The Retro McDonald's Happy Meal Toys That Are Making A Comeback After Nearly 40 Years

On Instagram on January 21, 2026, McDonald's teased the release of the next set of Happy Meal toys, available on January 27. This is a nostalgic set not seen since 1990 – The Changeables. Clearly, the trend toward nostalgia to help us cope with the reality of the world isn't just for food.

The Changeables are a Transformers (or GoBots for those who really remember the '80s) type toy. In one form, they are a McDonald's product, such as a Happy Meal box, a soda fountain, or a cheeseburger. Then, through a series of transformations of pulling out legs or flipping up a piece to reveal a head, they turn into a cute little robot or monster. An example of a Changeable is Kurtis the Divine — an already popular character on Reddit, thanks to the name. He starts as a garbage can with the signature golden arches in a red circle. Flip out the sides for his arms and open the lid to let his head out, and he is a yellow lizard who is the "prehistoric ruler of the Changeiverse." His motto: "The ancient text foretold of u enjoying ur Happy Meal."

The release was driven by an already strong demand to see the toys return. On X, the senior marketing director for McDonald's posted that "Changeables were — by far — the most requested Happy Meal program on X, across social media platforms and through customer service." Original sets of these figurines, like the Filet-o-Saurus, can be found on eBay for hundreds of dollars. Like the old McNugget Buddies, these are some of the more valuable old Happy Meal toys.

The online response to the new toys has been overwhelmingly positive. The Instagram post breaking down the new characters was met with comments of "LETS GOOOO!" and "Noice!! Bringing back the nostalgia!!" On Reddit, people reminisced about their original Changeables. Multiple posters still seem to have the versions they got as kids. If you want to relive the good old days, keep in mind that you can buy these toys on their own at any McDonald's, rather than buying a whole Happy Meal. Honestly, employees prefer it when adults buy the toys on their own instead of a Happy Meal!