TOURISM : Muppets to Change Face of Disneyland, but Details Are Secret

Come next year, Mickey and Minnie are about to get some new neighbors. The Muppets are coming to Disneyland.

When Walt Disney Co. bought the rights to Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, the Swedish Chef and other creations of the late Jim Henson, it created the prospect of adding a whole new stable of fuzzy stars to its well-known list of characters.

But just how Disneyland is going to bring the Muppets onto Main Street is yet to be seen. About the only event that the entertainment company will confirm so far is that a daily Muppet parade is planned for next spring.

There are also unconfirmed reports of a Muppet invasion that could turn Disneyland into “Frogland.” Sleeping Beauty’s castle, for instance, could get a new green paint job, and the Matterhorn could be illuminated in green lighting.

Mickey’s familiar image could disappear from the flower bed in front of the Main Street train station. Kermit’s green grin would be there instead. Even the venerable Mr. Lincoln, one of Walt Disney’s pioneering animatronic creations, may be upstaged by Fozzie Bear or the Great Gonzo: The Lincoln exposition on Main Street could become the Muppet Theater.

Disneyland spokesman Bob Roth won’t confirm any of the loose talk. “This is some blue-sky stuff,” he said when asked about the rumors. But if the stories do prove true, the cosmetic changes needed to make room for the Muppets would give Disneyland a new look and feel. And a cosmetic face lift would probably be a lot cheaper than adding a new roller coaster or another new attraction.