Background; McDonaldland Limited Home Entertainment was a bargain bin home video company created by McDonald's in 1984. It distributed TV shows, movies both classic and contemporary and lifestyle programs. The McKids Home Entertainment division was formed to distribute childrens programming. It also distributed budget priced releases from the McKids catalog. In 2007, McDonaldland Limited Home Entertainment was folded into Argosy Media and McDonaldland Inc..
Note; Early McDonaldland Limited releases did not have an onscreen logo; it generally cut straight to the film. It did have a print logo, which served as the basis for our first logo.
McDonaldland Limited Home Entertainment
1st Logo [Mid 1980s-1990]
Nickname; McDonaldland Limited Ronald
Logo; On a shady light blue background, we see Ronald McDonald, wiping in left-to-right. As it finishes appearing, MCDONALDLAND LIMITED, colored amber, appear above Ronald. Under Ronald is HOME VIDEO and under that in bronze PRESENTS. For the closing variant, PRESENTS is not shown.
FX/SFX; Ronald and the text appearing.
Music/Sounds; A synthesized percussion tune.
Availability; Seen on tapes from the period, some of which were co-released by Argosy/MTM Video. This logo made a surprising appearance on a 1990 The Amazing World of Ronald videotape.
2nd Logo [1989-1998]
Nicknames; McDonaldland Limited Filmreel, McDonaldland Limited Filmstrip
Logo; On a starry sky background, we see a filmreel, flying downward. Then it shifts to the pink film inside it, which becomes flat. It then zooms-out, and the film reads H O M E V I D E O. Then MCDONALDLAND LIMITED, colored raspberry pink, appears over the filmreel.
Variants;
- On Special Edition releases, a silver rectangle with the words SPECIAL EDITION appeared under the filmreel that read HOME VIDEO and shines.
- Starting in 1996, the URL text www.mcdonaldlandlimited.com appeared at the bottom of the logo. Currently, this company Internet home page is redirected into McDonald's web page.
- A still version of the logo appears at the end of some tapes.
FX/SFX; The zooming of the filmreel and formation of the logo.
Music/Sounds; Starts with somes tinkles and a whoosh as the filmreel shifts downward, then a synth-orchestra tune that sounds like something from the Universal Studios. On the SPECIAL EDITION variation, an additional whoosh is heard as the rectangle shines. On some releases, the logo is silent.
Availability; Seen on releases of the period.
Scare Factor; Low.
3rd Logo [1997-2005]
Nickname; Zooming McDonaldland Limited
Logo; We start seeing a blue cloud background with clouds moving. The text MCDONALDLAND LIMITED HOME ENTERTAINMENT in baby blue, zooms-out as the cloud background becomes ochre. After it zooms out, the URL text www.mcdonaldlandlimited.com appears at the bottom of the logo.
Variant; There is a version without the URL below.
FX/SFX; The clouds and logo.
Music/Sounds; None.
Availability; Seen on McDonaldland Limited releases of the period.
Scare Factor; Low.
McDonaldland Limited DVD
[2005-2012]
Nickname; Watertimes
Logo; On a black background, we see black water, and we see MCDONALDLAND LIMITED HOME ENTERTAINMENT as seen in the 3rd logo. It then dives into the water, and electricity is seen, then it emerges from the water with a cloud of steam and the DVD logo the words DVD in a futuristic font with a small oval under it appears under the McDonaldland Limited logo. The URL text www.mcdonaldlandlimited.com appears at the bottom of the logo.
FX/SFX; The logo, water, and electricity; very nice CGI.
Music/Sounds; A violin like tune when diving, and a 7 drum note and a 3 note chime. Its not pop out 3D.
Availability; Seen on McDonaldland Limited DVD releases.
4th Logo [2012-present]
Nickname; Ronald
Logo; We see the black screen. We hear footsteps as the screen reveals Ronald McDonald walking to a switch. He struggles and then finally pulls it. We hear sparks as the camera zooms in on his face. Cut to logo. It is shown in darkness until lights come on to revel it. The logo then centers and in the background we see a gray BG.
FX/SFX: The animation.
Music/Sounds; the eerie sounds. footsteps sounds. Ronald's dialogue. and the Goodtimes Home Video music.
Availability: Current.
Scare Factor; Minimal.