A new Happy Meal toy line is launching at McDonald’s restaurants nationwide on December 26—my birthday, BTW. McDonald’s announced on Tuesday, December 19, that after a successful launch in select global markets earlier this year, the Squishmallows Happy Meal is finally making its U.S. debut this Winter.
Like the Beanie Babies fandom of the ‘90s, Squishmallows fans are fiercely devoted to the adorable plushies, with folks showing off their hundreds-strong collections on TikTok, where the hashtag #squishmallows has an astonishing 6.3 billion views.
Since the McDonald’s partnership has already launched in other global markets, like the Halloween-themed Squishmallows offered in the U.K. and Ireland, U.S.-based collectors have hoped the collab would reach the States for a while. “The Squishmallows Happy Meal has taken the world by storm,” said Gerhard Runken, Senior Vice President of Brand and Marketing at Jazwares. “We are excited to bring the program to our millions of fans in the U.S. with fun new ways to collect and connect with the Squishmallows brand.”
Given the hype surrounding this collaboration, the Squishmallows Happy Meal is primed to be a popular run. Read on to learn more about the next Happy Meal fad.
When is the Squishmallows Happy Meal coming to McDonald’s?
Now that I live in the boonies, I have a brand-new appreciation for McDonald’s. That’s saying something, too. I was already in love with the fast food chain. However, when it takes over an hour to drive to the closest one, each bite is even tastier.
Even if distance does make the heart grow fonder, there is a big downside to living so far from the closest McDonald’s: When a new Happy Meal toy is introduced, you must plan to go as soon as possible, or else you’re up Soda Creek without a straw. Take it from this Pioneer Person: the sooner you can make it to one of the restaurants to get your hands on one of these adorable Squishys, the better. With popular Happy Meal collabs, supplies tend to run out fast, especially in the boonies. So, to make sure that you get at least one Squishmallow Happy Meal toy, start planning your post-Christmas (a.k.a. Boxing Day) drive-thru trip now, as the Squishmallows officially arrive at McDonald’s across the U.S. on December 26.
How many Squishmallow characters can be collected?
With the Squishmallow Happy Meal, fans can collect up to 12 Squishmallow characters by purchasing a Happy Meal—while supplies last. The line-up includes 10 fan-favorite classic Squishmallow characters: Cam the Cat, Fifi the Fox, Maui the Pineapple, Gordon the Shark, Archie the Axolotl, Kevin the Koala, Sunny the Bee, Prince the Pug, Hans the Hedgehog, and Michaela the Cheetah. Plus, there’s at least one new Squishmallow to welcome to the plushy universe: everyone’s favorite McDonaldland icon, purple bestie, and viral shake muse, Grimace. And that’s not all—there’s also a surprise mystery character that select fans may discover when they open their Happy Meal toy.
Each Squishmallows character is stylized with music notes and/or headphones, and there’s a fun reason for that: In a Happy Meal toy first, each character comes with an exclusive personality playlist courtesy of Universal Music Group. By scanning the QR code on the Happy Meal box, families can access their Squish’s unique playlist, each of which has been carefully curated based on their fun personalities.
(featured image: McDonald’s / Kelly Toys Holdings, LLC)
