Chance to Stay in Character a Little Longer

In other Magic Kingdom news, officials say that for the first time, some employees are being allowed to head home without changing out of costume. Seems a wardrobe department crunch has overridden concerns that workers with pixie-dusted name tags could wind up in off-duty scandals. However, the well-known Disney character costumes--Mickey, Pooh and the gang--still must be left behind. Spokesman Gomez says the trial program affects 1,000 of the 8,500 costumed park employees.

Despite gripes from park purists, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Walt Disney World in Florida is being replaced by a Winnie the Pooh ride. Not so in Anaheim, where the Toad remains one of Fantasyland’s biggest draws, Disney officials say. But a Pooh ride might well be in the works elsewhere in the original Disneyland. “Pooh merchandise way outsells Mickey these days,” one official points out.