McDonald's(R) Unveils Happiest Cities for Families in America During Happy Meal(R) 30th Birthday Celebration

Beginning July 17 through August 13, customers will receive one of 30 different Teenie Beanie Baby plush toys with their Happy Meal purchase. Each Teenie Beanie Baby plush toy features its own name tag and includes a special code that unlocks a unique 30th Birthday experience on McWorld(R), McDonald's virtual world at www.happymeal.com, and unlocks a fun play online experience on Beanie Babies 2.0(TM), Ty's virtual world at www.ty.com.

"Happiest Cities for Families" in America

Shawn Johnson made a special appearance as the "Happiness Ambassador" to help McDonald's unveil the results of its top 10 "Happiest Cities for Families" survey, conducted in honor of the 30th Birthday of the Happy Meal.

"Going to McDonald's to get a Happy Meal always was, and still is, one of my favorite childhood moments," said Johnson. "I'm excited to be named the 'Happiness Ambassador' and share in the birthday fun with kids and families across America."

Local dignitaries were also in attendance to accept the honor and join in the celebration with local residents. McDonald's commissioned the "Happiest Cities for Families" in America study with Sperling's BestPlaces and examined 50 of the largest metropolitan areas using family-fun criteria such as the number of social activities, recreational resources and household expenditures on fun activities.

Rounding out the Top 10 "Happiest Cities for Families" in America are:

    1.  Minneapolis, Minn.         6.  Denver, Colo.
    2.  Atlanta, Ga.               7.  Baltimore, Md.
    3.  Virginia Beach, Va.        8.  Seattle, Wash.
    4.  Washington, DC             9.  Kansas City, Mo.
    5.  Portland, Ore.             10. Austin, Texas

"Having fun and spreading happiness is what this 30th Birthday celebration is all about," said Rebecca Anderson, McDonald's U.S. Marketing Manager. "We are honored to recognize each of these cities for the family fun they provide and look forward to extending the birthday excitement by bringing back the Ty Teenie Beanie Baby toys."

Parents can join in the birthday fun by visiting www.mcdonalds.com/happymeal30th, where they will find birthday planning tools, such as printable invitations, thank you notes and customizable banners, as well as information on Happy Meal choices available on the menu. Families can also test their Happy Meal knowledge through ongoing trivia questions.

30 Years of Making Kids Smile

Since 1979, McDonald's Happy Meals have combined quality food choices with exciting toys and games, creating lasting memories for generations of families, fun for kids and inspiration for collectors. Since the very first Circus Wagon-theme, the Happy Meal has always offered fun experiences everyone can enjoy.

McDonald's has also evolved its Happy Meal menu. In 1984, Chicken McNuggets(R) were introduced to the menu and have been a favorite since. In 2003, McDonald's re-introduced a new Chicken McNugget made with white meat. Happy Meal Choices launched in 2004, giving customers the opportunity to enjoy a variety of quality food choices with their Happy Meal purchase, including Apple Dippers (fresh, peeled apple slices) served with low-fat caramel dipping sauce, low-fat white and chocolate Milk Jugs, served in easy to handle containers, and no-sugar-added apple juice.

In 2008, McDonald's extended the Happy Meal experience to create a safe and exciting virtual world continuing the fun online. Each Happy Meal toy features a special code directing kids to visit McWorld(R), McDonald's virtual world at www.happymeal.com. McWorld is a dynamic and engaging online environment where kids can create their own avatar, play games and visit cool destinations. New activities are introduced monthly.

About Sperling's BestPlaces

For over 20 years, Sperling's BestPlaces has been helping people find their own best places to live, work, retire, play, or relocate. The Oregon research firm produces city rankings and studies which appear regular in the national media, and principal Bert Sperling is the author of best-selling books on the best places to live.

About Ty

Founded in 1986 by Ty Warner, creator of the wildly popular Beanie Babies(R), Ty is the world leader in the sale of plush toys. In addition to Beanie Babies(R) and Beanie Babies 2.0(TM)(R), the company's product line includes: Bow Wow Beanies(R), Pluffies(R), Ty Classic(R) and Ty Girlz(R). The red Ty Heart Logo(R), recognized around the world, can be found on all Ty products available at finer specialty gift retailers. Visit Ty on the Internet athttp://www.ty.com.

About McDonald's

McDonald's USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. For more information on McDonald's visit www.mcdonalds.com or log on at any of the 10,000 Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants.