Mem22: Cool - may have to play with the styrofoam idea...
The "sand/beach" idea is pulled straight from the POTC ride (our favorite!), and it was a sheet with glue & sand thrown on it - I was trying to avoid creating a litter box for the neighborhood cats...it didn't quite come out the way I planned, but as you said - the night is our friend
The jail scene from the ride is on one side as the kiddies walk up...
We started with a theme in 2006: one mast, one pirate, couple other small items. Simple soundtrack from POTC. But we got hooked, and last year we just kept adding...including a bluckey in the crow's nest, close to the sidewalk, with his own soundtrack.
My favorite part is sitting on our porch - keeping absolutely still - and then scaring the kids...the tweens all dare each other to come close, "she's real, no she's not"...
Wish I could just take the whole month of October off!!!