kid's packs

[darlene]

Hi all. As I type, the kids are begging to go to MickyD's for supper because they have the poochie/meowchie in their kid's packs. I have refused to buy them kids pack meals because they never seem to eat all of the meal and just want the toy....which I then end up throwing out because they loose interest in them so fast! UGH! I have found it waaaayyy cheaper to buy them each a burger, large fries to share and a supersize drink (without ice) is enough for them all. Hey Renee....there is another money saving tip for you! LOL
Do you all buy your kids the packs, or am I the only cheap mommy on the board????
:)

[angie r]

I always buy the happy meal. As a matter of fact, we got chirpie chi's today at lunch. I always loved the kid's meal at Burger Chef (remember that) when I was a kid.

[KarlaB]

We always buy the kid meals, but the toys are soon lost or forgotten. Depending on what the toy is sometimes they are a nice (brief) distraction during a longer car ride. :)

[KathyT]

I always buy happy meals for my dks. We don't get McDs very often, maybe once every 2 months because it is just such sh*t, lol, but they love the toys and some of them we have had for years. The poochies and meowchis are making a huge hit with them. It costs me exactly $7.11 to get each of them the meal they want, plus make them happy, so what the heck?? lol!

[TXmom]

As a matter of fact, I bought ds a happy meal for lunch, and the toy is already in the trash! He got the cat/mouse one. My burger was pink, so I call McDonalds, and they said they'd gladly replace it. I said, "Well, I'll have to drive all the way back there.", and she replied, "OK, then the next time you're in the area we'll replace it for you.". I said "Since it was my LUNCH, I guess I'll drive back for a new burger." Then the next one was pick, too!! Not nearly as bad, but still. Even if the 2nd burger had been OK, I don't think replacing the 1st one was enough of an apology. That's the expected part, not a good will gesture for goodness sake! I guess I'll shouldn't let this go since undercooked burgers are a health hazard. Now I've just typed myself into a little hissy here!

[kat]

I not only buy happy meals for my son, but for me too. Much fewer calories and I use the toys as rewards at school.

[Diane]

When my kids were at the age where they still liked the "Happy Meals" I'd keep their toy until they ate at least a certain amount of their food... and then when I thought they had eaten enough, they'd get the toy as a reward. It's been a LONG time since I've had to buy any happy meals but I remember how much the girls use to look forward to them. (the toy) LOL

TXmom I don't blame you for not wanting to eat a pink burger, Ugh... I'm suprised that they didn't give you some coupons or a free meal for all your trouble. Seems the least they could have done. :(

[darlene]

So okay I am the only cheap mommy here! LOL We did go to McDonald's for supper....no happy meals though! One of dd friends were there and got the toy with her meal...opened it and couldn't get it to work!
I will admit though, I am a sucker for the teanie beanies that they have had in the past!
Txmom, yuck about the burger. I only order the chicken sandwich at McDonalds. For whatever reason, the burgers and my stomache don't like each other.
The kids can always get gramma to take them when they really want the toy.....she likes to take them to Mcdonalds.
:)

[KarlaB]

I don't think it's the McD's franchise that is bad, but more so just some of the people they hire.... For a while everytime I went thru the drive thru at the McD's by our house they would screw up the order. No straw with beverages, no spoon for a sundae, no fries, and one time I got a cheeseburger with NO burger! (Can you believe that?!) We drove all the way back there and they acted like, "Gee what's your problem and I was actually very nice about it. Anyway, I got so frustrated that I ended up calling a manager and he said he would send me some free coupons. Well, nothing came and the problems cont'd, so I had dh call and the next day we got free coupons in the mail for free value meals, cookies, etc. Dh LOVES McD's otherwise I probably would have just quit going there altogether. TXmom, maybe you should call and mention your concern about the pink burgers and their lack of concern about that and for your inconvenience.

[Leigh]

Donna
I would definitely call about the pink burgers. I remember standing in line one time at a McD's and a guy asking for a burger that wasn't cooked all the way for his dog. They told him they were sorry that even though it was for his dog they had to cook it all the way because of health concerns. It was policy. I would think that would be policy everywhere.

Darlene
I also used to buy the kids I babysat for happy meals, but I do not think you are a cheap mommy. I just think that you know what is best for you and your family. No two moms are the same.

[kacee]

I buy the happy meals for dd and I. I do make her wait to open the toy till all her food is gone. (Don't want to get the toy dirty!) I really don't like MIK D's, but do it for dd and it is cheap and you do get a free toy. I do love the beanie's!! Eat there more during that time. DD and I would love it if they would do a Beanie Kid toy!! Then we would have to eat there every day!!

[Ryleigh]

We may hit McD's once a month; unless it's teeny beeny time like many of you have mentioned. DS usually wants a 'happy meal' but dd has now graduated to a full size meal. She is often still hungry after eating the kids meal. She still likes the toys though and will often try and convince ds to trade her for something she already has at home and is tired of. When they tire of the toys I take them to work and add them to a bucket full of other such goodies to just explore and play with. They always keep the beenies. The each also have a full set of the Tigger Movie clip ons of all the Winnie the Pooh charaters. We only went twice but were told we could buy the extras separately. Nana splurged and got them all.

******Pink hamburgers, yuck!!!**** 8o

[MAS]

My DD doesn't care about the toys.. she just wants to play! I am lucky that she is so easy to please. But then throws a huge fit when it is time to leave. I normally get her a happy meal but end up throwing the toy away after a few days.

