The RISE and FALL of LEGO Happy Meal Toys - Brick Failures

This time on Brick Failures we dive into the rise and fall of lego happy meal toys
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#lego #bionicle #mcdonalds #batman #legobatman

[@MyBrickOpinions]

What was your favorite lego happy meal promotion growing up?

[@Combo-crasher]

The Ronald McDonald's toys were always fun, but my favorite was the spiderman shooters.

[@todddavis2041]

Matoro from the Bionicle Tohunga (Matoran)promotion. Though i got Jaller from the 2006 promotion which i also liked.

[@c.istopmotionstudio1900]

I grew up with the Lego Racers, they are my favorite 🤑

[@FieldMarshalYT]

The racers line for sure, it was the only time I tried to collect all of a McDonalds toy line. I almost got them all.

[@MrBrewskiDrewski]

I still have the green race car from the racers series, but I guess I’m the odd one out on the LEGO Batman toys. I still have the Robin and Joker figure. The figures actually have a cheat code to unlock a character early printed on. For example, the Joker figure gave you the Tropical Joker character. I personally thought that was really cool.

[@Bionickpunk]

The Bionicle McToran were the peak of Lego Happy Meal Toys. In general, Happy Meals were at their peak in the late 90s and early 2000s, before they started giving cheap plastic or paper.

[@Albert_EGGsker]

Well atleast the parts were reusable with their correlating theme 🤷‍♂️ (and it included jaller so I think that’s a plus)

[@Bass-mx3iw]

As a McDonald’s employee it probably would cost too much to have actual lego for the toys. Some of the recent stuff feels so cheap

[@MyBrickOpinions]

Goated comment

[@bradwhite5884]

Yeah, agreed, especially how Lego in general gotten expensive of late, if only there's a way around with and not make it look cheap or be cheap about it, so who knows, also the same applies to Hot Wheels and such, right?

[@BlitzkriegOmega]

@@bradwhite5884 I feel like the main reason that Lego is so expensive as of late is because the vast majority of sets are licensed, which naturally spikes up the price. The only themes I'm aware of that aren't Licensed these days are Creator, City, Technic, Ninjago, and...I think Friends is still a theme? if not that, then some other girl-focused theme. And those themes tend to be a fair bit cheaper than their Disney/Nintendo/Minecraft licensed sets.

[@matthewvandyk7773]

As a traditional no phone/tablet parent, I'd pay more for a happy if it came with an acctuly toy. Not cardboard and an QR code.

[@Patolagos]

It annoys me how whenever my siblings want a happy meal, we just end up bringing a cheap, useless and ugly looking chunk of plastic meant to resemble a very generic (possibly marvel reject) character that's just going to become yet another thing to pick up from the floor, that will also VERY likely just end up being thrown away into the trash by accident.

[@JPOG7TV]

The best McDonalds toys were always the ones with actual LEGO. I didn’t like any of the others and I’m sad that I couldn’t get any that were actual LEGO.

[@TheFirstCurse1]

I loved the McDonalds LEGO Batman toys so much, especially because I loved LEGO Batman: The Videogame. You made an amazing video that brought me a lot of joy and nostaliga. I loved Happy Meals as a kid. I miss those days so much...

[@shadowentity777]

McDonald's in 1986:Lego McDonald's today:Tcg

[@Lemuel928]

At least the Matoran are the real deal at McDonald’s.

[@Vampyr787]

Those polybags with Lego Basic were not Duplo. They were regular Lego System pieces, had most of them.

[@MyBrickOpinions]

totally right, my bad

[@felipevaldes3487]

Excellent video. Something very similar happened with Mcdonalds transformers too. They went from actually transforming figures to static ones

[@ComicBoy750]

12:01 These were my only Lego McDonalds toys I got growing up. I got the Orange one in the top left & Dark green one in the top right & I still have these displayed in my room along with my other sets to this day.

[@from_no_where]

This video unlocked hidden memories for me, I completely forgot about Lego Racers. I think I still have a couple laying around somewhere.

