McDonald's holiday drinks, McRib and Boo Buckets: Your fast-food calendar into November

McDonald’s new holiday drinks don’t arrive until Tuesday, Nov. 3. But the chain has stacked several limited-time items around them: the McRib is back in some cities, Disney villain Boo Buckets are in restaurants now, and an $8 Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal starts Nov. 2. Then Starbucks rolls out its holiday menu two days after McDonald’s.

Here’s the order things are happening, and what’s actually new.

The McDonald’s calendar at a glance

The QPC meal includes medium fries and a drink, WRTV reported. Prices and participation vary by restaurant, so it’s worth checking the app before you go.

McDonald’s new holiday menu items, by flavor

USA TODAY and WRTV describe it as three new drinks, but the lineup lists five items. The difference is in how you count: the cookie butter flavor comes in three formats. There are two flavor families:

• Frosted Cranberry: the Frosted Cranberry Splash with Sprite (Sprite with orange and cranberry flavors, cold foam and cranberry sprinkles) and the Red Bull Frosted Cranberry Energizer, available with classic Red Bull or Red Bull Zero.
• Cookie Butter: a Frappé, a Latte and an Iced Coffee, each topped with caramel cookie crumbs and vanilla whip.

“For some… the holidays begin when the calendar says so,” McDonald’s said in its Oct. 27 announcement, quoted by USA TODAY. “For others, they start with traditions like the first festive playlist, the first holiday movie, or the first sip of a seasonal bev.”

McDonald’s hasn’t said how long the drinks will stay on the menu.

Is the McRib part of the holiday menu?

Not officially. It’s a separate promotion that happens to overlap. McDonald’s told USA TODAY the pork sandwich would start showing up in select cities on Oct. 27. Confirmed markets include Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Dallas. Local reports had Columbus, Ohio, and the Pittsburgh area getting it a day earlier.

The timing is earlier than usual. According to USA TODAY, the McRib returned to some markets in mid-November 2025 and went nationwide in late November 2024. McDonald’s hasn’t announced an end date. The sandwich has 520 calories, per the chain’s nutrition figures.

Boo Buckets are still around

Halloween isn’t over yet at McDonald’s. The Boo Buckets came back on Oct. 20 with a Disney villains theme. Each pail has a villain-inspired lid and stickers, and it replaces the usual Happy Meal box while supplies last, USA TODAY reported. Meal choices include a hamburger (with or without cheese) or a 4- or 6-piece Chicken McNuggets, plus fries, apple slices and a drink.

How McDonald’s compares with Starbucks

Starbucks’ holiday menu starts Thursday, Nov. 5, two days after McDonald’s, according to the company. There’s one clear overlap in flavors: both chains are leaning on dessert-style coffee drinks.

Starbucks also says Red Cup Day returns Nov. 17, when customers get a reusable holiday cup with the purchase of a handcrafted holiday drink, at participating stores while supplies last.

FAQ

Earlier coverage: McDonald's holiday menu 2026: Cookie butter and frosted cranberry drinks arrive Nov. 3 (Oct 27)