[Mickey]

We visit a McDonald's with a Play Place on cold days, but we usually get just drinks or drinks and fries because it's after lunch. I do buy happy meals, but not often because ds eats only the chicken (he won't eat hamburgers) and he plays with the toy for 20 seconds and that's the end of it.

Donna, how awful about the pink burgers! You should call and ask for the regional manager's number and report it to him/her. That's something they would want to know about and something I'm sure they would never tolerate for legal reasons.

[RCT]

When I got on the weightloss kick I learned exactly how much FAT was in a large fries, its like 26 grams, I don't do Mac Donalds for me at all...Dh being a Vegan doesn't have any interest in eating there either...LOL..the kids will eat most of thier food, but it's usually a waste, I know what you mean...the toy does end up in the trash.

We picked the kids up Saturday night from my SIL and it was getting late so DH suggested we pick them up Mac Donalds...I said ok, we got two happy meals, with milk {cuz I am a mean mommy}....LOL...they ate the french fries, and drank all the milk....but I have two hamburgers in my fridge for lunches today, which they probably won't eat...and two chirpa chi things on my kitchen table were they have been since we opened them I to had a hard time getting them to chip........LOL...it's a waste of hard earned money....I agree....the Large French Fries works with mine and ds will eat a cheese burger usually, and dd likes only chicken tenders at Burger King, hates Mac Donalds Chicken nuggets so whatever....oh well...you got me started.,...LOL

[Edited by RCT on 03-04-2001 at 10:42 AM]

[darlene]

Originally posted by RCT
....happy meals, with milk {cuz I am a mean mommy}....[Edited by RCT on 03-04-2001 at 10:42 AM]
Hi Renee. When our kids were little, I used to insist on milk with their meals too. It used to make me soooo mad that they would include the pop drink in the charge for the meal, but I had to pay extra to get a milk!!!
:)

[angie r]

Originally posted by RCT
.and two chirpa chi things on my kitchen table were they have been since we opened them I to had a hard time getting them to chip........LOL...


If you take the "worm" that came with chirpie chi and place it upsidedown on the birds chest it should chirp.

LOL My kids won't even drink soft drinks, milk only please!

[MaryL]

We always buy the Happy Meals...and as with most of you "mean" Mom's...I get milk for my kids! I also (mean Mom again) make them eat all of their food (burger or chicken) before opening the toy. It's not the greatest food, but the kids enjoy the occasional treat. I thought our Meow chi was broke...butyou have to put the mouse upside down on his nose to get his/her eyes to glow! Not very well designed! I take all Happy Meal toys to school eventually, and have a big "Junk" toy box! My Kindergartners love to dig in that box and play!

[PamE]

Yup, that's me, LOL!! We don't get the kids meals since it's so much of a treat for the kids to even be able to play there. (Usually we just go through the drive through)

I had to lol at the cheeseburger with no meat! That happened to dh one time and he ate about 1/4 of it before he realized it. :0/ He went up to the guy and said, "Hey! Where's the beef??!" The guy looked at it (suspiciously since dh had already eaten several bites) and gave him another one. Our McD's is okay most of the time but there seem to be cycles where the order is never right. We usually go to Carl's Jr because they have better food AND a better play place.

[kathleen]

I, like another Mommy, get a kid's meal at restaurants, also. I then save "my" toys and give to a daycare (which they used as prizes at their fall festival last year). I have also saved them to hand out at Halloween or sent them to Sunday School where they were given out as prizes.

[Lynda/WA]

Kid's meals here. In fact if the toy is good (ie Pokemon) I get a kid's meal as well. Since we really only go when the toy is something they like then we all get one. If DS is along, he will eat a second one and I get the soda.
Some of them make it straight to the rummage sale stack. That's fairly rare since we only get those toys on the weeks they should have had something good but ran out. Other toys are played with enough to make it more than worth their money. They played with the Pokemon ones so much that I began picking them up at Goodwill (.49 ea) and they have a 5 gallon bucket full. That's the *toy* DD takes to baseball now. Just yesterday she was playing with the Mickie Mouse characters. The hotwheels went over great but now DS is out of that stage. Beanie babies are ok. Dalmation stuff makes it in the Barbie bin and gets to be a Barbie pet. The mini Barbie also make it into the Barbie bin. Some of the other animals have made it to the Barbie bin. A couple of years ago they had all animals to celebrate some new theme park. All kinds of animals. Enough to make a Barbie zoo when you use the horse corals. Off course the alligator lives with the zebra! They got this idea because we have the Barbie ferris wheel so they set up their own theme park/ zoo.

BTW, while typing this DD brought me that 5 gallon bucket of Pokemon. The lid was stuck.

DS' school carnival is this weekend. I wonder if asking parents to give in their old kid's meal toys as a prize would have saved some money?

[MK]

We always get our kids the meal with the toy, and they have to fight their daddy for it, lol! Dh collects the miniature stuffed animals (some beanie babies, some not) and sits them on top of his pc monitor. He sometimes will keep the little cars if he can get away with it too. Otherwise, our kids do manage to play with the toys off and on for some time, incorporating them into their "towns". The really stupid ones eventually get thrown away when I "help" them clean their room, lol. (They don't really like me to help, things end up missing :D )