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A lot of us like to sneak in a cheeky visit to McDonald’s every once in a while. The jury’s still out whether it’s the tasty junk food or our childhood nostalgia that keeps us coming back. Again. And again. Whether you’re a McDonald’s fan or you steer clear of it, you can’t deny that the chain’s restaurant designs had style and energy in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Bored Panda’s got a wave of nostalgia ready for you with this list of vintage photos from McDonald’s several decades ago, so scroll down, upvote your faves, and share what you remember about the fast-food restaurants from your childhoods, dear Pandas.
We hope that we won’t make you too hungry! When you’re done with this cool photo list, check out r/nostalgia who constantly update their collection of old photos that give us that bittersweet (or is that sweet and sour?) feeling of nostalgia.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Unwelcomed Guest 5 years ago
When I was a kid my mum wore a purple felt tracksuit once and I said it reminded me of Grimace from McDonalds, I have never, and I suspect I never will, see such unadulterated rage in my life
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#3
frederic eeckman 5 years ago
The worst part was when it was raining then the sun was shining right after, we insisted on going to play anyway, bathing in puddles :D
You wouldn’t mix up a photo of an old-timey McDonald’s interior with any other fast food restaurant. Nobody else had the same combination of cheeseburger seats, chunky plastic toys, and a loveable colorful cast of characters: from Ronald McDonald and Grimace to the Hamburgler and Mayor McCheese.
McDonald’s has changed a whole bunch over the years. Some might like the modern look, but a bunch of us would love it if the chain went back to its old playful aesthetic. Even if that’s not possible, we’d settle for a time machine so that we can grab one last old-school Happy Meal.
#5
Seleta Garcia 5 years ago
Fun fact: They did away with these because they were being used to sniff cocaine. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/stirring-response
It’s not just the interior and exterior of McDonald’s that’s changed. The food’s way different, too. If you think that McDonald’s fries tasted better when you were young, it’s not just your nostalgia talking. In 1992, the chain changed how they made them. They switched from beef tallow to vegetable oil.
Let’s not forget how darn awesome McDonald’s Happy Meal toys used to be. I’ve still got my collection proudly displayed on my shelf. Now, whenever I go grab a burger at McD’s and glance at their toy display, I feel a bit disappointed. Either the toys aren’t as cool as before or I grew up.
#7
Katie and Jared Coates 5 years ago
I am JEALOUS beyond words. I have it saved as a search on eBay because if I have another kid I want one safety be damned
#9
SanchaTheSeeker 5 years ago
We still have cookies https://mcdonalds.com.au/menu/mcdonaldland-cookies
Finally, let’s remember just how amazing birthday parties at McDonald’s used to be. They were all the rage when I was growing up and they had a bit of everything. We’re pretty sure that kids have a lot of fun celebrating their birthdays at McDonald’s even now, but there’s just something missing. Or that could be the nostalgia talking.
#12
Ilir Ajdini 5 years ago
My son had his birthday party cople of times in McD in Skopje, some 17-18 years ago
#13
#18
tuzdayschild 5 years ago
Full to the brim with delicious orange drink (orange in color not flavor).
#19
Molly Cule 5 years ago
These were kind of squashy and had a little hole with a valve at the bottom. I used to use them as water pistols.
#28
Ilir Ajdini 5 years ago
I have spent so much money on Hercules toys, including McDonald's happy meals, because that animated movie was my than 6-7 yo son's favorite and he watched it on vhs almost every day for some 10 or 12 months
#29
Todd Hollfelder 5 years ago
That's one thing I've never done and I have no plans of trying to catch up with the history!
Lisa Samuelson 4 years ago
I was a party hostess in the late '70's and the cake was a frozen sheet cake that I had to get out of the freezer and thaw before the party!!
Julie Worthington 5 years ago
I used to have my kids' birthday parties at McDonald's in the early '90's. For 5 bucks a kid (plus an additional small fee ) the restaurant provided Happy Meals, birthday cake, decorations, party favors for the guests and a special gift for the birthday kid. The host also entertained the kids with games. And they cleaned up afterward. It was awesome.
luvu2themoon downbak2thedrt 5 years ago
Little girl sitting behind birthday boy looks identical to little girl Carol Anne from 80's original poltergeist. RIP
#32
Justine Nicole 5 years ago
Let's say "or one regular Coca Cola" so it feels like there is options...
