McDonalds PLA Rail Time Again

[gmat]

Starts Today.

http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/happyset/hs/index.html

 

But problems with McDonalds land in Japan.

 

Free Gifts and Cheap Coffee No Help as McDonald’s Japan Troubles Continue

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/04/18/free-gifts-and-cheap-coffee-no-help-as-mcdonalds-japan-troubles-continue/

 

 

McDonald’s to hike prices for first time since 2008

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/04/19/business/mcdonalds-to-hike-prices-for-first-time-since-2008/#.UXCwqXCt_8s

 

 

McDonald’s Japan to Close 110 Stores, Expand Home Delivery Service in 2013

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2012/11/03/mcdonalds-japan-to-close-110-stores-expand-home-delivery-service-in-2013/

 

I find that only the more expensive Quarter Pounder has beef that was tasty and enjoyable to eat. A couple of years ago, I found that the beef in the Big Mac had changed and was kind of chewy and tasteless. The special sauce wasn't as good as ordinary ketchup either. I never bought another Big Mac again, but started buying the Quarter Pounder instead, but also started going less often. The bread for the buns for most of their burgers, save for the quarter pounder, wasn't very good either. Of the American Burgers, only the Texas Burger with chili con carne was worth buying often. The last Texas Burger that came out this year wasn't very good at all. The fries are still great. 

But Burger King in Japan has the most tasteless buns, for the flagship Whopper, kind of like Subway Sandwiches buns here, too.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[bikkuri bahn]

Disregarding the public health implications of McDonalds business model, the probem with mickey d's is that they always focus on the bottom feeder market- with their cheap offerings and cheap store interiors that attract the "buy a cup of coffee and nurse it for four hours till the trains start again" crowd.  Weekends they are filled with floozy teens slouched over their tables sharing a small fries and a drink- hardly a recipe for profitability.

 

p.s. I think this topic should be in the "other" category

[gmat]

Back to the trains.

I got the Kyushu Rail Yufuin, the green one and the Kiha 183 Asahiyama Zoo train, the blue one today. At least that what it feels like under the plastic wrap. Tomorrow and Sunday, you can get a dvd with purchase of the Happy Meal. I wonder if I can buy it tonight after midnight.

Pictures, if I can take some after my students open the packages.

 

On an aside I've been putting on a bit too much weight recently and seriously thought about putting the burgers and fries in the fridge to eat at a more measured pace or giving the extras sets away. Several problems came to mind with strangers offering free food, though.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

 

Looks like it's only from 5:00AM.

 

Also it looks like there's no restaurant with a PLA Rail display this year. Can't find any info on the above listed page.

Edited April 19, 2013 by gmat

[hectorton]

Well... Not so cheap any more. McDonalds Japan just announced that their Y100 Menu was being raised to Y120. Way overpriced and not to U.S. standards.

[JR 500系]

Doctor Yellow! Komachi! NEX!

 

Nice!

 

Think there are too many choices for burgers in Japan, like Lotteria for example. But the Plarail is kinda appealing to train-lovers. Hopefully this can spark up the declining Mac Japan sales...

 

Off-Topic: I remembered back in Sillypore when we had the 'Hello-Kitty' plush toy promotion. There were crazy overnight queues at ALL Mac stores here, and the meals were simply THROWN AWAY cause people only wanted the plush toy. There were lots of poorer people waiting at the exit of the Mac restuarant too, cause they were waiting for the meals that people intend to throw away. Really ugly and total wastage of food which is tremendously WRONG! During that time, 2 plush toys can easily fetch SGD$300-$400 (cost price is only SGD$5 with every Meall purchased);Now, the plush toys cost next to nothing.  

[gmat]

I was up early this morning and went to the nearest McDs at Sakurashimmachi and got 4 Happy Set breakfast meals with the dvds, one each for three of my students and one for myself. I wonder how many of the dvds will be given out. There were only a few in a small box next to the cashier. I'm sure that more were under the counter.

I'll get another for my music teacher student's grandson. For a long time she said that her elder grandson wasn't interested in trains but recently said that he became enamoured with Pla Rail trains. Heh heh heh...

 

I took some pics of the two I got yesterday. Will post later. But so much for my powers of deduction, though. They were actually a Narita Express and the orange and green 165. 

 

I think that I got three shinkansen trains and this time... maybe the KiHa 183  Zoo train. Still looking for the McD restaurant that has the PlaRail display, though.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[keitaro]

my children got the steamer and the shinkansen.

 

nothing exciting but the dvd was allright i guess.

[gmat]

The  165 is actually a viewmaster. You look in the clear window, move the wheel on top and different pictures appear. The E3 is a kaleidoscope. 

Looks like there will not be any special PlaRail restaurants this year. A pity.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[bikkuri bahn]

McDonalds Japan just announced that their Y100 Menu was being raised to Y120. Way overpriced and not to U.S. standards.

LOL at "U.S. standards".  It's the same crap.

 

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/odd/news/a475680/man-keeps-mcdonalds-hamburger-for-14-years-looks-exactly-the-same.html

 

*I admit to an occasional guilty sausage egg mcmuffin w/ hash browns, whenever I long for the good 'ol sodium and cholesterol laden American hot breakfast.

Edited April 24, 2013 by bikkuri bahn