Whitney Houston was not on hand at Disneyland Wednesday as ABC previewed a taste of "Cinderella" to the visiting scribes. Houston, you recall, is an exec producer of the Rodgers & Hammerstein 1997 version, along with Craig Zadan, Neil Meron and Debra Chase.

Houston is involved in every decision, the other producers told me when I visited the set where Whitney co-stars in the "rainbow-hued" cast as Fairy Godmother.

She wound her role a week ago and left on the cruise which ended in Capri Monday when her cheek was cut by -- conflicting causes.

Meanwhile, Whoopi Goldberg arrived in L.A. by train, from N.Y. and the finale of her Broadway stand in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," to start in "Cinderella" as Queen Constantina to Victor Garber's King Maximilian. (He was most recently Goldie Hawn's husband in The First Wives Club.)

Brandy, who plays Cinderella, had two days off this week to tape some "Moesha" episodes.

"Cinderella" airs Nov. 2, two hours, on the Wonderful World of Disney.