The moon rises over a pirate ship on the front lawn of the home of Mike and Dawn Stanley which is part of their “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. The pirate ship, constructed of styrofoam by the Stanley family includes animatronic pirate skeletons, smoke, music and cannon fire all controlled via a phone app. The Stanley family has been building large themed Halloween displays for the last 10 years. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) brainstorm
In a small cul-du-sac in Aliso Viejo, a pirate ship has run aground.
Smoke and canon fire bellow from of its decks, a storm rages, all an elaborate Halloween display based on The Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland.
The Stanley family, pictured from left, are son Wyatt, 21, and his parents Dawn and Mike Stanley, are shown next to replica of the pirate ship from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride located on the front lawn of their home on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. The ship is constructed from wood and styrofoam, is part of their “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) brainchild
Children react to the canons firing from the Wicked Wench replica at the “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. The pirate ship, constructed of styrofoam and wood by the Stanley family includes animatronic pirate skeletons, smoke, music and cannon fire all controlled via a phone app. The Stanley family have been building large themed Halloween displays for the last 10 years. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A thunder storm projection adds drama to the animatronic helmsman skeleton in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Elias Ayala, center, of Jalisco, Mexico poses for a photo with his grandson, Alex Limon, 10, next to the the replica of the treasure room at the “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A view of the captain’s cabin on the Wicked Wench replica at the “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. The pirate ship, constructed of styrofoam and wood by the Stanley family includes animatronic pirate skeletons, smoke, music and canon fire all controlled via a phone app. The Stanley family has been building large themed Halloween displays for the last 10 years. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A family passes by the old man on the bayou scene from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride which is a part of the Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Visitors to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle take photos of the Dead Man’s Cove replica in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The replica of the Wicked Wench pirate ship from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride, sits on the front lawn of Mike and Dawn Stanley as part of their annual Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Mike Stanley, his son and neighbors built the replica ship from wood and styrofoam. “My wife has been gracious enough to let us ruin the lawn once a year,” quipped Mike Stanley. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The moon rises over a pirate ship at the home of Mike and Dawn Stanley in their “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Mike Stanley, his son Wyatt and neighbors constructed the replica of the pirate ship from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride. The ship is built out of styrofoam and wood includes animatronic pirate skeletons, smoke, music and cannon fire all controlled via a phone app. The Stanley family have been building large themed Halloween displays for the last 10 years. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) brainstorm
The Stanley family, Wyatt , Dawn and Mike, and their across-the-street neighbors the Pielemeier family, Beth, Doug and their children Abbey and Owen, stand next to the pirate ship replica from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride which is part of their Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. “This is the first year we got the neighbors involved,” said Mike Stanley, “Doug is a woodworker and he’s been awesome.” (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Visitors take photos of the auction replica from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride at the Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed display was the brainchild of Mike, Dawn and Wyatt Stanley. For the last 10 years they have been erecting large themed Halloween displays. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The replica of Skull Rock from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride is part of the Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A skeleton pirate on the deck of the replica pirate ship from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride is part of the Stanley family’s annual Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Wyatt Stanley, 21, an artist and graduate from OCSA, designed and built the animatronics that control the skeleton’s movements. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A replica pirate ship, left, placed on the front lawn of Mike and Dawn Stanley, is the centerpiece to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display in the cul-du-sac of Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A replica of the treasure room is part of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A skeleton pirate on the deck of the replica pirate ship from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride is part of the Stanley family’s annual Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Wyatt Stanley, 21, an artist and graduate from OCSA, designed and built the animatronics that control the skeleton’s movements. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the extended Panduro family pose for a photo in front of the replica pirate ship from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride which is a part of the Stanley family’s annual Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Lou Panduro, right, takes a cell phone photo from his car of the replica pirate ship from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride which is a part of the Stanley family’s annual Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A sign displayed outside the Stanley home’s Halloween display in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 announces the event will also be a charity fund raiser. After the last year’s huge crowds that came to see the Stanley family’s Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo, Dawn Stanley thought it would be a good opportunity to raise money for the Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group via donations from visitors. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Skeleton pirates man the deck on a replica pirate ship from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride is part of the Stanley family’s annual Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Wyatt Stanley, 21, an artist and graduate from OCSA, designed and built the animatronics that control the skeleton’s movements. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Children walk past the Wicked Wench replica at the “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. The pirate ship, constructed of styrofoam and wood by the Stanley family includes animatronic pirate skeletons, smoke, music and cannon fire all controlled via a phone app. The Stanley family have been building large themed Halloween displays for the last 10 years. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The moon rises over a pirate ship on the front lawn of the home of Mike and Dawn Stanley which is part of their “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed Halloween display on Oak Ridge Circle in Aliso Viejo on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. The pirate ship, constructed of styrofoam by the Stanley family includes animatronic pirate skeletons, smoke, music and cannon fire all controlled via a phone app. The Stanley family has been building large themed Halloween displays for the last 10 years. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) brainstorm
“We’re just big Halloween fans,” said Mike Stanley, who with his wife, Dawn, and their 21-year-old son, Wyatt, has been building spooky scenes out front their Oak Ridge Circle home for a decade.
“Each year we’ve progressively gotten better,” Mike Stanley said. “My wife’s been gracious enough to let us ruin the lawn once a year.”
“Last year we did the Haunted Mansion, but this is probably our best achievement so far,” he said of the homage to the popular pirates-themed ride, complete with the opening scene of the old man rocking on the porch of his wood cabin .
After last year’s crowds, Stanley said the neighbors wanted in on this year’s creation, which now spans multiple yards.
With help from others, Stanley handles design and construction, his wife has taken charge of social media and sourcing supplies, and Wyatt Stanley, who learned production design and costuming from the Orange County School of the Arts, creates the animatronics.
The Stanleys used to build everything out of wood until they discovered Styrofoam, Mike Stanley said. “It’s great to work with, it’s lightweight, it’s paintable, waterproof, bendable.”
Dawn Stanley found a recycling center in Oceanside that was more than willing to give them as much as they wanted for free. The wood is from used pallets. Computers and phone apps run all the lighting, music and sound.
After being visited by a large number of people last year, Dawn Stanley decided to also turn the Halloween display into a fundraiser for the Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group. She sets up a donation table along with hot chocolate and cookies for the nightly show from 6 to 9 p.m.
The display is open to the public through Halloween. For more information go to Instagram: @stanleyhaus5 or Facebook: Stanley Haus.
