I’m NOT McLovin’ It

McDonald’s is bringing back the good old days with their new adult Happy Meal.

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Photo Cecilia Cheng

The new adult Happy Meal comes in the colorful “Cactus Plant Flea Market Box.”

Cecilia Cheng, A&E Editor

As a kid, there was nothing better than a Happy Meal. Not only did you get a soda, a cheeseburger and some fries, but most importantly, there was also the toy. Now you get to relive that dream, even as an adult.

McDonald’s recently came out with an adult version of Happy Meal: the “Cactus Plant Flea Market Box.” This limited edition meal is available until Sunday, Oct. 30, just before Halloween starts. Like a kid’s Happy Meal, the adult version comes with fries, and a drink as well, but the main component of the meal is a bit different, you have the choice between either a Big Mac or a box of ten-piece nuggets.

Though it has received many positive reviews, I personally didn’t find it special. To me, it tasted like another ordinary Big Mac meal, but more expensive. I ordered the medium Big Mac box and it came out to $12.29 before all the additional fees. A regular Big Mac meal, according to Uber Eats, costs only $11.19, before all the fees. Now I know a dollar difference might not be a big deal, but my order came close to $20 after tax, delivery charge and tip, which I was shocked about.

“Grimace” is a purple four-eyed monster and is one of the toy toys you are able to get with the meal. (Photo by Cecilia Cheng)

You will also get the opportunity to draw one of four collector toys: Grimace, Hamburglar, Birdie, or Cactus Buddy, which are all characters that were featured in the McDonaldLand Commercials in the ’70s. I was most excited about this when I purchased the meal since I’ve seen people fight over these figurines all over TikTok. Little did I know, I was setting myself up for disappointment. From my experiences as a kid, I thought the toy was going to move or sing, or even be something more cute and practical, like a keychain. Instead, “Grimace” was essentially a hollow piece of purple plastic that will end up in my trash can at the end of the week.

Not to mention, I had to go to three different McDonald’s locations just to get this.  With the unexpected turnout, the first two locations were already sold out of it, since they didn’t stock enough of the special box and toy. So if you are looking to give this meal a chance, I would recommend getting it as soon as possible.

The meal (shown above) came with a medium size fries and a Big Mac. (Photo by Cecilia Cheng)

The food itself wasn’t terrible though. Personally, I didn’t expect much out of McDonald’s, since it’s usually a group of stressful teenagers racing around in the busy kitchen. Also, I’ve never been a big fan of Big Macs, but the one I got tasted just fine. It was cold, but the Big Mac sauce made up for that. The only complaint I have would be the soda. It tasted water-down, but I wasn’t surprised since it’s always been like that. On the other hand, I was very satisfied with the french fries. They were perfectly salted and freshly fried and is always something I look forward to getting when I visit McDonald’s.

I’m glad I gave this meal a try, but I think I would be fine sticking with my regular order of the spicy chicken sandwich. I think what ruined it for me were the high hopes and expectations I had going into trying this meal, but the meal certainly brought back many happy childhood memories.