McNugget Buddies Make a Comeback in McDonald’s Limited-Edition Adult Happy Meals

McNugget Buddies haven't shown up in Happy Meals since 1996.

Designer Kerwin Frost and his McNugget Buddies.
Designer Kerwin Frost and his McNugget Buddies. / McDonald's
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To experience the fun of getting your food in a Happy Meal box at McDonald’s, you usually have to order a traditional Happy Meal. But for a limited time beginning on Monday, December 11, McDonald’s will offer special-edition, Happy Meal–esque boxes that are both larger than the typical boxes and contain more food than the typical Happy Meal does.

As Food & Wine reports, It’s technically titled the Kerwin Frost Box, after the Harlem-born DJ and artist who designed it. The box features an illustration of a fictional street called “Frost Way” and its inhabitants, which are Frost’s take on McNugget Buddies. In addition to Frost himself (the mayor), there’s Don Bernice the Wise Stylist, Uptown Moe the Neighborhood Hero, Waffutu the Curious Optimist, BRRRICK the Cool Guy, and Darla the Dreamer.

The original McNugget Buddies—anthropomorphized Chicken McNuggets—debuted as toys in McDonald’s Happy Meals in 1988; but according to CNBC, they’ve been dormant since 1996. Each Kerwin Frost Box comes with one of Frost’s six McNugget Buddies in toy form while supplies last.

“I’ve loved McDonald’s since I was a kid. I even had my own Ronald McDonald doll that I brought to picture day at school, and it was my dream to collect all the McNugget Buddies,” Frost said in a press release. “Now, coming up with my own special set of Buddies—each one representing different aspects of self-expression—it’s unreal, a dream come true.”

As for what foodstuff will occupy the box beside each Buddy, fries are a given; for the main, you can choose between a Big Mac and 10 McNuggets. A soft drink, naturally, is included in the offering, too. It’s also worth clarifying that the Kerwin Frost Box isn’t replacing the Happy Meal—it’s a separate menu item that happens to come in a box with a toy. If you ask for a Happy Meal, you’ll still get a regular Happy Meal.

[h/t Food & Wine]