The buckets are back — and this year they have gone full villain. McDonald’s Boo Buckets returned on October 20, 2026 as a Disney Villains collection: five collectible pails — Jafar, Ursula, Scar, Cruella de Vil and Maleficent — handed out with Happy Meals at participating restaurants nationwide, while supplies last. McDonald’s framed the launch as entering its “villain era,” and collectors have taken the hint: completing the set of five is already the season’s fast-food scavenger hunt.
Here is the full 2026 lineup with colors, how to get the design you actually want, what it costs, and the 40-year history behind the promotion. The Happy Meal itself ($5.29 at our checked prices) is detailed on the McDonald’s menu page.
The 2026 Disney Villains Lineup: All Five Designs
| Bucket | Color | From |
|---|---|---|
| Jafar | Red | Aladdin |
| Ursula | Purple | The Little Mermaid |
| Scar | Orange | The Lion King |
| Cruella de Vil | White | 101 Dalmatians |
| Maleficent | Green | Sleeping Beauty |
Each bucket replaces the usual Happy Meal box and comes with a villain-inspired lid and a sheet of stickers drawn from the character’s film — the reverse of the sticker sheet doubles as a seek-and-find game. The handles stay classic McDonald’s yellow. It is the first licensed-character Boo Bucket lineup, and it deliberately breaks with tradition: 2025’s run used five Halloween-native designs (Ghost, Pumpkin, Goblin, Cat and Zombie), which is why some longtime fans are grumbling — and why the villain buckets are moving even faster.
How to Get a Boo Bucket (and the One You Want)
Order any Happy Meal at a participating restaurant and the meal arrives in a Boo Bucket — there is no separate item to request and no app code. Which villain you get is your store’s rotation, but two tactics work: ask at the counter before they bag the meal (crews will often swap to a design they have open), and go early in the run — in past years the popular designs thin out well before Halloween. Policies on selling an empty bucket without the meal vary by store; the guaranteed route is the meal itself. The promotion has no published end date: it runs through Halloween or until each restaurant sells through, whichever comes first.
A 40-Year Tradition: Boo Buckets Since 1986
The Boo Bucket debuted in 1986 — forty years ago this month — with three designs: McBoo, McPunk’n and McGoblin. It became an annual Halloween fixture through the 1990s and 2000s, lapsed between 2017 and 2021 when paper Happy Meal boxes took over, then returned in 2022 to genuine queues. The runs since have escalated: four designs in 2023 (including a Vampire), five in 2025, and now the first-ever licensed lineup for the 40th anniversary year. Whether the villains are a one-off or the start of themed years is the collector debate of the moment.
The Collector Angle
A complete set costs a minimum of five Happy Meals — about $26.45 at our checked $5.29 price, if luck and swaps cooperate — and social media is already full of completion hunts, including one creator dressing as Cruella to collect her own bucket. Vintage 1980s–90s pails trade steadily on resale marketplaces, and modern full sets appreciate once the run ends. Storage tip from past years: keep them out of sunlight, which fades the colors, and keep the sticker sheets unused — complete-with-stickers sets are the ones that hold value.
McDonald’s Boo Buckets FAQs
When did Boo Buckets come back in 2026?
October 20, 2026, at participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide, with any Happy Meal purchase, while supplies last. There is no announced end date — the run effectively ends at Halloween or when stores sell through.
What are the 2026 Boo Bucket designs?
Five Disney Villains: Jafar (red, from Aladdin), Ursula (purple, The Little Mermaid), Scar (orange, The Lion King), Cruella de Vil (white, 101 Dalmatians) and Maleficent (green, Sleeping Beauty). Each comes with a themed lid and a sticker sheet.
Can you choose which Boo Bucket you get?
Officially it is your store’s rotation, but asking at the counter before your meal is bagged often works — crews will usually swap to a design they have in stock. Drive-thru swaps are harder; go inside if a specific villain matters.
Can you buy a Boo Bucket without a Happy Meal?
It varies by store and most will not sell the bucket alone — it is the Happy Meal’s container, not a separate product. The guaranteed route is ordering the meal ($5.29 at our checked prices).
How long do Boo Buckets last?
Until each restaurant runs out, which in busy markets has happened before Halloween in past years. For a full set of five, start in the first week.
Conclusion
Forty years after McBoo, the Boo Bucket’s biggest year might be its villain year: five Disney designs, a collect-them-all loop and no end date except an empty shelf. The run is live now — pair it with the deals page so completing the set costs as little as possible.
Details from McDonald’s October 2026 launch announcement and coverage (Dexerto, Taste of Home, Laughing Place, USA TODAY reporting), checked October 22, 2026. Participating restaurants and supplies vary. McDonald’s is a trademark of the McDonald’s Corporation; Disney villain characters are trademarks of Disney. This site is not affiliated with McDonald’s or Disney.