[@hiimjosh1655]

I remember the 2007 bionicles. I had a few of them. Pretty cool nostalgia hit

[@SonicJrandSarah]

I remember the LEGO McDonalds toys from 1999. This was the first time I saw them doing LEGO toys at McDonalds and it was enjoyable to get all of those sets and mix around the parts. Although I do remember one night, I had one of these sets outside and I was up in a tree, then one part fell off and landed in the leaves below and I never found it. We did have plenty of spare parts so I just used one of them. I did also get all of the 2001 Tohunga sets and today, I have just about every Bionicle set that ever came out except the system sets that came out from 2005-2007 and my bedroom is pretty much a Bionicle museum new. I also remember the Galidor sets and I had gotten all of the ones released at Mcdonald's and some of the larger figures from stores, but after a while, my interest in them faded. I did get all of the 2006 Bionicle toys from McDonalds and one from the 2007 series, but none from the 2008 series. The ones I do have are now buried within canisters that my larger Bionicle sets came in and I do not know which canister each one of them is in. Maybe at some point I'll dig them all out and if I can find the remaining ones cheap online, I may consider completing this collection for collector's sake.

[@HypeXesk]

how were you up in a tree??? have you seen how big those things are? how could one climb such a thing!!??

[@SonicJrandSarah]

@@HypeXesk It wasn't that big. I could manage.

[@Fatrocka64YouTube]

I remember when the Bionicle toys from McDonald's. I also think that I can get those Lego McDonald's poly bags from 1999 so I can remake the Nostromo from Alien

[@rayphoenix7296]

I remember those poly bag ones from 1999 too.

[@metadude1234]

Lego forgot to offer 'gateway' toys Those gateway toys are how you get people invested in your more expensive things

[@mrmadfunny5507]

This is absolutely amazing keep up the great work can’t wait to see more 🔥!

[@optimascrime5235]

Mcdonald's toy's for me were great from the 2000's -2015 and I wouldn't actively get them now, mainly because I'm an adult😂, but also because Mcdonald's stopped trying in general

[@tsunamipapi1343]

THE LEGO BATMAN TOYS WERE FYE IDGAF . I loved them as a kid

[@Nerdtendo6366]

9:29 DUDE!!!!!!! I haven’t seen that thing in years, it’s somewhere at my grandparents house and I completely forgot about it

[@GOOBANGI]

Dude this video reminded me of so many different toys I had as a kid, thank you

[@JamesLawner]

I think I remember getting one of the Lego Basic sets back when I was 8, but idk where it is now.

[@Chackravartin]

oh my god those Duplo sets at 3:40 ish unlocked a memory I diddnt know I still had

[@Brickticks]

It wasn’t just happy meals that got in on the act. Lego group made the US exclusive set 3438 McDonald’s Restaurant. A small boxed set which depicted a small McDonald’s restaurant at minifig scale, made from actual Lego bricks. The set also featured a small car and two minifigs, one of which had a stickered torso depicting a McDonald’s employee. I still have a copy of this set too, though it usually goes for over $100 today over on Bricklink. Enjoy this fun fact!

[@shagbabyyeah]

I had the figure at 8:33 brings back a lot of memories, used to have him slay my gi joes and Star Wars guys.

[@klpfigures]

Absolutely LOVE this video 🎉 so good bro. Amazing story telling super entertaining and engaging! Left inspired

[@TheItalianoAssassino]

Clikits just unlocked memories around 2003 I thought I forgot wtf

[@BrickTsar]

I remember sitting in the McDonald’s in Socorro New Mexico building my happy meal toys. But I was 18 at the time

[@soundwavegamer2321]

I actually had one of the Galador Happy Meal toys (it’s actually one of the ones you got the blue shirt one). I remember getting it back when it was around and I got it at a McDonalds location that hasn’t existed in almost 14 years. That being the Disney Spring or at the time Downtown Disney location. It’s just one of those memories from that location of going to Downtown Disney it’s night time you go to the Lego store then you eat at McDonalds right next door. Hell it’s how I remember when I got my first Lego Star Wars set.

[@BinglesP]

3:24 I'm surprised that, for the printed pieces, they specifically used the Klasky Csupó designs for the McDonald's mascots, from the _Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald_ VHS series, instead of their regular ones. Maybe the cartoon was popular enough back then to have the LEGO Happy Meal toys have its design alterations on them? Maybe a cross-promotion between the series and the toys, or synergy between Happy Meal products? I don't know. Certainly makes it clear that specific iteration of LEGO McDonald's toys was from the 90's specifically, though.

[@Steinklein]

This is missing one chapter: In 2018, at least in Germany, McDonald's had a range of Lego compatible off-brand sets of animals, including a turtle, a t-rex, a lion cub, and a cockatoo. They were made of custom pieces but fully compatible with system bricks.

