When Ronald first met Birdie, she was still in her egg, waiting to be hatched. Since her debut in 1980, Ronald and Birdie have remained really close friends. Notable things the two have been through together have varied: eating hot pancakes for breakfast, speeding up dinner, teaching her how to fly, and having fun.

At the time, Bozo was the hottest children's show on the air. You could probably have sent Pluto the Dog or Dumbo the Elephant over and it would have been equally as successful. But I was there, and I was Bozo... There was something about the combination of hamburgers and Bozo that was irresistible to kids... That's why when Bozo went off the air a few years later, the local McDonald's people asked me to come up with a new character to take Bozo's place. So, I sat down and created Ronald McDonald. [4]Ronald McDonald and the Fries Farmers". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27 . Retrieved 2010-04-14.

In later years, Grimace became Ronald's friend and they have been in many adventures together since then. They have varied from chasing Fry Kids for french fries, to teasing about the Hamburglar's "touch", and even teaching Birdie learn how to fly. The friendship between both Ronald & Grimace remain very important in the clown's history. Cross, Mary (2002). A Century of American Icons: 100 Products and Slogans from the 20th-Century Consumer Culture. Greenwood Press. pp.146–147. ISBN 978-0313314810 . Retrieved 4 September 2020.Rungfapaisarn, Kwanchai. "Ronald's 'wai' to hit the States." The Nation (Thailand), September 18, 2002 April 25 in LGBTQ History | THE LAVENDER EFFECT®". 25 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2020-07-11 . Retrieved 2020-04-22. Williams, Alex (24 April 2014). "Ronald McDonald Officially A Hipster". WebProNews. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014 . Retrieved 26 April 2014.

But no matter what his intentions, Ronald and Hamburglar remain close friends and even show his nice side by sharing instead of taking. As previously stated, Ronald McDonald is one of America's most popular characters. He has been seen in various pieces of merchandise, from plush to comics. The latter with four issues published by Charlton Comics sold from 1970 to 1971. McDonald's says no way Ronald will retire, Yahoo!, archived from the original on 25 May 2010 , retrieved 2 August 2010 Entertainment and interaction: The Ronald McDonald costume allows for interactive and entertaining experiences. Ronald McDonald often visits McDonald's restaurants, events, and children's hospitals, where he engages with the audience, performs skits, tells stories, and interacts with children. The costume's design helps create an approachable and friendly character that can connect with people of all ages, particularly children. from 1959 until 1962), performed using the moniker "Ronald McDonald, the Hamburger-Happy Clown" in 1963 on three separate television spots. These were the first three television ads featuring the character.Ronald McDonald is also shown to possess magical abilities despite being a clown. He has shown this a few times by putting his index fingers together and spelling the letter "M", making the golden arch logo appear, as well as using his fingers to spray sparks of magic and make something happen out of it. He also has a rare magical ability where he can use his scarf to get him into out of reach places (seen in The Adventures of Ronald McDonald: McTreasure Island and McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure). It's Time for McDonald's To Retire Ronald". CBS News. 19 May 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-23 . Retrieved 2021-12-22. Schlosser, E. (2006) Chew on this: everything you don't want to know about fast food. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co. On March 28, 2000, Henry Gonzalez, McDonald's Northeast Division President, thanked Scott for creating Ronald McDonald during a taped tribute to Scott on the Today Show.