Note: This post is part of our new “Mouse Hacking Musings” series. These are short, informal posts about whatever topic floats my boat the morning I decide to write it. The musings originally appear in our weekly(ish) newsletter, which also highlights recent news, updates from the blog, and discounts/deals I’ve got my eyes on.
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Emily and I saw Hadestown on Broadway the other day. You might (ironically) recognize it as starring Jordan Fisher, who sings "Happily Ever After" (unrelated to anything, we wound up seated literally in the middle of a gigantic teenage school group...I appreciated their enthusiasm during the curtain call). I highly recommend the show.
The musical is a retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, and I don’t want to spoil it ICYMI over the last 2500 years. But I do want to connect it to one of our other travel mantras, “Look forward, go forward.”
“Look forward, go forward” literally comes from teaching our then 3-year-old to hike. It isn’t absolute. We also have a policy to always let Zoe literally stop to smell the flowers. And we take plenty of necessary breaks to appreciate where we are (snack breaks also happen to be an excellent motivator for hikers big and small). But sometimes the charge is simply to look forward and go forward.
I find particular relevance in this mantra in two ways this time of year. First, the changes continue to pile up at Disney World. Between the Boneyard, Zoe randomly bringing up Doctor Seeker and his puppet the other day, and now MuppetVision 3D, we're set to lose some real “core memory” material in Disney World. We of course take the time we can to appreciate them and experience them one last time, but we can also remind ourselves that there's a lot to look forward to.
I miss The Great Movie Ride, and I would have had this same discussion in my head in 2017. It's funny how much Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is now a core part of Zoe's Disney World experience. Make the choice to believe now that you will love the parks in 5 years, because there's a good chance you'll find a way.
Second—just a quick reminder from a family travel writer. Family time is sometimes more of a challenge than we'd like to admit. This week and in the coming month, a lot of us are going to have a lot of time with people we love but who maybe don't live on the same frequency as us. When it hits the fan, don't let yourself lose your bearings. Take the opportunity to look forward and go forward. You don't have time to latch onto petty disagreements, and you won't feel better for that. Be the one to say “you know what, I love you, (maybe I’m sorry), let’s just move on.”