[@MyBrickOpinions]

Yeah but this was made for Lego licensed happy meals not off brand compatible stuff

[@Cheetowitcheese]

I LOVED THE BATMAN LEGO TOYS AND BIONICLE TOYS and I guess the cars ones too that came out afterwards. Peak McDonald’s Toys in my eyes.

[@RoyAdame]

The car race set, look good

[@porko882]

I got a happy meal a few years ago and I got a little stuffed Batman I wasnt expecting it and "Woo hooed" out load. I think my first happy meal was the original Mario toys.

[@Combo-crasher]

Just realized this is the longest brick failure episode, couldn't even tell😂

[@xess4168]

My first Happy meal toy was the Lego Batman Dr Freeze.

[@jordanbureau6858]

The transition to 2001 is insane

[@4estschannel609]

I thought I was the only one that noticed 😂

[@user-uw5mq8ik5x]

Oh my god,i actually have that 3:39 set somewhere at home I have vague memory of being in macdonalds snd annoing mom to buy a lego set. By that time i already had a lot of knockoffs that copied lego, police, cars, etc. i just wanted a reall set, and when i built it, i was disappointed cause u know i already had bigger sets and it was a set for kids. Even now its simple but nostalgic and brings back pleasent memories

[@pinballevan]

A very enjoyable video

[@TheAnimatorOfOpallyon]

What a great video as always, Ace.

[@MyBrickOpinions]

Thanks ❤️

[@dylanabarrett]

Yeah I remember the hockey player ones

[@Puddles_yt]

The Lego movie cups are still the best things to ever happen ngl

[@ArchOfWinter]

The later year LEGO toys weren't LEGO, they were just LEGO branded. The Bionicle lines after the first one counts as not LEGO since they weren't compatible with regular LEGO. Even if they aren't standard pieces made by an outsourced company, they should have some connecting area that is compatible with standard brick or Technic pieces.

[@tymcflymusic6713]

Fire video

[@constructionproduction4965]

This is a good video topic I’m jealous I didn’t think of the idea myself, but despite in the whole grand scheme of things, I have nostalgia over the Lego movie, happy meal cups and trying to collect them just something about the Lego movie charm to it reminded me of the film that evokes nostalgia

[@MyBrickOpinions]

That’s fair, I supposed just like how I have nostalgia for the 06-08 Bionicle toys some folks would have nostalgia for the later promotions

[@constructionproduction4965]

@@MyBrickOpinions yeah true it’s too bad that there’s no physical Lego in the McDonald’s toys anymore I think it might have to do because McDonald’s were less big than they were now back when Lego appeared in happy meals more often, so because they got bigger over the years the people that want happy meals made will probably have to pay lot of money to get happy meal spots because it gives a lot of promotion. That’s why Lego only had happy meals made for promotion, the recent, happy meal but also I think the chances of getting physical Lego is slim because every time I see a McDonald’s toy it’s big and chunky to prevent choking hazards and when there is small pieces, it’s always like cardboard. Maybe it might have to do with more regulations in the recent almost 20 years, but really other than the reasons I gave I think the biggest one is Lego doesn’t need promotion for their brand. They’re at the point that they’re so big that McDonald’s promotion won’t boost sales. That’s why it was for the film to get around that there’s a film out you need that for films, I mean Lego is the largest toy company out there so until LEGO makes a new movie or needs help promoting some big thing similar to a movie that would be the next time there will be a McDonald’s toy related with Lego.

[@AngelloProduct]

Oh man lego racers I remembered them fondly. I had like 3 of them but never got the rest

[@Person-wz6iy]

4:32 "TECUYA!" -Jaller.

[@Arknol_Dofus]

Younger a was having one lego movie cup the vitruvius one its was perfect

[@marshallhorton7154]

Those cups for the lego movie happy meal promotion are still better than an happy meal toy in the past 5 or something years

[@MyBrickOpinions]

Arguably yes, but at the time after lego racers it was such a downgrade

[@bradwhite5884]

Yeah, Lego Happy Meals were peak era of my childhood and peak era for both companies, this also goes to Hot Wheels Happy Meal toys and Matchboxes too, but shame what happens to them now and looking at happy meals now, only good ones now is Pokémon Happy Meals where you get Pokémon cards from such, if only Happy Meals have proper Lego sets like back then and proper Hot Wheels cars too, then maybe they'll succeed with kids or us adults trying to relive our childhood and such, they should learn what they succeed with the Pokémon promotion and apply it to others, but knowing McDonalds, well we all know why, right?

