Big changes are brewing at one Disney resort as a brand-new McDonald’s moves one step closer to opening.
McDonald’s and Disney have a storied history of collaboration that dates back to the late 1980s, when the fast-food giant began offering Disney-themed Happy Meal toys, creating a synergy that delighted families worldwide.
This partnership expanded into the parks during the 1990s, with McDonald’s operating themed food stands at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, and Disneyland Park, plus a full-service location at Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs). It also once sponsored DINOSAUR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
However, in the mid-2000s, Disney chose not to renew the agreement, aiming to promote healthier eating habits among children.
In 2018, the two companies rekindled their alliance, focusing on health-conscious offerings and co-branded promotions. This renewed partnership paved the way for McDonald’s continued presence at Disney properties, including a flagship restaurant near Walt Disney World’s All-Star Resorts, notable for its eco-friendly, net-zero energy design.
Disney Prepares to Open Brand-New McDonald’s Restaurant
Through it all, however, one theme park resort has retained its onsite McDonald’s.
The Golden Arches opened at Disneyland Paris’ take on Downtown Disney, Disney Village, in 1999. As Disney continues to refurbish Disney Village – which has retained its ’90s feel over the years – its old McDonald’s location is set to close as a new restaurant is constructed near Lake Disney.
This new restaurant has made major progress recently, with DLP Report revealing that it has now gone vertical.
🔧 On the other side of Disney Village, the new McDonald’s location is going vertical:
🔧 On the other side of Disney Village, the new McDonald’s location is going vertical: pic.twitter.com/n1Zk6i13ho
— DLP Report (@DLPReport) April 17, 2025
The new restaurant is currently slated to open in early 2026.
Fortunately, guests aren’t left bereft of fries and McNuggets in the meantime, as the current McDonald’s will continue to operate throughout the duration of the new restaurant’s construction.
According to Disney, this new restaurant features “an innovative architecture designed exclusively for Disneyland Paris” and aims to “renew the guest experience by combining the best of Disney know-how with attractive family concepts and a completely reinvented design.”
Do you wish Disney would add McDonald’s back into its parks?
