• by Colin Kirkland , August 12, 2025

Blending mixed reality with branded brick-and-mortar experiences, Snapchat has partnered with McDonald’s to transform over 14,000 of the fast food giant’s restaurants across the U.S. into “interactive gateways” to “McDonaldland,” a whimsical virtual world now available to explore via Meta’s Horizon Worlds platform as well. 

Per the Snapchat launch, users are now able to access custom Lens experiences.

The social media company is calling one of these a “first-of-its-kind” Lens due to its ability to spawn mixed-reality doors to McDonaldland and in-person activations. “The Step Into McDonaldland” Lens can be unlocked at specific McDonald’s locations, or point consumers toward the nearest restaurant. 

The Snap campaign centers around a 3-D map of McDonaldland, featuring users’ bitmojis alongside McDonald’s cast of classic characters, including Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Ronald McDonald, who each have their own Lens experience to explore.

The “Grimace Island Dash,” for example, invites Snapchatters to travel to Grimace Island and sail down the McDonaldland River, collecting floating milkshakes while avoiding obstacles.

Other games involve whack-a-mole with the Fry Friends, flying with Birdie, and a run in with Mayor McCheese via real-life postcard scans within the souvenir-filled McDonaldland Meal.  

McDonald’s says it will also host McDonaldland pop-ups in Denver, Michigan, Daytona Beach, and Boston, featuring a Snapchat AR mirror allowing guests to step into the Apple Pie Orchard to watch Grimace and Hamburglar copy their movements using 3D body-tracking technology. 

To double down on its McDonaldland campaign, the fast food giant is also launching a VR experience in Meta’s Horizon Worlds, featuring interactive mini-games, hidden collectibles, in-game wearables, themed zones and more opportunities to interact with McDonald’s characters.