Drop panel disguise?

[lurker]

I have a location at the end of my haunt that I want to add a drop panel to. It needs to be well disguised, because at this point the customers will have seen a drop panel picture, or two. I would hide the panel in stack of boxes or maybe a piece of furniture, but the space is very small. Does anyone have a killer way to disguise a drop panel in a wall that is not a picture?

[Jim Warfield]

How about using a big calendar?
The local Police and Fire Dept.s sponser such a thing around here, pictures of officers in uniform might distract them from thinking "Drop Panel".

[damon carson]

How bout even a goth swimsuit calendar???!!! LOL! Talk about distractions! And letting your guard down! Ha!
Damon

[Infoamtek]

I always like the chalkboard:

Were You Scared?

Yes l No
l
x l xx
l

and a piece of chalk on a string. When they go to mark an answer, the drop panel is the chalkboard.

[lurker]

Yeah, I'm kind of leaning toward the chalkboard, but it would mean changing how things wrap up near the end of our show this year. I just wanted to see what things other people have done, before I make up my mind.

[Infraredkelp]

What's the theme of your haunt?
For an alien theme you could have a control panel with different buttons and stuff like on a spaceship. For the traditional haunted mansion theme, I would use a mirior, a warning sign, etc.

[Jim Warfield]

A normal piece of wall, with a large brown-ish smear on it with some large plastic flys seemingly buzzing in it, then the panels drops down and a guy wearing a fly-suit attacks them! (As he says:"Hello Browny-maker!")

[Murphy]

The chalkboard rocks!!!!

We had one at the end of our haunt for the first couple of years and it was awesome. We had the drop framed really nice and above it we wrote "The Shadows Edge.........." and on the board we had it spilt with writing already on it. one side said "rocked" and the other side said "sucked" and it looked like people were able to check off with their opinion. We even glued some pieces of chalk in a tray below the board. Then when the "leader" of the group went up to the board to write his comment we would nail them everytime!!!!

[Jim Warfield]

How about a map of the haunt with that arrow pointing saying, "You Are HERE."
then the drop panel falls and a monster behind it says, "And I am HERE!"
..Or maybe he points and directs him to where he should be.

[lurker]

You might be on to something there, Jim. Not a map, but a list of directions. My plan is to have a room at the end of the haunt with no apparent escape. Early in the show the leader of each group will be given a key. They will have to deposit the key in the last room to get the door to open. They deposit the key, drop panel falls, and door opens. I was trying to think of something that could be a drop panel, and a key deposit, but if the directions, on where to deposit the key, was the drop panel then that may work.
I was also thinking maybe a hexagon or triangle shaped drop panel that can also serve a key deposit. The shape maybe enough to keep them in the dark about what it is until it is too late.

[Jim Warfield]

Or a Top Secret map showing Osama Bin Laden's hiding place, drawn tiny, they move in closer for a better look and Osama rips right through the map and scares them!
Run off 500 maps on a copying machine, clamp each new map in place with those plastic spring loaded clamps to make it quick and easy.
That sound of the paper ripping will scare many people.