Thread: drop panel or drop wall

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Hi friends, I'm trying to make a huge drop panel for one of my scenes. Approx. 8 feet across by 3 feet tall. I've done many drop panels over the years, but this one I want the actor behind the panel seem to be in the same room as the tots after the wall falls.
Without killing my actor with the constant up/down of the panel, Is there anyone with a different idea for a wall dropping without hurting anyone? I plan on having dolls everywhere, on the walls included. I guess an overdone child's room, with a mean Raggedy Anne or Andy behind the wall. I'm not very mechanically inclined but I can usually get something if I see a picture for an example. Thanks, Dan G.

For something that big the best way to go would probably be with a big peice of the styrofoam insulation you can get at the hardware store. Wood would be pretty heavy and would require a heavy-duty track for it to slide in.

How about a whole 4x8 sheet and having it fall backwards to the floor, after which the character would step into the gap?