McDonald’s recently revamped its British menu for May and also reinstating beloved burgers and sugary delights An iconic plaything from the '90s is also joining the lineup.
Starting from May 14, the popular fast food chain Will once more offer Pokémon-themed Happy Meals, including special trading cards as part of the deal.
Over the years, Maccies has collaborated multiple times with the video game series, releasing different Pokémon card collections and toys – every time these partnerships create quite a buzz as enthusiasts attempt to gather them all.
In 2021, things escalated in the United States when limits were imposed on how many Pokémon Happy Meals customers could purchase. The reason was that scalpers were buying large quantities to resell the card sets at inflated prices. thousands of pounds on eBay.
At present, a HappyMeal in the UK is priced at £4.09. To provide some context, investing £1,000 in these trading cards would equate to purchasing approximately 250 kids’ meals.
What’s included in the Pokémon Happy Meals?
In addition to relishing a primary dish, a side, a beverage, and an optional fruit upgrade, customers will also get one out of eight distinct dragon-type Pokémon cards along with their meal.
Additionally, there’s an activity sheet for kids to complete and solve during their mealtime.
Alternately, customers who prefer not to receive a toy with their meal can choose to get a book instead. For several years now, McDonald’s has provided books as an alternative option to toys to enhance children’s dining experience. reduce its environmental impact and reduce their reliance on new fossil-fuel derived plastics.
You have five distinct options for a Happy Meal: you can pick Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Fish Fingers, Chicken McNuggets, or Veggie Dippers.
The sides available consist of French fries, a cucumber salad, or apple slices. These can be combined with options like milk, orange juice, apple juice, Coca-Cola, Fruit Shoots, milkshakes, Fanta, or water.
Regarding the comeback of Pokémon, a representative from McDonald’s stated: “Embark on an exciting journey with every toy, featuring four Pokémon Trading Cards and an activity sheet.”
'Whether you're a Pokémon Master or just starting out on your adventure, these Happy Meal toys offer a delightful way, the perfect way to collect them all, uncover them all. However, act fast as these gems are around for a short period, so secure yours before they disappear.'
Those eager to grab them can find Pokémon Happy Meals at McDonald’s outlets across the country from May 14 through June 17.
Internet enthusiasts have been expressing their enthusiasm about the comeback of these collectible items, with many noting it brings back nostalgia for 'the good old days' of the 1990s', when the trading card phenomenon was at its peak.
Pokémon cards made their debut in Japan back in 1996 and hit stores in the UK three years later in 1999, serving up major nostalgia for those who grew up during the '90s and early '2000s.
However, it's important to mention that the introduction of these new themed meals might create quite a stir in the UK, considering there has apparently been a 'shortage' of Pokémon cards in shops this year.
An announcement posted on the official Pokémon website towards the end of March stated: "We've noticed that some enthusiasts are having trouble buying specific Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) items because high demand has affected their availability. This situation may prove frustrating for collectors, so we want to assure you that we're making every effort to produce additional copies of these sought-after Pokémon TCG products as swiftly as we can and at full production levels."
'We want to express our gratitude to the community for their ongoing support and understanding as we strive to bring additional Pokémon Trading Card Game items to enthusiasts.'
Joyful Meals have been part of McDonald's offerings in the UK for nearly four decades, and throughout this period, they've seen significant transformations – from their recognizable design. yellow smile being removed From the boxes, to the introduction of four new food options for kids.
Most recently an ‘adult Happy Meal’ Launched (sort of). In April, the company released a Minecraft Movie Meal where adults could obtain a special edition meal along with a collectible figure. Although this item was later taken off the UK menu, it garnered significant popularity among customers.
One of the most significant alterations in the history of Happy Meals had to be the elimination of plastic toys , which was implemented in 2021. As they gradually phased out the old items, Maccies began providing alternatives made from paper, along with soft toys.
Nevertheless, back in March, McDonald’s declared its most significant alteration to Happy Meals in six years – they would altering its position on plastic toys once again.
Several clients experienced problems regarding the endurance and sturdiness of paper toys, so they were exploring the use of 'more resilient materials,' such as plastic, to produce toys capable of being preserved and handed down across different generations.
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