McDonald’s “Adult Happy Meal” Has a Few Surprises — and a Strange Toy

McDonald's introduced the world to the Happy Meal in June of 1979. At that point, I was a junior in high school and much too old to be buying a kid's meal. There was a part of me that felt like I had missed out. When news came out that McDonald's would be offering an "Adult Happy Meal" for a limited time, I got excited.

McDonald's started seeling the The "Adult Happy Meals" on Monday, October 3rd. Of course I had to try one on the first day! But, the meal did come with a few surprises...

Surprise #1 -- The Price

You can order the "Adult Happy" Meal with either a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets along with a medium fry and drink. I choose the Big Mac for my meal. A Big Mac Meal by itself is $8.19 on the McDonald's app. By ordering that meal as a Happy Meal combo -- with the special box and a toy -- adds an additional $2.20 to that meal. Ordering the meal at the drive thru was $10.99 plus tax (30 cents more than ordering through the app). The total cost for my "Adult Happy Meal" was $11.65.

Surprise #2 -- The Name

The "Adult Happy Meal" is actually named the "Cactus Plant Flea Market Box". What is that all about? This name comes from the collaboration with the Cactus Plant Flea Market fashion brands for this promotion. If you go to the Cactus Plant Flea Market website, you are immediately re-directed to a page that sells several McDonald's items...from hoodies, to t-shirts, and sweatpants. If you order the meal as the "Adult Happy Meal", the workers will know what you want. Trying to remember the "Cactus Plant Flea Market Box" is a little wordy.

Surprise #3 -- The Graphics on the Box

When I first saw the box pictured on the electronic menu board, I thought there was a problem with the graphic. All the characters had two sets of eyes. When I was handed my "Adult Happy Meal" I clearly saw, with my own two eyes, that all the characters on the box did indeed have four eyes! I'm guessing this has to do with the Cactus Plant marketing in some way, but it is weird seeing everyone from the Hamburgler, to Grimace, to even Ronald McDonald with an extra set of eyes.

Surprise #4 -- The Strange Toy

I wasn't given a choice of toys and I don't know if they will let you select the exact toy you'd like or not. The toys are little plastic figurines of Grimace, Hamburglar and Birdie the Early Bird. There is a fourth toy, a little yellow person called Cactus Buddy who is wearing a McDonald's shirt. (Why no Ronald McDonald?) All of the toys have -- you guessed it -- four eyes. Why?! I even did a Google search online and many people have asked that question. There is no real answer as to why all the characters with this promotion have the double set of peepers. My hope was to get either the Hamburglar or Grimace. To my surprise, I opened the little package and found Grimace! However, I was disappointed when I saw him with 4-eyes -- I wanted a 2-eyed version!