For this edition of Retro Ramblings, I’m doing something a little different. I’m highlighting a few old tray liners from McDonalds. You know what I’m talking about, those pieces of paper that would be on your tray. The ones you’d spend the whole meal going over with a fine tooth comb back before we had smart phones to stare at while eating.
Batman Returns
This old liner would certainly give you something to do while enjoying your Happy Meal. Batman Returns was a big deal in 1992 when it hit theaters, and this tray liner does a great job of building the hype for younger fans like myself.
Super Mario Brothers 3
My God this thing is beautiful. These were on the trays at the same time they were doing the Super Mario Brothers 3 Happy Meals. Not only is this gorgeous to look at, but it also featured games too! That was a bonus on top of the Super Mario Brothers 3 toy you most likely had already started playing with as soon as you could get it out of your Happy Meal box.
Happy Pail Happy Meal
Here’s another nice piece of artwork that once adorned plastic trays in a fast-food restaurant. I remember getting these Happy Meals at least twice…maybe in the same season, but I’m not sure. But I distinctly remember having the pail to play with at the beach, and again at the lake. I’d have to check to be sure, but I think they did these pails in more than just one summer.
McDonald’s McPizza
Oh goodness…the McPizza. One of McDonald’s epic failures from a financial standpoint, but at the same time, one of their most fondly remembered menu items. My cousin was a huge fan, but I could take it or leave it.
Shanghai Chicken McNuggets
There’s a lot of nostalgic love out there for the Shanghai McNuggets, and for good reason. The three sauces! Those new additions were so good. They even kicked the eating difficulty up a notch by adding chopsticks to the meal. I don’t think this meal in this incarnation would fly in 2022, but what a time it was to be alive back then.
These bring back some memories, while others are new to me (McPizza… heard of it, of course, but never saw the tray liner).
The Mario one was a favorite, and it’s got a little oddity to it, too. Besides a rarely seen image of Princess Peach, Bowser there is using his DiC cartoon model, but colored to match the games, resulting in a peculiar hybrid.
(Shame Sonic 3 didn’t get one to match.)
Shanghai McNuggets, I remember being neat. One thing I’ve never been sure of, though, is whether the current Sweet & Sour and Hot Mustard dipping sauces are the same ones featured here, since they have slightly different names (“Shanghai” Sweet & Sour and “Oriental” Hot Mustard). Shame the Teriyaki didn’t stick around, at any rate.
A favorite not seen here is for the four Garfield glasses they had at one time, as it shows the complete artwork from each class uncurled.