McDonald's Spooky, Nostalgic Boo Buckets Return in Fall 2024 — Details Here

If there's one thing consumers love in 2024, it's an item that combines nostalgia and practicality. Fans have gone haywire for exclusive movie theater popcorn buckets, so it's no surprise they're loving the return of McDonalds' classic Boo Buckets to stores everywhere. The Boo Bucket was originally launched in 1986 and was designed for reuse so that children could put their Halloween candy in the bucket later.

Since the 1980s, McDonald's has brought back the Boo Bucket sporadically, with the most recent return being 2023. Now, Boo Buckets are officially back in 2024 — so here's everything you need to know about how to obtain one.

According to USA Today, McDonald's will begin offering its Boo Buckets again on Oct. 15, 2024. The buckets will temporarily replace the classic Happy Meal boxes and can be purchased by placing a regular Happy Meal order online or in person. However, Boo Bucket prices may vary depending on individual locations, and the products are only available while supplies last.

What do you get in your Boo Bucket? In typical Happy Meal fashion, you can choose from one of three main dish options: hamburger, 4-piece Chicken McNugget, or 6-piece Chicken McNugget meals.

Pails are blue, white, orange, or green, replacing 2023's purple color. They also come with a variety of stickers for children to decorate, as the art on the buckets is less stylized to allow for more creativity.

However, not everyone is thrilled with the return of this nostalgic item. Some fans have slammed the company for not offering a lid on the buckets, while others are complaining they're much smaller than in previous years.

"If their target audience was collectors, they dropped the ball. If their target audience was a landfill, congrats!" one user commented on Instagram.

Another remarked on X (formerly known as Twitter), "Possibly unpopular opinion: I'm glad the McDonald's Boo Buckets are back, but the originals had lids with removable center that helped keep your candy in the bucket when trick or treating. The new ones don't have lids at all, just a fancy handle, which is less functional."

McDonald's isn't the only company looking to cash in on Halloween fun — fast food restaurants Tim Hortons and Dunkin' have also stepped up their spooky game in Fall 2024. On Sept. 30, Tim Horton's announced a Halloween menu with glow-in-the-dark trick-or-treat buckets, while Dunkin' introduced its Halloween Munchkins Bucket on Oct. 1.