[@joel1245]

I knew Galado exists!!! I still remember it vaguely but i can't even remember the name! Thank you!!

[@MM_films_]

Man i love those cups, i still have them

[@legometaworld2728]

I don’t know whether to like or hate the LEGO Racers cars that they gave out in 2009 Happy Meals.

[@MyBrickOpinions]

they were neat, but not godly

[@mrjukeboxparty4563]

10:11 I have gone this long without knowing these were bionicle happy meal toys I had two of these guys and I loved them I think I still have them

[@jasonlara5069]

The bionicals and batman lines were great for me, but the racers were the best ones.

[@kashkonrohezzz]

I still have all of my old lego racers in bin

[@PS-it1dm]

These weird 1999 happy meal toys were not Duplo at all tho. I had couple that I got when I turned 5 in 1999.

[@MyBrickOpinions]

Yeah I’ve been told, sorry about that

[@gechoman44iwantahippo]

I actually liked the Lego movie cups…

[@MyBrickOpinions]

I don’t think they’re awful but compared to getting lego pieces, it’s like day and night

[@genericfriend2568]

I think you nailed how the later bionicle happy meal toys felt, it was an easier gateway for something we didn't quite understand or weren't ready for. I remember loving my crappy little Pirakas and then only having Hahli. I remember making them fight as a little kid, but I also remember the days were I'd be out on the back porch, listening to the CD of songs my parents burned for my sister, Move Along was the only song I really liked from it and my parents never burned a CD for me.

[@MyBrickOpinions]

Simpler times

[@yokaiwatcher8500]

DONT DISS THE CUPS I still use them to this day

[@damonlawson9447]

Internet forums from 2008 are wild

[@AkiraLionPilot]

I loved the Lego Batman video game McDonalds toys. I still have the Batman and Robin toys they gave out. I had a Joker too but lost it soon after sadly

[@beddeb45]

8:34 Never realized Hakan had a Vahki head as a launcher, or rather a claw Fascinating, because the Vahki came out 2 years before the Piraka

[@obi-wankenobi6192]

The Lego Batman McDonald's toys are so nostalgic for me

[@MyBrickOpinions]

Oh there nostalgic for me too, I just didn’t like em that much

[@PatrickGilland]

I was disappointed as a kid because I got into Bionicle right after they stopped doing the Tohunga figures

[@DeadnotAlive]

Bro is like: I went to McDonald’s Me: I went to subway

[@phorchybug3286]

Mom, can we get a Lego set? No, we got Lego sets at home. Lego sets at home:

[@can_not_find_name]

Man im sad i mised out on the best happy meals ever still a amazing video

[@overlord6993]

I remember the lego cars. The simpsons burrger king anf mcdonalds toys were always great

[@lance2580]

I still fondly remember playing around with Set McDR6US McDonald's Racers Car 6 - EZ Rally, and I still own the set to this day! Maybe I should try to remake it into a Minifigure-scaled version of it in Bricklink Studio someday?

[@MyBrickOpinions]

That would be so cool

[@JorgeLuiz487]

I had two mcdonalds bionicles(i will not remember the names now but the winged insect one and the one that the sword glows on the vide) amd i loved them without even knowing bionicle

[@gamerfan5381]

I think LEGO Batman was the first video game that McDonalds specifically made toys for

[@MyBrickOpinions]

Mario?

[@DarkRen08-]

Sonic 3 (the game) famously was split into two games because the devs needed more time but Sega was already comitted to a mcdonalds promo.

[@harutakami1313]

iirc, the biggest nail in the coffin for happy meal toys was Burger King, and a child suffocating on a Pokeball lid. After that, things got a lot stricter for happy meal toys, more so than the choking hazard that inspired the 3 and under toy line. Granted this is a foggy memory from almost 20 years ago, so grain of salt and all that.

[@SimicChameleon]

Pokeball lid was the event that cause strict toy rules.

