smiles through the joy and magic of being a kid (even for nostalgic adults). This season, McDonald's is looking to share some of Disney's cheer and magic with their latest collaboration on the iconic Happy Meal. The two happiness giants will be releasing 10 new limited edition Happy Meal toys in an effort to bring some joy during the pandemic, according to Today. 

Disney Parks explains that the toys will also celebrate both Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse's birthdays. The collection of toys, which is called Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, is said to feature Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, and Daisy riding some of the most memorable attractions located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The collectibles are said to form a ten-car train that will be anchored by Goofy.

The Happy Meal got its joyous start in the United States a whopping 40 years ago (that's a lot of years of happiness), an Insider report states. Although McDonald's was founded in 1955, it wasn't until 1979 that the Happy Meal first made its appearance on menus everywhere. But where exactly did the idea for a pint-sized menu for kids blossom from? According to Insider, we can all thank the very innovative Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño. Fernández de Cofiño, an employee for the company in Guatemala, created the "Menu Ronald" for kids combining a small hamburger, small fries, and a small sundae. 

Prior to Fernández de Cofiño's idea, the closest thing to a Happy Meal before that was the company's Treat of the Week, which gave kids a special toy with their regular meal. Fernández de Cofiño's idea eventually caught the eye of executives in the United States, leading advertising executive Bob Bernstein to tweak her idea just a bit. Bernstein decided that the company would switch out the sundae for a toy, and the rest was history.