#34
Kimberly Greenock 5 years ago
Oh God and these were lava when it was 110* in Houston Texas in August
#36
Xavier Wescott 5 years ago
SO THAT"S WHAT THEY WERE??!? My grandma had these as toys for us (born in 2002) but the darn things were so worn away I just thought they were generic toys. Oh the memories are flooding back now
#38
#39
#41
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#49
Gareth Graham 5 years ago
I worked during this nightmare. They didn't have the usual 1 week rotation for a month promotion. Instead they were all available for the whole month, but they were in 'blind' bags. There was always at least one adult standing at the counter asking to feel through a large pile of bags to try and get the one their 'child' was after
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Effseven Six 5 years ago
Wow. I remember alll of that. McDonald's was a treat for me as a kid. Rarely went but was always excited when I did.
Lauren Caswell 5 years ago
Same it was so special and so amazing, the playgrounds weren't so generic they were fun
Load More Replies...
Chanelle Knapp 5 years ago
These things can't possibly be from 30 years ago. They feel like last week. Man, I'm old.
shado 5 years ago
erm ... I suspect this is where everyone starts to call many things 'vintage' just to make themselves feel better about it all :)))
Load More Replies...
Jace 5 years ago
This was a corporate ploy to get customers dragged back by their kids. It worked very well.
Load More Replies...
Kelly Gore 5 years ago
Does anybody else remember how much better the french fries were back then? The author Malcolm Gladwell has spoken about how it's because McDonald's switched from beef tallow to vegetable oil in the early 90's. The fries are still good, but they used to be amazing!
LOttawa 5 years ago
I still remember when they used to melt that big white cube of beef tallow in the deep fryer. The fries were so much better and stayed crispy longer.
Load More Replies...
Jay Broderick 5 years ago
There was one in Hamilton, Ontario that had a pirate ship in the middle of it.
Julia Sippel 5 years ago
The McDonald's caboose! A train car with a mini McDonald's inside that you had birthday parties in
Patience RN 5 years ago
These were great! So many memories. I remember the Barbie happy meal toys. My mom drove me to every McDonalds in the city so I could have the whole collection.
shado 5 years ago
now that some mom ... hope you appreciated that deed in itself
Load More Replies...
Sardonic Scribe 5 years ago
Can't believe no one mentioned this... but McDonald's PIZZA! I swear, those little buggers were so delicious!! Apparently they're still available at 3 select locations in the States. mcdonalds-...a6d60a.jpg 
Peter Krogh 5 years ago
This is great and I remember almost all of this! I am surprised to read such a list and not a single mention of the McDonalds Caboose. Is this maybe only a Canadian thing? Actual train cars that kids would have parties in in the late 70s and early 80s. I remember it being like being a whole bunch of kids in the caboose and no parents. There may have been a party attendant but I'm not sure. Screen-Sho...19-png.jpg 
AzKhaleesi 5 years ago
I'm so sad they didn't show the flinstones set my mom literally bribed a worker to sell her the whole display set so I could have the whole thing. Which was awesome because I even had the back drop. Same with the Ferngully set lol flinstone-...510cd0.jpg 
Jace 5 years ago
But who wants to remember the actual origin of the name? They just want their fun corporate-controlled childhood.
Load More Replies...
Miztre 5 years ago
It wasn't on the list but back in the 80s McDonald's Australia had baby muppets in cars figurines (like the Loony Toones ones). Does anyone remember them? Pretty sure my mum has all that kinda stuff still in storage!
Pseudo Puppy 5 years ago
oh... my... gawd.... YES!!!! Our entire school was OBSESSED with them!! Boys included! Lunch hours were spent racing those things down the hill that went from the front gate, to the front of the "head office" building (ie where the admin / principle worked). Ha! Rebellion at its core! (for 14 year olds. haha)
Load More Replies...
Corinna Weisz 1 year ago
I recently think a lot about that only complete set of toys, I ever got from McD. It was 4 different packages of a dinosaur memory game, and if you had all, you had a big memory. And a small booklet, where all the dinosaurs were explained. Haven't seen a better McToy since
Stargazer66 3 years ago
McDonalds needs to bring back beef tallow and stop using vegetable oil and bring back fried apple pies.
Nora Estrada 4 years ago
Omg those box of cookies and the plastic hand puppet was everything to me when I was a kid
Cassidy Hollan 5 years ago
I am ashamed of this list! Its missing probably the most important mcdonalds item. The ronald mcdonal vhs tapes!!! I had the whole collection as a child <3 I think we still have them in storage somewhere... Ill never forget "Scared Silly" and "Grimace Island" Lol
luvu2themoon downbak2thedrt 5 years ago
How fun it was to take nice walk back through time. Such good memories. Thank you so so much for sharing
Katherine Gilleland 5 years ago
I really wish I had pictures of it but an entire section of one of the McDonalds in town was a futuristic space station thing for kids with arcade games and a movie screen with rockets for seating. My favorite part was these big floor to ceiling tubes that were kind of like a lava lamp but not. If mom said we were going to McDonald’s you BEGGED for that one
Kimberley McMillan 5 years ago
Not one picture of the hamburger spinning merry-go-ground. I have a sad.
