I Tried McDonald's 'Adult Happy Meal' To See If It's Worth The Upcharge (PHOTOS)

What do the new McDonald’s Happy Meals for adults look like? 

Visually, the design on the boxes are kitschy and cute. They feature drawings of classic McDonald's caricatures with an eccentric twist, and promise a "mystery inside."

The brand McDonald's collaborated with, Cactus Plant Flea Market, is a fashion company that specializes in streetwear, and the edgy but playful design delivered.

What’s in the McDonald’s adult Happy Meal?

There are two different meal options to choose from. A 10-piece chicken McNugget meal and a Big Mac combo meal. Both come with a side of fries and a drink of choice.

There is nothing that differentiates the limited edition boxes' food from the standard menu items besides the packaging it's served in.

The Big Mac tasted the same as any other. Lightly tangy with limp lettuce, sparse onions and dry patties sandwiched between a sesame bun.

The chicken nuggets were also standard. Oddly chewy, bland and more reminiscent of cardboard than tender meat.

As always, everything was incredibly greasy in a way that makes your brain want to come back for another bite despite the quality and flavor of the food being subpar.

What are the McDonald's Happy Meal toys for adults?

Now for the star of the show, the "collectible" limited edition mystery toys.

I must admit, I was slightly disappointed when I unwrapped the toys from each meal and discovered I got two of the same.

My toys were a play on the character Grimace, a round, purple, anthropomorphic creature featured in old McDonald's marketing campaigns.

This version of Grimace looks more rounded as if it were sculpted from clay, despite being cheap, hard plastic. The toy has a crooked smile, and like the other limited edition characters, two sets of eyes, which sets him apart from the original Grimace.

Other toys potentially available are other classic McDonald's marketing figures: Birdie, the Hamburglar, or a new character called "Cactus Buddy."

While the toy is slightly endearing, it isn't malleable and doesn't "do" anything.

I had a disheartening moment of realization that my threshold for entertainment is too high now, and I retired the part of my brain equipped with enough patience and imagination to find the toy amusing.

The box challenges you to try and collect all four of the figurines, but my age has weathered me enough to question, "Okay, and THEN what?"

What's the overall value of McDonald's Cactus Plant Flea Market Boxes?

My Georgia location charged $11.99 for the meal which included fries, the toy and the drink. A three-dollar upcharge from the standard combo which costs $8.79 — the only difference being the figurine and packaging.

According to Axios, McDonald's concept for the collaboration was to rekindle the "feeling of pure joy when you ordered a Happy Meal as a kid," however it mostly left me feeling cynical.

I realized the limited edition "adult happy meal" wasn't worth it for me when I found myself calculating if the imminent heartburn and extra $3 was worth the plastic toy in this day and age of inflation.