McDonald’s Boo Buckets Are Back With a Brand New Design

Last year, McDonald’s brought back boo buckets for the first time since 2016, and let’s just say people were a little excited. After anxiously awaiting news of the Halloween-themed pails this year, McDonald’s has confirmed that Boo Buckets are back again.

When rumors began circling in late September that the pails were returning, excited fans said, “We saved ours last year and this year put our plants in them!!! Now I can’t wait for these,” and also called out particular excitement for a new pail. And that’s continued since the return has been confirmed: “I want the purple Vampire one! Hope I get it...it was very difficult to find them where I live.”

How to Get a McDonald’s Boo Bucket

Starting October 17, fans will be able to snag a pail at participating McDonald’s locations. There are four designs this year: an orange skeleton, a white mummy, a green monster, and a purple vampire.

According to McDonald’s, this is the first time the purple pail has made an appearance since the “OG” purple Boo Bucket.

The design of Boo Buckets has changed over the years. In 1986 when the buckets debuted, it was a trio of pumpkin pails featuring different cute, spooky faces. In 1989, the buckets were redesigned with an orange, green, and white pail, and the purple pail was first introduced in 1993. Since the ‘90s there have been a variety of pop culture-themed buckets before the chain returned to the simple-but-beloved Halloween character-themed pails last year.

The only issue with the buckets seems to be the lid. Fans have called out that the faux lids on last year’s models weren’t functionally useful compared to lids on Boo Buckets in years past. On the 2022 buckets—and seemingly on the 2023 buckets—the “lid” is attached to the handle, and is designed to look like a lid facing it head-on though it doesn’t actually cover the opening of the pail. On social media, fans said, “Again with the ‘lids’ 🤦‍♀️ get it together McDonald's we want the original ones not with the wanna be lids!” and, “Why no lids… again??” Hopefully, as one fan stated, the brand will likely eventually bring back buckets with real lids: “It took them years to bring them back, give them a couple more to bring 'em back with lids.”

If you want one of the pails, you’ll have to act quickly. The chain itself said, “They’ll be gone faster than you can say ‘boo,’ so head to your local McDonald’s to get a festive pail while supplies last.” 

McDonald’s isn’t the only chain releasing a Halloween-themed bucket this year, though. Burger King is getting in on the action by offering glow-in-the-dark buckets inspired by the chain’s ghost pepper menu items. The Burger King pails are available beginning October 13 in limited locations, officially beginning the battle of the buckets.