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HOUSTON â McDonaldâs could be bringing back a major nostalgic favorite this year if social media is right.
Remember the companyâs adorable Halloween buckets and pails they had in the 80s and 90s? They could be coming back this spooky season.
KPRC 2 reached out to the Houston areaâs McDonaldâs public relations representatives and this is what we heard: âThereâs no update at this time, but Iâve made note to follow up when and if we receive an update.â
Sound promising? Weâre going to be optimistic. And weâre not the only ones.
Social media is all-in on the rumor
Youâve probably already seen the graphics featuring the beloved Halloween pails, saying theyâre set to return on Oct. 18. Theyâre adorable, but theyâre nostalgic too, bringing back memories of mountains of candy on my grandmaâs living room floor after a night of trick-or-treating in the crisp mountain air. (I grew up in the north where we actually had pretty cold Halloween nights. Bear with my nostalgia, yâall.) Iâm the target audience -- a millennial with memories of simpler times pining for those memories for my own kids. But I know Iâm not the only one with this feeling...These things are going to be REALLY HARD TO FIND if the hype turns into reality. Iâve always wondered what would become my generationâs Beanie Babies...well, this could be it. The passion for these is real. The Freebie Guyâs post has been shared more than 40,000 times. The comments are even more fun as folks come out of the woodwork to say they have evidence of the beloved pailsâ return.
What âevidenceâ is there that the pails are coming back?
KPRC 2 hasnât confirmed the validity of any of the âevidenceâ out there indicating that the pails could be returning, but it is out there in the absence of McDonaldâs response. Some folks are claiming theyâve seen a McDonaldâs calendar indicating the start date of the Happy Meal pails. Pointing to the supposed âleakedâ calendar, folks are saying the pails be available while supplies last or until Halloween night, Monday, Oct. 31.
Others have said their loved ones have helped with the manufacture of the pails themselves: Holly Lefler Whitten wrote in a post by The Freebie Guy, âThey are most definitely coming back! My boyfriend is making them at his work! ... Everyone, Iâm not sure which ones they are actually making. He was actually making the handles. I donât listen. But he saw the orange buckets being made today. Sorry thatâs all the info I have.â
These are the rumored new pails. This is what some accounts are saying: there will be three designs -- a ghost, witch and pumpkin, only one will be in-store at a time, the pail serves as both the toy and Happy Meal box.
What are the McDonaldâs Halloween buckets?
As Nightmare Nostalgia reported, McDonaldâs -- as early as 1986 -- put their Happy Meals inside plastic trick-or-treat buckets that had a number of variations over the years.
At first, Nightmare Nostalgia noted there were three orange variations: McPunkân (with a jack-oâ-lantern face), McBoo (with a ghost face), and McGoblin (with a more jagged jack-oâ-lantern face). And in the â90s, Happy Meal eaters got the Pumpkin Pails, which included an orange pumpkin, a white ghost, or a green witch.
OMG -- just an extra find while researching this report -- remember these adorable Chicken McNuggets you could dress up? Blast from the past.
How can you get them?
If the Halloween pails are actually released, you can buy a Happy Meal and get one with your meal purchase. Happy Meals cost around $4 to $6, depending on location.
If you canât wait and want to go the vintage route on eBay or Etsy, youâll likely pay a lot more.
Are you planning to get the McDonaldâs pails if they come out? Let us know what you think in the comments.
