McDonald's Happy Meal Toys — Changeables Returned Jan. 27 After Nearly 40 Years!

McDonald’s has brought back Changeables Happy Meal toys for the first time in nearly 40 years. On January 27, the nostalgic, Transformer-style toys, that were originally released in the late ’80s, are now available at U.S. McDonald’s locations for a limited time.

The retro toys look like classic McDonald’s menu items (think fries, burgers, and Happy Meal boxes) but transform into robots, dinosaurs, and quirky characters with full-on personalities. Nostalgia aside, this throwback is also a surprisingly budget-friendly way to score collectibles, especially if you know a few insider tricks.

Here’s what to know before you hit the drive-thru.

Love a good McDeal? We’ve got the best list of ways to save at McDonald’s that’ll get you free fries and more.

What KCL Experts Think You Should Know

• This comeback is demand-driven, not just nostalgic. McDonald’s confirmed Changeables were the most requested Happy Meal toy across social media and customer service channels.

• It’s a larger-than-usual toy drop. The 2026 rollout includes 16 collectible characters.

• Changeables have real collector history. Original ’80s versions regularly sell for triple-digit prices, with values typically increasing after the promotion ends.

• Adults are clearly part of the target audience. From detailed designs to character backstories, this release is built to appeal to adults and kids.

• You don’t need to buy a full Happy Meal to get one. Many locations sell the toy on its own, making this a low-cost way to collect.

• App deals can significantly offset the cost. McDonald’s app offers and rewards can reduce the effective price of a Happy Meal or make it feel nearly free.

What are Changeables (and why are people losing it)?

Changeables first debuted in 1987, with follow-up collections in 1989 and 1990. Each toy starts as a McDonald’s product and transforms into another creature with its own name and backstory.

Here are all 16 characters in the new collection:

• Cap Cap (McDonald’s cap to a robot)

• Teef Rex (Happy Meal box to a dinosaur)

• FR-13S (fry basket to a robot)

• Galla (bag of apple slices to a robot)

• Vash (Chicken McNuggets box to a dinosaur)

• Drinkobius-099 (soda machine to a robot)

• Fergon (hamburger wrapper to a pterodactyl)

• D1v4 (cheeseburger to a robot)

• Kurtis the Divine (McDonald’s grill to a dinosaur)

• Boo Bot (Halloween Happy Meal bucket to a robot)

• Pterabagdyl (McDonald’s bag to a pterodactyl)

• Sizzlesaurus (McDonald’s fryer to a dinosaur)

• X-CH4NG3 (cash register to a robot)

• Torrus (McDonald’s cube to a robot-dinosaur)

• Min-EE (order kiosk to a robot)

• Kio (card reader to a robot)

Fans on Instagram, Reddit, and X are already calling this one of McDonald’s best toy releases in decades. And judging by the comments, y'all might be even more excited than your kids.

How to Get the Changeables Without Overspending

1. Buy the toy alone, without purchasing a Happy Meal.

Multiple McDonald’s employees have confirmed that you can buy the toy by itself. This is especially helpful if you’re a collector or just want the toy without the extra food. Toy prices without the meal are usually around $3 - $4.

2. Stack with app deals.

If you do want the Happy Meal, check the McDonald’s app first. Happy Meals often qualify for the following:

• Bonus points

• BOGO offers

• App-exclusive discounts

Often, the deals in the McDonald's app offset the price of the toy.

3. Skip the resale market (for now).

Some people are already talking about resale value — but prices tend to spike after the toys disappear. If you want them, grabbing them now is far cheaper than paying inflated prices later.

Can you sell Changeables and make money?

It's never guaranteed that Happy Meal toys will fetch a high resale value, but some have. When the Yu-Gi-Oh!, X Hello Kitty, and Friends Happy Meal toys got released in other countries, we saw a full set of 10 toys selling for around $100. Sets of nine were selling at $70.

For comparison, the Squishmallow toys from December 2023 sold for around $22 for a set of 12 on the secondary market.

Not all McDonald’s toys are going to be valuable, but certain characteristics improve the likelihood.

Typically, there are two different criteria that can make a McDonald’s toy an expensive collectible:

1. They use the original McDonald’s characters or designs.

2. They're a riff on an item that’s already a popular collectible (such as Beanie Babies in the early 2000s).

It’s not always easy to know in advance which toys will be sought-after collectibles in the future, but those criteria will point you in the right direction.

You can always opt for ice cream instead of a Happy Meal toy.

If you don’t want a toy with your Happy Meal, you can ask for an ice cream cone instead (valued at $1.69). This is an easy way to get a dessert if you aren’t excited about the current Happy Meal toys. This option isn't available through the McDonald’s Rewards app, so you’ll have to be in-store or in the drive-thru to ask an employee directly.

Kids can find free games and activities at the Happy Meal website.

If you want to know which Happy Meal toys are available now, all the info on the current items are on the Happy Meal website. It lets you know every McDonald’s toy available during each promotion, and even includes free activity sheets that you can print from your computer.

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