The things we do for love and to satisfy our own mini monsters, inner children, and/or “sad adults.”
The internet is divided over claims that customers waited up to 7 hours for an immersive Minion & Monsters Wendy’s drive-thru experience.
The fast-food chain announced the promotional campaign in a press release last week, promising fans Minions & Monsters meals with upgrades such as an all-new Banana Frosty Swirl®, two themed beverages, Pineapple Minion MischieFizz, and Goomi’s Glimey Lime, and exclusive blind-box collectibles.
While the meal campaign officially launched nationwide at Wendy’s on June 15, the singular, immersive pop-up drive-thru dropped on June 11 at the Wendy’s on East Imperial Highway in Norwalk, Calif., giving die-hard fans a chance to indulge early and experience the Minion magic, mayhem, and wait times for themselves.
And patience was indeed the order of the day.
In a TikTok video, a devoted mother detailed her hours-long wait for the drive-through experience.
In the clip, the sainted matriarch pulls up to a Wendy’s sign that reveals an estimated wait time of 4 hours. As the family got closer to their hallowed destination, the wait times dropped to three, two, and eventually one hour.
When the presumably hungry but miraculously cheery crew, at long last, reaches the Wendy’s location, the humble fast-food restaurant has indeed been transformed.
The drive-thru is a slow-moving journey through a themed tunnel designed to mimic the feeling of being on a movie set.
The tunnel is outfitted in Minions paraphernalia, Western-inspired elements, and multiple screens playing clips of the beloved banana-hued characters.
When the family finally approaches the pick-up window, their limited-edition meals are delivered by a Minion named James, who cheekily drops upside down from the ceiling, holding their tray.
The approximate duration of the experience, from entry through the tunnel to exit, was 2 minutes.
After getting her grub, the woman swings back to the beginning of the line, where an updated sign reveals the wait is now a staggering 7 hours.
The clip caused an uproar, with commentators aghast that anyone would wait in line for so long for such a short-lived spectacle. The video was reposted by @WallStreetApes on X to a chorus of comments.
“This is peak consumerism brainrot. This is not fast food; this is advertising and an exercise of mind control,” theorized one user.
“Nothing there that was worth that 4-hour wait, this for some kids, any adult getting excited about that little drive-through event is just a sad adult,” said another
“Is this Space Mountain? WTF, bro?” questioned a puzzled commentator.
“We’ve got a lot of adults who need to grow up,” chided a killer of joy.
“This is why the aliens don’t make contact,” added a presumably disappointed space lover.
However, one dissenter pointed out that the experience, while exhausting, is still economical for some families.
“I see the comments mocking others for sitting & waiting for this, but any middle-class to poverty parent would consider this because many of us can’t afford to take our kids to amusement parks or even the movies this summer!”
The tasty treats and “affordable amusement” come as Illumination’s newest Minions & Monsters movie hits theaters July 1.
Fans can expect the classic, rowdy Minions — this time, the story reveals how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, and unleashed monsters into the world.
But fear not, the bespectacled crew will band together to save the planet from the inevitable chaos they created.
