I miss those characters too! There's something special about the McDonaldland characters, and commercials that will never be replicated. Just look at this one!
I love the mix of puppetry, live action and costumed characters, in a "magical" world, that's so bright, colorful and inviting. Now McDonald's is by no means my favorite fast food place taste wise, but something about these commercials makes it my favorite. I used to watch these commercials all the time when I was younger, and I was so fascinated by them. It's really sad that they got rid of the classic characters for these guys ...
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go bleach my eyes.