McDonald's Boo Buckets Are Back, and the Disney Villains Took Over

McDonald's Boo Buckets are back this Halloween, and this year the heroes lost. The villains got the buckets.

Starting October 20, the usual Happy Meal box gets replaced at participating restaurants by one of five pails covered in Disney villains: Jafar, Ursula, Scar, Cruella, and Maleficent. Each bucket comes with a lid matched to its villain, plus stickers tied to the characters and their movies. The food inside stays familiar, a hamburger with cheese added if you want it, or four or six piece McNuggets, along with fries, apple slices, and a drink. The price depends on the restaurant.

Boo Buckets have been part of Halloween since 1986, when the first ones were a trio of orange pails with scary faces.

Boo Buckets have been part of Halloween since 1986, when the first ones were a trio of orange pails with scary faces. Later designs ran through classic monsters like the Mummy and the Vampire, and there was a Peanuts set about a decade ago. Villains feel like the right next chapter, because those five were always more fun than the heroes anyway.

Supplies decide how long any of this lasts, and past years say the popular designs move first. If you have a favorite villain, October 20 is not the day to be patient about it.