To maintain the element of surprise , the producers were very secretive with the details . In the months leading up to the makeover , all they told us was that the theme would be Cars . With two boys ( ages three and five ) and two twin boys on the way , inviting Lightning McQueen to the backyard sounded perfect to us .
Each episode of My Yard Goes Disney corresponded with some aspect of Disney Parks . In our case , the yard was intended to promote Cars Land in Disney California Adventure Park . The producers needed footage of us enjoying the Cars Land attractions to use in the show , so in addition to our magical makeover , they gifted us with an all-expenses-paid vacation to the resort !
My husband and I had to give the illusion of “ helping out ” for the cameras . We ’ d perform part of a task , such as smoothing dirt or stapling screens while chatting about details with the show host . Then , a massive team of professionals would come in and finish the job off-screen while we went back to get powdered and pampered by the production staff .
Our one chance to feel like celebrities !
When construction day finally arrived , the kids left to have some fun at Walt Disney World with their grandparents . They would return for a big reveal party with our family and friends .
As home makeover show fans , we often wondered if the whole quick-transformation thing was real . Turns out , it totally is ! With the exception of some plumbing and electrical prep work ( and a lot of custom prefabrication done off-site ), the entire production finished in a day and a half — a blitz of yard renovation !
In the end , our yard looked like a miniature Radiator Springs . On one side , garages resembling Luigi ’ s Casa Della Tires housed eight pedal cars and mechanic toys . A track made of eco-friendly baseball diamond material ran throughout the yard to give us a safe place to let those cars loose . In the center , a splash pad made to look like desert cacti provided the ultimate cool-down zone . And details like a tower of tires and personalized retro billboards completed the Cars atmosphere .
Our boys screamed with excitement when they returned for the reveal : “ Cars ! Squirting cactus ! Ka-chow !” As for my husband and I — well , if you ’ ve seen any extreme makeover show , you can guess how we responded . Yep , happy tears , for sure ! After all , how many people can say their yard went from overgrown mess to full-on Disney magic ?
What a gift — the chance of a lifetime !
ABOVE & PREVIOUS PAGE : Behind-the-scenes snapshots during the construction and reveal of this extreme yard makeover . PHOTOS COURTESY OF MELISSA RICHESON .