Ronald McDonald Brings Back Fond Childhood Memories

A popular fast-food mascot will be making an appearance at two newly reopened restaurants along Connecticut’s shoreline causing this blogger to remember yesteryear.

Ronald McDonald will celebrate the .

On May 5, Ronald will join WEBE 108-FM at the southbound plaza from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and he will meet up with WPLR 99.1-FM at the northbound facility from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.  

To me, the character known for his yellow overalls, red curly hair, and big floppy red shoes, brings back memories of McDonaldland, a magical fictional world captured in television commercials, playgrounds, and Happy Meals.

When I was a kid, I loved playing on the themed outdoor playground in the front of the Uncasville McDonald’s. Today, those outdoor playscapes are a distant memory. Only a handful of McDonald’s in Eastern Connecticut have indoor playplace's including , Lisbon, Colchester, and .

I also loved collecting the various Happy Meals toys and, thanks to my parents who called around in a frantic search to complete my collections, I have probably visited most McDonald’s in Eastern Connecticut at least a couple times.

While newer McDonald’s advertising only uses Ronald McDonald, there are still reminders of the past on the Garden State Parkway at the Vauxhall Service Area in Union, N.J.

This McDonald’s features a mural with the McDonaldland characters including Hamburglar, Birdie the Early Bird, Fry Kids, McNugget Buddies, Ronald, and Grimace.

In the restaurant’s drive-thru “jail”, characters include Ronald, Officer Big Mac, and Mayor McCheese.

As McDonald’s has changed throughout the years, I’m glad they have kept Ronald McDonald as their mascot, who still makes appearances and greets kids of all ages.

I’m also glad they will still be inside Connecticut’s Interstate 95 service plazas, where large golden arches have called out to travelers since 1985. Those large golden arches will be replaced with smaller ones.

McDonald’s will .

Renovations have begun on the northbound Darien and northbound Branford locations. Within a few weeks, the Darien southbound eatery will also close for remodeling. All three are expected to reopen next spring.

Other McDonald’s receiving renovations include those on I-95 at Madison southbound as well as Fairfield northbound and southbound. Construction on those should start in 2013.