Virginia Dillard 5 years ago
WHERE IS A PICTURE OF THE MCDONALD’S BIRTHDAY CAKE??????? It was soooo good!!! Dark moist chocolate with character decorations you could eat.
Blackheart 5 years ago
McDonald's still has a program where Ronald McDonald will come to visit schools and speak. Even kids who do not like clowns, like Ronald. He even does a few magic tricks. They are very protective of the program image because the actor has to arrive completely made up.
Katie Allen 5 years ago
I find the part about kids who don't like clowns liking Ronald pretty hard to believe.
Load More Replies...
Karina Lozano 5 years ago
Did Ronald McDonald and his team ever visit your school? Because they did to mine.
Marye Weis 5 years ago
I worked Mcdonald's for 30 years and I have collect things and just gave them away when I moved. I still have jewelry though that I kept.
Bellatrix Lestrange 5 years ago
So many of these toys my mom have me, with some interesting memories, let me tell you that
Matthew Smith 5 years ago
https://www.picclickimg.com/d/l400/pict/143414300720_/2-x-McDonalds-KENCO-Coffee-Rainforest-Alliance.jpg
Matthew Smith 5 years ago
Back in the 90's Maccy D sold Root Beer in the UK, sadly it vanished during the 90's.
Cécile Voltolin 5 years ago
Hideous. Saw an employee grabbing a bun from the floor and putting it back on the burger cooking. Disgusted for life.
Jace 5 years ago
The comments here are a creepy demonstration of just how successfully corporations have inserted themselves into culture: people are virtually swooning with nostalgia over McDonald’s, and downvoting anyone who dares to criticize one of the most problematic corporations in America’s long history of problematic corporations. It’s grotesque.
Toasty 5 years ago
It's cool that you feel comfortable talking through certain issues here, but please remember that the internet isn't the greatest place to vent or seek comfort.
Load More Replies...
von Funnyname 5 years ago
Before I even ran through the list I had to drop a line here. Gillbella, yes, so old, hahahah me too. But seriously, when did Mickey D's go from a fun circus to someplace that riots ensue because they don't have Rick and Morty sweet and sour sauce? #WeCan'tHaveNiceThings
Effseven Six 5 years ago
Wow. I remember alll of that. McDonald's was a treat for me as a kid. Rarely went but was always excited when I did.
Lauren Caswell 5 years ago
Same it was so special and so amazing, the playgrounds weren't so generic they were fun
Load More Replies... Chanelle Knapp 5 years ago
These things can't possibly be from 30 years ago. They feel like last week. Man, I'm old.
shado 5 years ago
erm ... I suspect this is where everyone starts to call many things 'vintage' just to make themselves feel better about it all :)))
Load More Replies... Jace 5 years ago
This was a corporate ploy to get customers dragged back by their kids. It worked very well.
Load More Replies... Kelly Gore 5 years ago
Does anybody else remember how much better the french fries were back then? The author Malcolm Gladwell has spoken about how it's because McDonald's switched from beef tallow to vegetable oil in the early 90's. The fries are still good, but they used to be amazing!
LOttawa 5 years ago
I still remember when they used to melt that big white cube of beef tallow in the deep fryer. The fries were so much better and stayed crispy longer.
Load More Replies... Jay Broderick 5 years ago
There was one in Hamilton, Ontario that had a pirate ship in the middle of it.
Julia Sippel 5 years ago
The McDonald's caboose! A train car with a mini McDonald's inside that you had birthday parties in
Patience RN 5 years ago
These were great! So many memories. I remember the Barbie happy meal toys. My mom drove me to every McDonalds in the city so I could have the whole collection.
shado 5 years ago
now that some mom ... hope you appreciated that deed in itself
Load More Replies... Sardonic Scribe 5 years ago
Can't believe no one mentioned this... but McDonald's PIZZA! I swear, those little buggers were so delicious!! Apparently they're still available at 3 select locations in the States. mcdonalds-...a6d60a.jpg
Peter Krogh 5 years ago
This is great and I remember almost all of this! I am surprised to read such a list and not a single mention of the McDonalds Caboose. Is this maybe only a Canadian thing? Actual train cars that kids would have parties in in the late 70s and early 80s. I remember it being like being a whole bunch of kids in the caboose and no parents. There may have been a party attendant but I'm not sure. Screen-Sho...19-png.jpg
AzKhaleesi 5 years ago
I'm so sad they didn't show the flinstones set my mom literally bribed a worker to sell her the whole display set so I could have the whole thing. Which was awesome because I even had the back drop. Same with the Ferngully set lol flinstone-...510cd0.jpg
Jace 5 years ago
But who wants to remember the actual origin of the name? They just want their fun corporate-controlled childhood.
