Why Everybody Is Angry At The New McDonald's McDonaldland Meal

On August 12, McDonald's launched its new, limited-time-only McDonaldland menu: A combo meal featuring a blue raspberry lava shake with pink whipped cream "clouds," plus a collectible tin featuring images of the mythical McDonaldland itself — complete with rolling green hills and purple mountains. Also present in the meal's packaging are a host of throwback characters like Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Birdy, and the Hamburgler to name a few. However playful, the meal has caused waves with customers and critics of the fast food chain, who are anything but happy with the meal. This is mainly because of the inflated cost — which can ring up around $17, though shocking prices for the fast food meal have been reported as ranging from $12.89 to a whopping $24 (depending on location).

In a YouTube review of the limited offer, @TheReportOfTheWeek shares their thoughts on the meal, sampling it in real time with the viewer. Ultimately, the reviewer concluded that while "inventive," the price is far too high. Aside from the super sweet, colorful medium-sized shake and collectible tin (which contains postcards and other "souvenirs"), the meal includes a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets or a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. The comment section confirmed the anger over the price of the McDonaldland combo. "Hamburgler came up with the price because it is criminal" one Youtube user wrote, following the comment up with laughing-crying emojis. "Price is unacceptable! MCripoff," another person expressed.

While the meal combo undoubtedly plays on fans' nostalgia by bringing back some iconic characters, with the high price it's hard not to see the offer as an attempt to capitalize on old-time nostalgia in a world (and fast food chain) that's not the same. "It's kind of sad that they try to monetize our memories of McDonalds," one user commented in the aforementioned YouTube review of the meal.

One McDonald's rep claimed (via WSAZ3 News) that the meal was fit to appeal to a wide range of audiences, both kids and adults. However, McDonaldland has clearly backfired, since so much of the buzz is about being charged so much, especially when the chain used to represent a quick and affordable option. After the pandemic and inflation issues, the fast food chain's prices skyrocketed, and many agree that even the best McDonald's menu items' prices are more inflated than necessary.

At the same time, McDonald's seems to be listening (at least a little) to the complaints. The fast food chain's CEO, Chris Kempczinski, recently acknowledged in an interview (via CNN News) the discrepancy between customers' "value perception" and the current menu prices, noting company's plans to reduce prices. Lower prices on meal combos allegedly will hit the scene in September, though it's hard to say if McDonald's prices will ever return to the value meal expectations of yesteryear — or those portrayed in McDonaldland, for that matter.