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- Hey, it's Gabby, and we're going to be breaking down 15 McDonald's facts you may not already know. (cheerful music) Fact number one, the biggest McDonald's in the world is located by the universal Orlando Resort, and it's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and the second floor has a giant arcade and a whole aquarium. So the next time you're in Florida, that McDonald's is the attraction you shouldn't sleep on. Number two, did you know that McDonald's fries used to be fried in beef fat until 1990? But then because of health concerns, they replaced the oil with vegetable-based oil. But people started complaining that it didn't taste as good as the original. So then they changed their oil blend to contain beet flavoring, which mimics the same taste, but without the meat. But it's still not vegan because they use hydrolyzed milk to replicate the meat. So vegans, beware. Fact number three, there are more McDonald's in the country than there are hospitals. There are over 14,000 McDonald's locations in the US, but there's only a little over 10,000 hospitals. If that's not a concerning statistic, I don't know what is. Number four, many celebrities you may know and love got their start by working at McDonald's. Stars like Lin Manuel Miranda, Rachel McAdams, Jay Leno, Shania Twain, and P!nk, all at one point donned the Mickey D's uniform. Number five, did you know that every single McDonald's McNugget comes in one of four shapes, the boot, the ball, the bone, and the bell? So no matter how many pieces you get in your meal, you're going to get the four Bs. Number six, the Filet o' Fish is now a beloved menu item, but it was created originally for religious reasons. During lent, a lot of Catholics abstained from eating meat on Fridays and instead, having fish. McDonald's was worried that they were going to lose sales, so they introduced the Filet o' Fish in 1962, and it's been on the menu ever since. Number seven, McDonald's is the largest toy distributor in the world, and they can thank the Happy Meal. They sell 5,000 Happy Meals a minute, which adds up to 1.5 billion toys globally every year. That means they sell more toys than Hasbro and Mattel. Number eight, if you thought that McDonald's Coke just tastes better, you're not alone. McDonald's takes special measures to make sure you're getting the best Coca-Cola possible. While many fast food chains get their syrup in plastic bags, McDonald's gets their Coca-Cola syrup delivered in stainless steel vats, which protects it from light, heat, and oxygen, which keeps the syrup fresh. They also up the syrup ratio to account for the ice melting. So if you've ever preferred McDonald's Coke to Coke anywhere else, there's a reason why. Number nine, McDonald's actually operates a school called Hamburger University. At Hamburger University, they teach everything from leadership skills, employee management, and everything else that they need to know about working at McDonald's. And students graduate with a degree in hamburgerology. In fact, there are nine locations located all over the world, but the original is located in Chicago, Illinois. Number 10, you may not know this, but the original McDonald's menu included peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. At the original location in 1940, the McDonald's included things like slices of pie, chili and baked beans, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But they quickly noticed that hamburgers were their bestselling menu item. So in 1948, they closed down, reimagined their entire menu, and relaunched the new McDonald's menu to include the hamburgers as the main menu item. Honestly, I kind of wish they still had PB&J sandwiches. Number 11, the McDonald's Monopoly game was mired in controversy. In 1987, McDonald's partnered with Hasbro to launch their Monopoly game promotion, but it ended up getting shut down because of a ton of different controversies, including a multimillion dollar scam that included the mafia. I just wanted the free fries, but people had to ruin it for the rest of us. Number 12, the Big Mac wasn't always called the Big Mac. When it was first introduced in 1967, it was originally called the Aristocrat. It was also at one point called the Blue Ribbon Burger. It only cost 45 cents. The Big Mac is a classic, but part of me still wishes it was called the Aristocrat so I could feel a little fancy while I ate it. Number 13, the iconic McDonald's jingle was originally sung by Justin Timberlake. Pharrell produced the song, and Justin Timberlake was paid a whopping $6 million to sing it. But he told GQ in 2007 that he regretted taking that offer. But don't worry, Justin, it wasn't the McDonald's jingle that ruined the world tour. Number 14, not all McDonald's arches are golden. There's one location in the world that has turquoise arches instead of golden ones, and it's located in Sedona, Arizona. Why stop at turquoise? I would love to see some hot pink arches somewhere. And our final fact, some McDonald's locations actually sell birthday cake. McDonald's owner operators have a huge list of specialty items that they can carry at their location, and one of those things is a chocolate or vanilla birthday cake. So pro tip, call your local McDonald's to see if they carry birthday cakes or ice cream, and even if they don't, they might be able to order one ahead of time. If you didn't know all of this McDonald's trivia, well, now you know. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below. See you next time. (soft upbeat music)

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