Disney's The Rescuers Down Under At McDonald's Germany: Bernard und Bianca im Känguruland

 

The 1977 Disney animated feature The Rescuers was a huge hit in Germany.  When it was time for McDonald's in Germany to promote the 1990 sequel, The Rescuers Down Under, they had an exclusive promotion: small, plush dolls of Jake, Bernard, Bianca, and Wilbur.

This set of plush was available in December 1991, according to the book McDonald's Happy Meal Toys Around the World by Terry and Joyce Losonsky.  These plush were sold in addition to a separate set of Happy Meal figurines that were available in the rest of Europe.

The Rescuers Down Under was a box office flop in the United States in November 1990, where it was buried by the release of Home Alone.  Of course, now Disney owns Home Alone, as part of its purchase of 20th Century Fox.

In Germany, though, The Rescuers characters were indeed still popular.

In the late 1980s, McDonald's had quite a few promotions selling small plush items, especially around the holidays.  In the United States, this included Ornaments of characters from Cinderella, Oliver and Company, and The Little Mermaid (sold as a promotion for Gift Certificates).

McDonald's did two different Happy Meal toy promotions for The Rescuers Down Under.  In the United States, there were four different Happy Meal toy camera viewers (Bernard/Bianca, Jake, Wilbur, and Cody), in addition to a PVC toy of Bernard for children under three years old.  In Europe (including Germany), there was a set of four bendable figures (Bernard, Bianca, Frank the Lizard, and Wilbur).

I'm not sure if these plush German McDonald's Rescuers Down Under toys were sold loose (I have never seen any in a package).

In the United States, the 1990 release of The Rescuers Down Under was the last Disney Animated film to be promoted by McDonald's for a while.  Burger King promoted Disney films in America starting in 1991 with Beauty and the Beast.  McDonald's continued to promote Disney films in Europe.  McDonald's promoted Disney films in the United States once again with the 1997 release of Hercules.

Kellogg's Honey & Nut Corn Flakes 1982 Animation Cel: Calorie Counting Crows

 

In 1982, there was a commercial for a short-lived cereal called Kellogg's Honey & Nut Corn Flakes.  The ad featured a hand drawn, orange crow in a live action world---and a cheeky, modified version of "Turkey in the Straw" that seemed to delight in playing with the word "Nuts".  I was able to acquire a hand painted animation cel from this commercial for $59.  I believe the Crow was animated by Murakami Wolf Swenson, an animation studio famous for the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and also quite a bit of commercial work for Kellogg's in the 1980s, including a Raisin Bran Cel that I also bought.  These cels are pretty meticulously made, as they feature painted shading directly on the cel.

I remember a lot of things from 1982, but I don't remember this commercial.  Thankfully, it exists on YouTube.

This ad kind of seems like a Saturday Night Live skit---almost like a parody of the Cocoa Puffs Cuckoo Bird, Sonny.  The Crow also appeared in print media for the cereal, but apparently not on the cereal boxes.  Honey & Nut Corn Flakes lasted a few years, but the Crow was short lived.

Bully for Bugs Bunny: Vintage Looney Tunes at Six Flags Magic Mountain

In 1985, the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes characters became the mascots of Six Flags parks across the United States, including Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.  Among the souvenirs available in the 1980s and early 1990s were these branded, colorful PVC figural keychains of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.  These were made by Bully/Bullyland in Germany.  Daffy Duck still has his Bullyland sticker on his cane.

Bully figures are a big collector's item, and were primarily sold in Europe.  Bully made figures for all sorts of well known licensed characters, both American and European.  As far as I know, Looney Tunes Bully figures were only sold at Six Flags parks.  Similarly, Bully Disney characters were only sold at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the United States during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Tweety Bird and Bugs Bunny seem to have the most variations of all the Bully figurines during this time period.  Bully Looney Tunes figures were also sold at my home park, Six Flags Over Georgia.  I remember seeing them, but never got them.  I presume these were sold at other Six Flags locations as well.  I've never been to Magic Mountain.  I found these for sale online just a few days ago.  I don't remember if the keychains sold in Georgia had any Six Flags branding on them.

These Looney Tunes buttons were sold at Six Flags Over Georgia starting in 1985.

While the Looney Tunes joined Six Flags in 1985, their association with the chain goes back to 1976, when they were the mascots for Marriott's Great America in Gurnee, Illinois (and Great America in California).  Six Flags bought Great America in Illinois and Bugs and his friends were inherited by Six Flags and expanded to other locations.  A lot of this early merchandise was adapted from Great America.  Six Flags Over Georgia even sold some Great America branded merchandise in the early 1980s.

In December 2025 it was announced that Six Flags Magic Mountain will be getting a new Looney Tunes Land in 2026.  So That's Not All, Folks!