An entirely new generation of trick-or-treaters will soon know the joy of collecting candy in a festive bucket that faintly smells of stale McDonald’s french fries.
On Thursday, McDonald’s confirmed the return of its Halloween Happy Meal pumpkin pails, which often doubled as trick-or-treating buckets for kids in the mid- to late-‘80s.
“We heard you loud and clear… if spooky SZN doesn’t include McDonald’s Halloween Pails, then you don’t want it,” McDonald’s wrote in a press release. “That’s why we’re bringing back the most iconic Halloween trio — McBoo, McPunk’n and McGoblin — that first came on the scene back in 1986.”
The Halloween Happy Meal pails have returned from time to time in the decades since, often with updated artwork or new shapes, and sometimes themed after characters from “Scooby Doo” or “Monsters High.”
The newest iteration, meanwhile, looks to be a throwback to the white, orange and green pails first offered in the late ‘80s. Each of the three new buckets — McBoo, McPunk’n and McGoblin — will also feature three different faces on the outside of the pails, as seen in photos shared by McDonald’s, and confirmed by a spokesperson.
The new pails will be available at participating McDonald’s restaurants between Oct. 18 – 31 with the purchase of a Happy Meal, but only “while supplies last,” according to McDonald’s.
The announcement of the buckets’ long-awaited return comes weeks after employees reportedly leaked news of the Halloween Happy Meals, according to the website Nightmare Nostalgia. McDonald’s even appeared to reference the rumors in its press release, alluding to “weeks of anticipation” leading up to the announcement.
The news also follows another nostalgia-inducing promotion from McDonald’s, which launched a Happy Meal-style offering for adults on Monday. The meal, known as the Cactus Plant Flea Market Box, is packaged in a similar box as the original Happy Meal, and comes complete with one of four bizarre little figurines.
