Boo Buckets 2026: McDonald's 5 Disney Villains pails from 20 October
Checked on 18 October 2026. This year's McDonald's Boo Buckets are Disney villains. From Tuesday 20 October 2026, participating McDonald's restaurants in the United States serve the Happy Meal in a Halloween pail instead of the box, in five designs: Jafar, Ursula, Scar, Cruella and Maleficent, each with a villain-inspired lid and stickers. The promotion is announced for the US; whether the buckets reach any other country is not known yet, and we are watching. Below: the UK picture, the five pails, the dates and what is still unclear.
Are Boo Buckets coming to the UK?
Nothing says so yet. McDonald's announced the Disney Villains Boo Buckets on its US Menu Spotter page on 15 October 2026, for participating restaurants in the United States. McDonald's UK has made no Boo Bucket announcement. Its current Happy Meal is Build-A-Bear — twelve mini plush bag clips, four of them Halloween-inspired according to the McDonald's UK press release of 23 September, running until 2 November 2026; names and small print are in our Build-A-Bear Happy Meal guide. When the UK Happy Meal changes, it goes into Happy Meal toys right now in the UK. For the US, the same running page is Happy Meal toys right now in the USA, with every US Happy Meal of 2026.
The five Disney Villains Boo Buckets
| Bucket | Colour | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Jafar | red | Aladdin |
| Ursula | purple | The Little Mermaid |
| Scar | orange | The Lion King |
| Cruella de Vil | white, black-and-white art | One Hundred and One Dalmatians |
| Maleficent | green | Sleeping Beauty |
The line-up and films are from McDonald's announcement as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix and Good Morning America on 16 October 2026; the colours are from GMA's captions to the official images and from Attractions Magazine. For Maleficent, GMA also mentions the live-action Maleficent, while the other outlets give Sleeping Beauty.
Every pail has the same yellow handle shaped like the Golden Arches. The villain peers over a black band running round the bucket — Jafar's turban, Maleficent's horns, Cruella's two-tone hair. McDonald's says each comes with a villain-inspired lid and stickers showing “iconic characters and details true fans will recognize”. There is no separate toy: the bucket replaces the Happy Meal box and is the collectible.
Release date: 20 October 2026, while supplies last
Images of the five leaked online on 13 October; on 14 October the Happy Meal Instagram account posted a teaser showing only five pairs of eyes; on 15 October McDonald's confirmed the full set. The buckets arrive on Tuesday 20 October 2026 at participating US restaurants. There is no end date, only “while supplies last”, and the announcement names no price. Whether you can ask for a particular villain, McDonald's has not said.
Boo Buckets since 1986
McDonald's first made Halloween pails in 1986: three orange pumpkins. The buckets disappeared after 2016 and came back in 2022 after years of customer requests. Since then each Halloween has brought new faces — a blue pail joined white, orange and green in 2024, and 2025 had five: Ghost, Pumpkin, Goblin, Cat and Zombie. In 2026 those Halloween faces give way to five characters from Disney films.
What we do not know yet
- Whether the buckets will be released in the UK, Ireland or anywhere outside the US.
- The price: McDonald's sets none in the announcement.
- The end date beyond “while supplies last”.
- What the lids look like: the official renders show the buckets without them.
We will update this page when any of that changes.
Tracking the five on ColleX
All five are listed in Happy Meal Disney Villains Boo Buckets. Mark the ones you have as “Have” and the missing ones as “Want”. The other Happy Meal sets are in the McDonald's section.
Frequently asked questions
When do the McDonald's Boo Buckets 2026 come out?
On Tuesday 20 October 2026, at participating McDonald's restaurants in the United States, for a limited time while supplies last.
Will the Disney Villains Boo Buckets be in the UK?
McDonald's has announced them for the US only, and McDonald's UK has not mentioned them (as of 18 October 2026). The UK Happy Meal at the moment is Build-A-Bear, until 2 November 2026.
Which villains are on the 2026 Boo Buckets?
Jafar (red), Ursula (purple), Scar (orange), Cruella de Vil (white with black-and-white art) and Maleficent (green).
How much are the Boo Buckets?
McDonald's has not published a price: the bucket comes with a Happy Meal at participating US restaurants.
Do you get a toy with the Boo Bucket?
No separate toy is mentioned. The bucket replaces the box and comes with a villain-inspired lid and stickers.
How can I trade duplicate Boo Buckets on ColleX?
Mark the bucket you have twice as “Have” with quantity 2 and the missing ones as “Want”. ColleX shows collectors whose wants match your duplicate, and you agree the swap in chat.
Sources: McDonald's USA, Menu Spotter (announcement of 15 October 2026); FOX 10 Phoenix and Good Morning America, 16 October 2026; People, 16 October 2026; DesignRush, 16 October 2026; Attractions Magazine, 13–16 October 2026; Laughing Place, 14 October 2026; Sporked, 14 October 2026; McDonald's UK press release, 23 September 2026.