McDonald's Happy Meal POG 2019 - Aquaman 2
Welcome Back to the Drive-Thru, Collector Friends!
If you spent any part of your childhood flipping POGs on a school lunch table, then the McDonald's Happy Meal POG 2019 wave is going to hit you right in the nostalgia. This European Happy Meal promotion brought back the beloved disc format in a big way - and the DC Comics tie-in made it something truly special for superhero fans and promo toy collectors alike. Today I want to shine a spotlight on Aquaman 2, one of the standout pieces from this wide-ranging 2019 wave.
The POG 2019 Wave at a Glance
Released in 2019 across European McDonald's markets, the POG Happy Meal set is a sprawling collection of flat collectible discs featuring characters from Warner Bros. properties. The lineup spans DC Super Heroes (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Catwoman, Cyborg, Supergirl, Robin, Green Arrow, and more), Looney Tunes favorites (Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Sylvester, Taz, Daffy Duck, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin the Martian, Speedy Gonzales), and Scooby-Doo characters including Scooby himself and Sammy. There are also original POG-branded characters sprinkled through the set. All told, this is one of the largest and most ambitious POG-style Happy Meal promotions in recent memory - easily dozens of discs in the complete run.
Within the DC portion of the set, Aquaman appears in multiple variants. Alongside Aquaman 2, collectors can chase Aquaman 1 and Aquaman 3, each featuring a different illustrated pose or graphic design on the disc face. It is exactly the kind of subtle variant collecting that makes this wave so satisfying for completists.
Physical Details: Aquaman 2
Like all pieces in the POG 2019 assortment, Aquaman 2 is a flat, circular disc - the classic POG format that defined a generation of schoolyard trading. The disc is printed with a full-color graphic of Aquaman, rendered in a bold, comic-book illustration style that fits the DC aesthetic well. The colors are vivid and the print quality is solid for a Happy Meal promo item, with Aquaman's signature orange-and-green costume coming through cleanly.
The disc itself is lightweight plastic, carrying the familiar feel of POG-era collectibles while still holding up as a modern promotional item. There are no moving parts - this is a pure display and collectibles piece. The size is standard POG dimensions, making it easy to stack, store, or display in a clear protective sleeve alongside the rest of the wave.
The DC variant discs in the POG 2019 set are a genuinely clever callback to the 1990s POG craze - but they also work as standalone display pieces for any superhero collector. Aquaman 2 carries a strong graphic impression that holds up even at this small scale, and the multiple pose variants within the Aquaman sub-set make it one of the more compelling mini-collections within the larger wave.
Wave Context and Variants
The POG 2019 set was distributed primarily in France, Belgium, and other European markets, giving it an international character that adds to its appeal for collectors outside those regions. Because the wave was so large, many individual discs are genuinely harder to track down than a typical Happy Meal promo, especially variants within the same character family. The three Aquaman discs - Aquaman 1, Aquaman 2, and Aquaman 3 - each carry their own illustration, meaning they function both as individual pieces and as part of a character-specific sub-set.
Within the broader DC portion of the wave, Aquaman 2 sits comfortably alongside the Justice League-themed discs. If you are building a complete DC run from this set, Aquaman 2 is one you will want to prioritize - it bridges the Aquaman 1 and Aquaman 3 variants and fills out the character's full story within the collection.
Collector Notes
- Display value: High. The bright, clean graphic prints on these discs look great displayed in clear flat sleeves, mounted in a binder page, or arranged in a collector frame by character or theme.
- Play value: The disc format invites the same stacking and flipping play that made POGs a cultural moment in the 1990s. Kids who discover this wave will understand immediately what to do with them.
- Durability: The plastic disc construction is sturdy and resists scratching reasonably well. The printed face can show wear over time with heavy handling, so sleeve protection is recommended for serious collectors.
- Completability: With multiple Aquaman variants and a massive overall set count, the POG 2019 wave rewards dedicated collectors who are willing to hunt internationally. Aquaman 2 is a satisfying find on its own but becomes much more meaningful as part of a complete DC or complete Aquaman sub-set.
- Long-term shelf appeal: DC tie-ins have historically held collector interest better than generic Happy Meal waves. Combine that with the nostalgia factor of the POG format and this set has genuine long-term appeal for adult collectors.
Display and Storage Ideas
The flat disc format makes storage simple and display versatile. A standard coin or poker chip binder page holds these perfectly and lets you see both sides without removing the disc. For a more visually striking display, a shadow box frame organized by franchise - DC on one panel, Looney Tunes on another, Scooby-Doo on a third - makes for an impressive wall piece. Keeping them separated from other small promo toys by wave and year helps enormously for tracking your progress through a set as large as this one.
I have had Aquaman 2 on my need list for a while now. The Aquaman sub-set is one I am specifically trying to complete, and being one disc short of having all three variants is exactly the kind of gap that keeps a collector coming back. I have it logged in the Collectiblz app, and if you are chasing this wave too, tracking your haves and needs there makes the hunt a lot more organized - especially for a set this size.
Happy collecting, and may your next Happy Meal run land you the disc you have been missing. 🧸
- K.M.