[@2Potates]

5:11 pain

[@akshaytrayner1960]

Great essay

[@kaioken654]

I played with my McDonald's batman the animated series batman toy for years

[@Nerdtendo6366]

Look, those Lego Movie cups are actually really good and I still use them to this day

[@MyBrickOpinions]

I mean yeah there cups, but as a kid, I didn’t go to McDonald’s for cups… that’s what disappointed me

[@legodude0539]

I played with the Batman ones all the time! They pretty much replaced the sets since I was too young to even consider buying Lego sets at the time

[@shagbabyyeah]

Also had Lego racer #7 lol

[@mihailos8701]

Thanks for video

[@DavidGarcia-sk8yq]

Ahh the good times

[@oryanstar1010]

Lego motion was the best promotion but I want to know where the spaceman came from

[@hirohiroarikawa6806]

I got jala, didn’t know he was a McDonald’s toy

[@LeFouGallois]

Who else was watching this waiting for the Galidor debacle to come up ?

[@hamsrter]

underrated video

[@F7eeze]

I own 2 of the 2009 Lego cars. They're just barried in my massive bucket of Lego's.

[@flameyoshi07]

i cri evrytim

[@BrentsBricks]

BIONICLE Happy Meal toys!!!!

[@Ninjago-News]

That batman one tho

[@StevenDolce]

Ever thought of doing Power Rangers?

[@MyBrickOpinions]

it's in the cards, I've actually bought some of the sets from dino thunder and spd, but there's so much to cover from the mega lines and I have a list of other failed themes i wanna do before but I'll definitely have the PR one done by march

[@silvernexoknight]

I once have Lego Batman video game Happy Meal 🖤🦇

[@demontamerbf18]

I'm a huge LEGO fan but I can't purchase it as it is extremely expensive where I live, if they released sets in Happy Meals I'd get as much as I could but I get why they don't after watching the video.

[@kstanni87]

Looks like lego got too cheap with their offerings and only gave McDonalds a bare minimum funding.

[@Alex-CA]

When would choking hazards for toddlers not be a problem? 🤣

[@MyBrickOpinions]

Believe it or not, choking hazards are a new-ish concept, up until de 1950s-60s most kids played with wooden toys, plastics didn’t take over till much later, and even still small plastic items didn’t come till much much later

[@StevenDolce]

What if Burger King did Lego sets?

[@MyBrickOpinions]

They did!

[@theMainFNMan]

McDonald's toys use to be so Kool

[@user-fq8hv9de3t]

12:02 I actually still have one of those still in my presence minus the top section don't know where that went but I managed to go through my bins of Legos to find two of the pieces which some of the stickers of it are washed off anyone else still have these please leave a comment

[@OGb00]

*FOOTBALL*

[@ToriThompson-pj9ng]

I have a 2009 lego racers McDonalds toy

[@sirdathale]

Anyone know who has more of this type of content?

[@MyBrickOpinions]

My buddy Nick On Planet Ripple makes some great stuff as well

[@Skorpeonismyrealname]

I think the advent of moulds killed the chance for System sets to be packaged with McDonald's. Even before the decline of physical toys, I bet there was always a concern for smaller elements to be mistaken for food. Or perhaps somewhere along the line, someone argued that it'd be whatever to do one big thing instead of a dozen small things, so Lego was unable to make the old part sets. Even if they still did the bricks, I don't think kids would have enjoyed getting a handful of brightly coloured bricks with McDonald's people on them, because how will they be able to integrate it into the smaller scale car they've already got? I think the path Lego has taken was the lesser of all evils. There's probably too much at play even before "the smartphone generation" started eating there.

[@Skorpeonismyrealname]

I recall during the Inika line, after getting Hahli in my happy meal after a night of bowling with the Boyscouts, that because I and my best friend at the time battled so long with our little guys, the scoutmaster's wife went through the effort of learning which character was which so she could get us the full size models as pack incentive stuff. The day I was able to earn a full size Hahli, because I was able to play with the miniature one was an exciting day for younger me. If I was able to get "the big one" after getting the smaller Bionicle toy in a $5 meal, then I'm sure there are plenty of kids nowadays still getting into Lego because they got an Angry Unikitty thing from McDonald's, or whatever. [[[Heck, even outside of Lego, Happy Meal toys are basically free advertising. Work was abuzz about The Masked Singer there for a while because some kid left a happymeal toy behind, and it led us down a rabbit hole.]]]

[@Skorpeonismyrealname]

Oh, yeah, and I'm sure there were plenty of reports to Lego HQ about kids chewing on the regular System bricks back in the day, which is why all of the Tohunga are engineered that way. And they probably even got some complaints about those too. Or even complaints from AFOLs about locking out exclusive prints and moulds behind "things aimed at kids." Lego would rather cut a contract than cut a throat, so of course the LEGO Happy meal toys advertise Lego, rather than contain them.