It may be August, but as far as I’m concerned, spooky season is already upon us. Spirit Halloween is open, Halloween decor is on the shelves, and McDonald’s is releasing Halloween-themed Happy Meal Bucket Bags. Yep, you read that right. The partnership with fandom fashion brand Loungefly is set to release the most stylish candy storage receptacles of 2023, the McDonald's Halloween Bucket Bags. Think those brightly colored plastic trick-or-treating buckets of your childhood, but make it fashion. And for adults.
Whether you’re the type to plan your incredibly detailed, made-from-scratch costume months in advance or prefer to slap it together at Goodwill last minute (like me), these frighteningly stylish bucket bags are perfect for all your Halloween needs. No matter if you’re dressing as Carmy (from The Bear), Barbie (from Barbie), or something else entirely, you’ll need an adorable, on-theme accessory in which to stash your phone, wallet, and (most importantly) candy.
The new McDonald's Halloween Bucket Bags, set to be released in September, come in several scarily cute varieties. There’s the jack-o-lantern orange McPunk'n Crossbody Bag and the ghoulishly green McGoblin Crossbody Bag (both $70). Both are made of vegan leather, with antique gold-colored metal hardware, adjustable straps, and coordinating lining. And (just when you thought it couldn’t get any better) they glow in the dark. It’s like an extremely fashionable reflective safety vest! We love to see it.
But that’s not all. The McDonald’s Vampire McNugget Mini Backpack ($69.99) features Vampire McNugget (AKA McNuggula McNugget) himself. Vampire is one of the original McDonald’s Halloween McNugget Buddies, a quartet of Happy Meal toys released in 1988 which also included McBoo, Witch, and Mummy McNugget. More bags incoming?
And it’s not just cute purses. Clearly, McDonald’s is upping its character game all around. With the recent revivals of Grimace, CosMc, and now Vampire McNugget, many are wondering which 90s McDonald’s character will be next to make an adorably delicious comeback. Will we get a Bernice Burger? Fry Kids flannels? Sundae sunglasses? Or will McDonald’s release an entirely new set of characters for the 21st century? Only time will tell, but I for one, am excited (and slightly scared) to find out.