Ursula, Maleficent, Scar, Jafar and Cruella each get a Happy Meal pail. Scar’s bucket also hides Timon, Pumbaa and Simba in the background.
McDonald’s is officially in its villain era.
The Disney Villains Boo Buckets arrived at participating McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and they’re available with Happy Meals through Nov. 2, while supplies last.
McDonald’s summed up this year’s theme with a nod to the villains: “This spooky szn, we’re entering our villain era.”
Which Disney villains are on the Boo Buckets?
There are five, and each one gets its own color:
Ursula in purple
Maleficent in green
Scar in orange
Jafar in red
Cruella de Vil in white
The lineup matches the leaked photos that showed up online last week, BlogMickey noted.
That’s a villain from five different Disney classics: The Little Mermaid (1989), Sleeping Beauty (1959), The Lion King (1994), Aladdin (1992) and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). The leaked sticker sheets even showed a few heroes sneaking in, with Ariel on Ursula’s sheet, Aurora on Maleficent’s and Aladdin on Jafar’s.
What comes with a Boo Bucket?
Each bucket comes with a lid and a sheet of stickers with characters and details from that villain’s movie, so kids can decorate their pail.
Laughing Place picked up the Scar bucket and found a few extra surprises. Along with Scar, the orange pail features silhouettes of Ed the hyena, Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu and Simba. The back of the sticker sheet has a Seek & Find puzzle, too.
Even the Apple Slices got the villain treatment. The bag features Maleficent and the Disney Villains logo.
How much are the Disney Villains Boo Buckets?
McDonald’s hasn’t announced a price. The buckets come with Happy Meals, and Happy Meal prices vary by location.
McDonald’s also hasn’t said whether every restaurant will carry all five villains at the same time. If you’re trying to collect the whole set, it’s a good idea to go early and ask which designs your location has in stock.
When did McDonald’s Boo Buckets start?
McDonald’s first released Boo Buckets in 1986, with three orange pumpkin designs. In 1989, the lineup switched to the trio a lot of fans grew up with: an orange pumpkin, a green witch and a white ghost.
Over the years the buckets have come and gone, and they’ve turned into a big nostalgia item for adults as much as kids. A full Disney Villains takeover is a big change from the classic pumpkin, witch and ghost look.
What do the Boo Buckets have to do with Disney World?
More than you might think. The buckets arrived during the last stretch of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which wraps up at Magic Kingdom on Oct. 31.
Villains are also coming to Magic Kingdom in a big way. At D23 in August, Disney confirmed a Maleficent roller coaster and a Magic Mirror dark ride for Villains Land, and Cruella shows up in the land’s backstory. So two of this year’s bucket villains are headed to the park, too.
How long will the Boo Buckets be available?
Officially, through Nov. 2. That gives fans about two weeks to collect them, with a few extra days after Halloween.
But “while supplies last” is doing a lot of work here. Boo Buckets can get hard to find once collectors catch on, so don’t wait until Halloween night if you have a favorite villain.
Can you reuse a McDonald’s Boo Bucket for trick-or-treating?
That’s the whole point. The buckets have a handle and are sized for candy, which is why so many families use them for trick-or-treating every year.
And since these are Disney villains, they’ll fit right in with a Maleficent or Cruella costume. Ursula fans, you’ve got a matching purple pail.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
BlogMickey (Oct. 19, 2026), the five villains, colors, dates, McDonald’s quote and Villains Land tie-in
Laughing Place, Reiley Selinger (Oct. 20, 2026), the Scar bucket details, sticker sheet, Apple Slices packaging and Boo Bucket history
McDonald’s (Oct. 2026), the official artwork
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.