Ronald McDonald in a Hot Air Balloon

Ronald McDonald in a Hot Air Balloon was a single animatronic show created in 1984 by Setmakers and AVG Technologies.
The display featured the Ronald McDonald (Animatronic) and Fry Guys suspended in a hot air balloon attatched to a wall. Below would be a planter area with a Hamburger Patch, with an outer table and seating area for kids to eat near the display. The display is adorned with string lights while a spotlight shines on Ronald from the inside of the balloon. A showtape played for the display with synced movements, but this is currently lost.

History

The attraction started as a different design called "The McBurgers" in late April of 1982, which was a display featuring four singing hamburgers in a Hamburger Patch, alongside a retractable curtain. This was planned be "...sequenced to music & lyric[s] of seasonal songs, 'Happy Birthday' and parodies".
At some point this was scrapped, and in April of 1983 another display featuring Grimace, Big Mac, Gobblins, Captain Crook, and the Apple Pie Tree would be sketched up. This would also be the first mention of working with AVG Technologies for the display.⁽⁷⁾
Another design change would occur and the next set of plans for seemingly the final design would be dated for February 2nd, 1984. Setmakers would design the concept, and likely produce the figures, however AVG Technologies is seemingly credited for supplying the animation hardware and programming the showtape to the figure under their "Theatronics" branding. It is unknown how many were produced or how long they lasted in the stores, though AVG states they were at "various locations throughout the country".⁽⁶⁾ The only confirmed installation was at a Glendale, Coloado store in 1984.
Additionally, a maquette of the full display was made by Setmakers, unknown if held at any location or just for prototyping the concept.
On August 19th, 1985, an additional variation of the display would be sketched up, seemingly keeping the same base Ronald animatronic, but now setting him inside a space ship. This plan would be revised on November 7th, 1985, but no further plans seem to have moved forward.
One of the Ronald animatronic would later be featured on the TV Show "The Appraisal Fair" in 1999, appraised for $2k-3k. This same animatronic would later appear in May of 2024 on LiveAuctioneers for the same price- alongside other memorabilia and a tape featuring its Appraisal Fair debut.