Load More Replies... Miztre 5 years ago
It wasn't on the list but back in the 80s McDonald's Australia had baby muppets in cars figurines (like the Loony Toones ones). Does anyone remember them? Pretty sure my mum has all that kinda stuff still in storage!
Pseudo Puppy 5 years ago
oh... my... gawd.... YES!!!! Our entire school was OBSESSED with them!! Boys included! Lunch hours were spent racing those things down the hill that went from the front gate, to the front of the "head office" building (ie where the admin / principle worked). Ha! Rebellion at its core! (for 14 year olds. haha)
Load More Replies... Corinna Weisz 1 year ago
I recently think a lot about that only complete set of toys, I ever got from McD. It was 4 different packages of a dinosaur memory game, and if you had all, you had a big memory. And a small booklet, where all the dinosaurs were explained. Haven't seen a better McToy since
Stargazer66 3 years ago
McDonalds needs to bring back beef tallow and stop using vegetable oil and bring back fried apple pies.
Nora Estrada 4 years ago
Omg those box of cookies and the plastic hand puppet was everything to me when I was a kid
Cassidy Hollan 5 years ago
I am ashamed of this list! Its missing probably the most important mcdonalds item. The ronald mcdonal vhs tapes!!! I had the whole collection as a child <3 I think we still have them in storage somewhere... Ill never forget "Scared Silly" and "Grimace Island" Lol
luvu2themoon downbak2thedrt 5 years ago
How fun it was to take nice walk back through time. Such good memories. Thank you so so much for sharing
Katherine Gilleland 5 years ago
I really wish I had pictures of it but an entire section of one of the McDonalds in town was a futuristic space station thing for kids with arcade games and a movie screen with rockets for seating. My favorite part was these big floor to ceiling tubes that were kind of like a lava lamp but not. If mom said we were going to McDonald’s you BEGGED for that one
Kimberley McMillan 5 years ago
Not one picture of the hamburger spinning merry-go-ground. I have a sad.
Virginia Dillard 5 years ago
WHERE IS A PICTURE OF THE MCDONALD’S BIRTHDAY CAKE??????? It was soooo good!!! Dark moist chocolate with character decorations you could eat.
Blackheart 5 years ago
McDonald's still has a program where Ronald McDonald will come to visit schools and speak. Even kids who do not like clowns, like Ronald. He even does a few magic tricks. They are very protective of the program image because the actor has to arrive completely made up.
Katie Allen 5 years ago
I find the part about kids who don't like clowns liking Ronald pretty hard to believe.
Load More Replies... Karina Lozano 5 years ago
Did Ronald McDonald and his team ever visit your school? Because they did to mine.
Marye Weis 5 years ago
I worked Mcdonald's for 30 years and I have collect things and just gave them away when I moved. I still have jewelry though that I kept.
Bellatrix Lestrange 5 years ago
So many of these toys my mom have me, with some interesting memories, let me tell you that
Matthew Smith 5 years ago
https://www.picclickimg.com/d/l400/pict/143414300720_/2-x-McDonalds-KENCO-Coffee-Rainforest-Alliance.jpg
Matthew Smith 5 years ago
Back in the 90's Maccy D sold Root Beer in the UK, sadly it vanished during the 90's.
Cécile Voltolin 5 years ago
Hideous. Saw an employee grabbing a bun from the floor and putting it back on the burger cooking. Disgusted for life.
Jace 5 years ago
The comments here are a creepy demonstration of just how successfully corporations have inserted themselves into culture: people are virtually swooning with nostalgia over McDonald’s, and downvoting anyone who dares to criticize one of the most problematic corporations in America’s long history of problematic corporations. It’s grotesque.
Toasty 5 years ago
It's cool that you feel comfortable talking through certain issues here, but please remember that the internet isn't the greatest place to vent or seek comfort.
Load More Replies... von Funnyname 5 years ago
Before I even ran through the list I had to drop a line here. Gillbella, yes, so old, hahahah me too. But seriously, when did Mickey D's go from a fun circus to someplace that riots ensue because they don't have Rick and Morty sweet and sour sauce? #WeCan'tHaveNiceThings
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