OAK BROOK, Ill., May 28 -- Eight colorful, loveable characters from the highly anticipated Finding Nemo, The Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios' adventure will be diving into McDonald's(R) Happy Meals beginning Friday, May 30, 2003 - Thursday, June 26, 2003.

Swimming into a participating McDonald's just in time for their big screen computer-animated debut, each Finding Nemo toy brings their underwater adventure to life using state-of-the-art technology. All eight Happy Meal(R) characters light up or make noises when touched, and when submerged in water will squirt water for hours of summertime Happy Meal fun. In addition, McDonald's invites guests to search for Nemo on television and on the Web for a chance to win an adventure of their own to Walt Disney World Resort Florida, tickets to the Finding Nemo movie or McDonald's gift certificates. Guests can also search for Nemo at participating McDonald's restaurants and receive colorful stickers featuring their favorite Finding Nemo characters.

"McDonald's is thrilled to provide our guests with interactive, innovative toys that bring their favorite big screen characters to life and create hours of playtime adventures," said Karlin Linhardt, senior director kids and family marketing, McDonald's. "The excitement of these playful Happy Meal toys has transcended into the stores as McDonald's continues to create exciting environments and games that encourage family-friendly fun."

McDonald's Makes A Splash With New Finding Nemo In-Store / Online Adventures

Nemo is lost again, this time in participating McDonald's restaurants. This colorful star is waiting for guests to discover him on posters or swimming across trays at their participating neighborhood McDonald's restaurants. In exchange for helping to find Nemo, McDonald's crewmembers will reward guests with a colorful Finding Nemo sticker, while supplies last.

McDonald's also needs help finding Nemo online, who is waiting to be discovered within a secret Web site. The Web address can be found buried within various McDonald's television commercials beginning May 30, 2003. The first 100 guests who log on and find Nemo will receive a voucher for free movie tickets and McDonald's gift certificates. All online participants will be entered for a chance to win an adventure of their own, an all-expenses-paid trip for four to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

McDonald's Finding Nemo Happy Meal event, in-store activities and sweepstakes will run May 30, 2003 - June 26, 2003 at participating McDonald's restaurants, while supplies last.

The Happy Meal event will be supported by national television advertising developed by Leo Burnett Co. and Hispanic television and print advertising by dRM DDB.

McDonald's is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 29,000 restaurants serving nearly 46 million people in 119 countries each day. Approximately 80 percent of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women.

DISNEY-PIXAR FINDING NEMO

The Academy Award(R)-winning creators of "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," and "Monsters, Inc." dive into a whole new world of computer-animated fun, fantasy, and heartfelt emotion with this splashy underwater adventure. The film follows the comedic and eventful journeys of two fish -- Marlin and his son Nemo -- who become separated in the Great Barrier Reef. Buoyed by the companionship of a friendly-but-forgetful fish named Dory, the overly cautious father embarks on a dangerous trek and finds himself the unlikely hero of an epic journey to rescue his son -- who hatches a few daring plans of his own to return safely home. Written and directed by Oscar(R) nominee Andrew Stanton, who co-directed the 1998 Disney/Pixar hit "A Bug's Life" and is credited as co-screenwriter on all four of the previous Disney/Pixar features, "Finding Nemo" sets a new "high water mark" for the art and technology of computer animation with its incredible underwater world populated with memorable characters. John Lasseter (Pixar's executive vice president, creative) serves as executive producer. Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, Allison Janney, Barry Humphries, and Alexander Gould are featured in the talented voice "cast."