McDonald’s Boo Buckets are back for Halloween 2026, and this year the pails have a dark side. The chain is releasing five Disney Villains Boo Buckets, the first movie-themed set of Disney Happy Meal toys since the pails were revived in 2022, per USA Today and Delish. Here is everything to know about the new Boo Buckets: the designs, the McDonald’s Boo Buckets 2026 release date, how to get one, and what to expect on price.
Release date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at participating US restaurants, for a limited time and while supplies last.
The designs: five Disney Villains Boo Buckets inspired by Jafar, Ursula, Scar, Cruella de Vil and Maleficent. Each pail comes with a villain-inspired lid, a sticker sheet and the classic yellow handle.
The meal: the pail replaces the usual Happy Meal box. You pick a hamburger, cheeseburger or 4- or 6-piece Chicken McNuggets, and the meal comes with a drink, apple slices and fries.
The price: set by each restaurant, so it varies by location. McDonald’s has not announced a national price.
The five Disney Villains Boo Buckets designs
The villains Boo Buckets line leans on the bad guys Disney fans love to hate. McDonald’s told USA Today the set includes Jafar, Ursula, Scar, Cruella de Vil and Maleficent, each with its own villain-inspired lid and a themed sticker sheet for decorating the pail. It is the first Disney movie tie-in for the buckets since the Halloween Boo Buckets returned in 2022, which makes this set the biggest Disney Happy Meal toys drop of the season.
Every pail keeps the retro look that made the originals famous, including the signature yellow handle, so the buckets still read as Boo Buckets first and villain merch second. Expect the purple tentacle mood for Ursula, fiery reds for Jafar, spotted styling for Cruella, lion-inspired touches for Scar and thorny dark-fairy energy for Maleficent.
How to get a Boo Bucket starting October 20
Does McDonald’s have Boo Buckets today? Not yet. Are Boo Buckets available at McDonald’s right now? No. They land Tuesday, October 20, and from that morning you can get one with any Happy Meal at participating US locations, in the dining room or the drive-thru. The fine print is the part that matters: limited time, and only while supplies last.
Past drops have sold out fast at busy locations, so the smart play is to go early in the first week and check the McDonald’s app for your local restaurant before making a special trip. Since each restaurant sets its own stock and pace, one location being out does not mean the next one is.
How much do McDonald’s Boo Buckets cost in 2026?
Here is the honest answer: McDonald’s has not published a national price for the Disney Villains Boo Buckets, because each restaurant sets its own Happy Meal pricing. That means the cost of the new Boo Buckets will vary by location. We will not guess at a number. Check the app or your local restaurant for the exact price, and treat any national price you see floating around social media with suspicion.
40 years of Boo Buckets: the 90s nostalgia behind the hype
The reason grown adults care this much about a plastic pail is history. McDonald’s first offered Halloween Boo Buckets in 1986, making 2026 the tradition’s 40th anniversary. The buckets disappeared after 2016, then McDonald’s revived them in 2022 to instant sellouts and social media frenzies, powered largely by 90s Boo Buckets nostalgia from millennials who carried the originals trick-or-treating.
Since the comeback, the chain has paired the pails with characters like Mr. Potato Head, Scooby-Doo, Monster High, Minions and Peanuts. A full Disney Villains set is the biggest license the modern Boo Buckets era has landed, and it arrives exactly as 90s kids nostalgia for the original pails peaks online.
The Halloween bucket wars: Dunkin’ has one too
McDonald’s is not the only chain fighting for your Halloween table. Dunkin’s Munchkins bucket is also back this season, per Taste of Home, so the McDonald’s Halloween menu 2026 has real competition for the most collectible fast-food bucket of October.
What this means for fans
Mark Tuesday, October 20: that is the confirmed McDonald’s Boo Buckets 2026 release date. Early in the week is your best shot at a full set.
Collectors, pace yourselves: five designs means up to five Happy Meals. The sticker sheets and villain lids are part of the set, so check the pail before you leave the counter.
Parents: the pail is the box, so there is no separate toy to lose. The meal itself is the standard Happy Meal: entree, fries, apple slices and a drink.
Outside the US: availability is confirmed for participating US restaurants only so far. If you are in Canada or elsewhere, watch your local McDonald’s channels.
McDonald’s Boo Buckets 2026 FAQ
Is McDonald’s doing Halloween Buckets in 2026? Yes. The chain is releasing Disney Villains Boo Buckets for Halloween 2026.
What are the new Disney McDonald’s Boo Buckets for Halloween? Five Halloween pails inspired by Jafar, Ursula, Scar, Cruella de Vil and Maleficent, each with a themed lid and sticker sheet.
When do Boo Buckets come out? Tuesday, October 20, 2026, for a limited time while supplies last.
How much do they cost? Prices are set by each restaurant and vary by location. No national price has been announced.
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