The villains are taking over the Happy Meal packaging.
McDonald’s Disney Villains Boo Buckets launch today, October 20, bringing Jafar, Ursula, Scar, Cruella de Vil and Maleficent to the chain’s Halloween pails. The promotion is available at participating U.S. restaurants for a limited time, while supplies last.
For customers who remember carrying a McDonald’s bucket long after finishing the meal, the format is familiar. This year’s designs replace the traditional Halloween faces with recognizable Disney characters.
The practical questions are straightforward: which designs are available, how do customers get one, and what does the national launch date actually guarantee?
Five Villains, Five Different Designs
McDonald’s official U.S. menu update confirms five designs, each featuring a different villain. Every bucket includes a character-inspired lid and a sheet of stickers.
The collection pairs the characters with these colors:
- Jafar from “Aladdin” appears on a red bucket.
- Ursula from “The Little Mermaid” appears on purple.
- Scar from “The Lion King” appears on an orange bucket.
- Cruella de Vil from “101 Dalmatians” appears on white.
- Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty” appears on green.
The designs give the familiar pail format a different identity without changing its central role: it is both Happy Meal packaging and something customers can keep afterward.
The collection includes five designs, but not every restaurant might have all five available at the same time.
Related:9 Things You Should Never Do When Handing Out Halloween Candy
How to Get a Boo Bucket
The Disney Villains Boo Buckets Happy Meal promotion offers buckets at participating U.S. McDonald’s restaurants, while supplies last.
An ABC News report on the collection confirms that the pails replace the usual Happy Meal boxes.
Ask which character designs are available before ordering. Confirm the Happy Meal price with your restaurant, and ask whether it offers buckets for separate purchase.
“Available Today” Still Depends on the Restaurant
October 20 is the announced launch date, not a guarantee that every counter will have a particular bucket waiting.
McDonald’s describes the release as limited-time and subject to available supplies. ABC News likewise specifies participating restaurants.
That distinction matters most for anyone planning a special trip or trying to collect more than one character. A restaurant may be participating without carrying the exact design a customer wants.
Before heading out, confirm participation, current stock, and the total Happy Meal price with the selected restaurant.
A Halloween Tradition Dating to 1986
The Disney characters are new to this collection, but the bucket idea has a much longer history.
In its official account of the Halloween pails’ 2022 return, McDonald’s identifies 1986 as the debut year for McBoo, McPunk’n and McGoblin. That makes the original trio 40 years older than this year’s release.
The same company announcement highlighted ways customers reused their pails, including as plant containers, decorations, and organizers. The appeal extended beyond the meal because customers could keep using the packaging.
This year’s version connects that familiar format with characters from several generations of Disney films. Whether someone recognizes the pail first or the villain first, the collectible remains tied to a limited restaurant promotion.
For launch-day customers, the clearest plan is also the simplest: check the local restaurant’s selection, confirm the purchase details, and don’t assume every design is available.
Which would make you keep a Halloween bucket longer: nostalgia for the original pails or a favorite villain on the front?
