The Strange Fact You Didn’t Know About McDonald's and Disney World

Sometimes, all you need is just a little nostalgia. It’s one of the reasons so many of us are “Disney Adults,” and there’s nothing like taking a trip down memory lane.

So allow us, Dear Reader, to take you on a journey to yesteryear — back to a time when two iconic companies joined forces to bring us something we took for granted. And now that it’s gone, consider this our official request to bring it back.

Disney World is home to iconic rides, unmatched entertainment, delicious snacks, and lots of nostalgia. And, at one point, Disney World was also home to delicious, crispy, salty, golden McDonald’s french fries.

You see, for years, Disney had a close relationship with McDonald’s. You could find McDonald’s fries in Magic Kingdom, McDonald’s items at Restaurantosaurus in Animal Kingdom, and the DINOSAUR ride was even sponsored by McDonald’s. But, this hasn’t been the case since 2006, which begs the question — what happened?!

McDonald’s certainly isn’t known for being the healthiest of chains, and in 2006, Disney introduced licensing guidelines for Mickey and other characters on foods that failed to meet certain nutritional requirements. That was also the year the Insitute of Medicine released a study indicating that junk food was contributing to childhood obesity.

It was also right around that time that the McDonald’s and Disney World contract was up for renewal, with Disney ultimately choosing not to renew the 10-year agreement.

A McDonald’s spokeswoman stated the decision to end the partnership “had nothing to do with the McDonald’s menu or health concerns,” while a Disney spokesperson said, “We look forward to a more flexible, non-exclusive relationship where we will be working with them on a case-by-case basis.”

That new agreement eventually did come, with McDonald’s having worked to make Happy Meals a bit healthier, and in 2018 the two companies partnered yet again.

The new agreement is not exclusive and focuses on promoting Happy Meals, including toys themed to Disney films. But, in devastating news, the agreement failed to bring McDonald’s food back to Disney World.

Announcing The Little Mermaid Happy Meal toys

Sigh. Gone are the days of those delicious, golden, crispy, salty fries in Disney World. Consider this our love letter and official request to bring them back.

For the latest Disney World snack news, tips, and more, be sure to stay tuned to AllEars!