Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Inside the ‘Disneyland of McDonald’s’ that people travel from Lancs to visit

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The UK’s biggest McDonald’s that’s ‘Disneyland for fast food fans’ is drawing in crowds from across the region.

The Formby McDonald’s, barely an hours drive from Lancashire, holds the title of the UK’s largest Drive-Thru and occupies the space on Altcar Road that was once home to MJ’s Steakhouse. Since its launch in April 2019, it has been wowing customers with “the latest innovations from McDonald’s”.




Yet, it’s the sheer scale of the establishment that’s turning heads. With a whopping 279 seats, an outdoor patio, a children’s play area, dedicated arts and crafts zone, and a barista coffee section, the McDonald’s is more than just a place to grab a Big Mac.

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It also houses the franchise group’s regional headquarters and a training hub for staff, reports the ECHO.

Franchise owner Mark Blundell, known locally as the “Maccies King of Merseyside”, didn’t anticipate the record-breaking popularity. Mark revealed: “It was an empty and existing restaurant building which we converted into a McDonalds rather than replace with one of our traditional buildings.

“We think the Formby store is a fantastic looking and unique building…the Formby site had taken over the previous site of a drive-thru independent diner, which was massive. There is a lot to benefit from such a big welcoming atmosphere and our customers can enjoy a light, airy space with no shortage of available seats.”

As some TikTok users have documented, the allure of the restaurant has reached far beyond local diners, with some fans branding it the “Disneyland of all McDonald’s”.


Mark expressed little shock at the food hub’s fame. Speaking to the ECHO previously, he said: “It is fantastic to be such a destination for not just our local customers but to customers around the country. The site is a unique site that people are intrigued by.”

And it seems its popularity is rising online too. Formby McDonald’s commands its own TikTok account, which boasts an impressive over 400 million views.

Mark explained: “Our staff love to make the content at quieter times and it’s a great opportunity for them to work creatively as a team while giving our customers a window into how things work and what we’ve been up to.”

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This McDonald’s has made a name for itself on TikTok, with people travelling miles to visit it


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The fast food restaurant is dubbed the “Disneyland of McDonald’s”


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It is attracting diners from far and wide, including Lancashire


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It opened in April 2019 and boasts “the latest innovations from McDonald’s”


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The McDonald’s has 279 seats, an outside patio seating area, a soft play area, space just for arts and crafts and a barista coffee area


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Formby McDonald’s is the the UK’s biggest Drive-Thru restaurant


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Some TikTok users are travelling miles to visit the restaurant


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The McDonald’s is based at the site on Altcar Road which was previously occupied by MJ’s Steakhouse


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