McDonaldland was the name of McDonald's fictional town and advertising universe for characters such as Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese.
The setting gave McDonald's television commercials and promotional materials a shared story world. Instead of presenting isolated mascots, the company placed its characters in an imaginary landscape filled with playful food-themed locations and objects. This approach made the advertising easier for children to recognize and revisit.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with the name of an individual character. Ronald McDonald was the central mascot, while McDonaldland referred to the broader fictional setting. The Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese were residents or recurring figures within that world.
The concept became prominent during the 1970s, when McDonald's expanded its family-oriented character marketing. Although the company later reduced its use of many McDonaldland characters, the name remains a notable part of McDonald's branding history and popular culture.