I honestly cannot say that McDonald’s happy meals have changed in the thirty years since I was a child. Sure, the toys are different and the bags represent different cartoons and such now, but they truly haven’t changed. The prices have doubled over time, which has happened to everything. I buy my toddler a happy meal now and I swear that the hamburgers are the exact same that they were 30 years ago. They may have gotten a bit smaller though. I remember the excitement of knowing that I was going to McDonald’s and hoping that the prize was something really amazing. Of course, the toys weren’t ever all that wonderful, and still aren’t – from an adult’s perspective. But for children, those generic and cheap toys can mean hours of entertainment and fun. It can also mean that every few days you’ll find your child begging to go to McDonald’s to collect the newest released toy from the Happy Meal. I can remember my mother digging through boxes of toys to point out to the employees which toy I still needed. The looks on their faces wasn’t happiness. The things parents do for their children is phenomenal. I vowed that I’d never be the kind of mom that goes to that extreme. However, a few days ago I found myself asking the employees what toys they had left. I wanted to get a Happy Meal for my daughter with a toy that she didn’t receive yet. Finally, after five minutes, I found one that she would absolutely love. I’ve become my mother. I can however, remember when the employees would fill and hand out drinks to us. I’d carry my little happy meal box and my small soda to a table, feeling like I’d just won the lottery. Today, most McDonald’s allow you to get your own sodas. It does cut down on time but it can also turn out to be quite a mess for customers. It amazes me that it is now 30 years later and I’m watching my child walk around carrying a happy meal box with a huge smile on her face. She never complains about the toys being too pointless. She doesn’t tell me that the fries are cold or the hamburger is shriveled up and little. She simply sips her Sprite and eats her food – as happily as can be. For all of the time that happy meals have been in existence, it is great to know that they’re still making people smile.

I honestly cannot say that McDonald’s happy meals have changed in the thirty years since I was a 

 child. Sure, the toys are different and the bags represent different cartoons and such now, but they truly haven’t changed. The prices have doubled over time, which has happened to everything. I buy my toddler a happy meal now and I swear that the hamburgers are the exact same that they were 30 years ago. They may have gotten a bit smaller though.

I remember the excitement of knowing that I was going to McDonald’s and hoping that the prize was something really amazing. Of course, the toys weren’t ever all that wonderful, and still aren’t – from an adult’s perspective. But for children, those generic and cheap toys can mean hours of entertainment and fun. It can also mean that every few days you’ll find your child begging to go to McDonald’s to collect the newest released toy from the Happy Meal. I can remember my mother digging through boxes of toys to point out to the employees which toy I still needed. The looks on their faces wasn’t happiness. The things parents do for their children is phenomenal. I vowed that I’d never be the kind of mom that goes to that extreme. However, a few days ago I found myself asking the employees what toys they had left. I wanted to get a Happy Meal for my daughter with a toy that she didn’t receive yet. Finally, after five minutes, I found one that she would absolutely love. I’ve become my mother.



I can however, remember when the employees would fill and hand out drinks to us. I’d carry my little happy meal box and my small soda to a table, feeling like I’d just won the lottery. Today, most McDonald’s allow you to get your own sodas. It does cut down on time but it can also turn out to be quite a mess for customers. It amazes me that it is now 30 years later and I’m watching my child walk around carrying a happy meal box with a huge smile on her face. She never complains about the toys being too pointless. She doesn’t tell me that the fries are cold or the hamburger is shriveled up and little. She simply sips her Sprite and eats her food – as happily as can be. For all of the time that happy meals have been in existence, it is great to know that they’re still making people smile.