History Main / TheMovingExperience

* ''Literature/LittleCritter'' has one in ''We are Moving''. He and Little Sister are both very upset, but it turns out that they're just moving a short distance away, to a home nearby their elementary school. This is one of the few that actually tries to hide that the move isn't a big deal.]

* Tragically {{Averted}} in ''Manga/ChisSweetHome'', where [[spoiler: Blackie moves away and is PutOnABus for a while.]] Chi is understandably devastated, to the point where she goes through the FiveStagesOfGrief.

* ''Anime/{{Hamtaro}}'' plays this straight twice with the ham-hams then cruelly averts it. [[spoiler:First with Bijou and then with Hamtaro, both who were very close to averting this trope and were only saved when their owners' parents decided to not go through with the move in the last minute]]. Then really averts it when [[spoiler:Travis]] did move.
* {{Averted}} in ''Manga/ChisSweetHome'', where [[spoiler: Blackie moves away and is PutOnABus for a while.]] Chi is understandably devastated, to the point where she goes through the FiveStagesOfGrief.

If the show is a comedy or generally of a comedic bent, then expect the situation to be played for great giggles, generally at the expense of the character who believes that someone is moving away. If the show is generally of a more serious nature, however, then the show may aim to tug at the viewers' heartstrings, even though this plotline is typically a form of DramaticIrony, as the viewers are usually fully aware that the character in question is not, in fact, moving away.

Note: Due to the basic nature of this trope, expect unmarked spoilers in the examples.

* Was the focus in the final episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Fosters Home For Imaginary Friends}}''.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' had Angelica's family moving after her mom got a promotion at work. At first [[AndThereWasMuchRejoicing the babies are thrilled that Angelica won't be around to bully them anymore]] until Tommy mentions that it was because of Angelica's bullying that they all became friends in the first place. After a {{Whole Episode Flashback}} of their first meeting, the babies becomed saddened by Angelica leaving, including Angelica herself (who overheard the whole thing) and [[JerkWithAHeartofGold wishes she could've been nicer to them.]] The episode ends with Charlotte being passed over for the promotion, and the babies happy that Angelica won't be moving after all...much to Angelica's dismay.

* In "Franklin's Party Plans" from ''{{Franklin}}'', Franklin gets the idea that Skunk is moving away to another town, but she's just moving to another street.
* ''TheGetAlongGang'': Bingo believed he was moving to Big City because the moving truck read "Big City Movers". [[spoiler: Because he had previously tricked his friends into buying him ice cream, they thought he was lying. When one of them saw the truck, they started believing. When the truck stopped at its actual destination, Bingo's friends became furious.]]

* Seen in the [=CGI=] ''{{Babar}}'' series, ''Babar and the Adventures of Badou''. When Jake spots his caretaker, Cornelius, with a bunch of suitcases, he comes to believe that they are moving away. He and his friends agree that this must be the case because Cornelius ''never'' goes on vacation. When Cornelius tries to excuse the presence of the suitcases by saying that Lady Rataxes is coming, the kids hatch "Operation Secret Suitcase," a plan to keep everyone running ragged so that Cornelius won't be able to leave, at least until King Babar gets back to the palace and is hopeully able to keep Cornelius from moving. In the end, it turns out that Cornelius actually ''was'' planning a surprise vacation for himself and Jake. Oh, and it also turned out that Lady Rataxes was coming, so all the work they did to welcome Lady Rataxes wasn't wasted after all.
* The animated ''CliffordTheBigRedDog'' show had an episode using this plot. Clifford and Cleo thought T-Bone was leaving the island when in fact he and his owner were just moving to a house more convenient for his owner's job.

* In ''UruseiYatsura'', young Ten is persecuted by kindergarten {{Yandere}} Mako, who wants him as her boyfriend. In one instance, she tells him about her imminent journey to someplace far away for a long time, which sends Ten into giddy happiness. However, being in kindergarten, Mako simply meant that she would be going to school. A few hours later, she's back and Ten is in shock and despair.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' had Angelica's family moving after her mom got a promotion at work. At first the babies are thrilled that Angelica won't be around to bully them anymore until Tommy mentions that it was because of Angelica's bullying that they all became friends in the first place. After a {{Whole Episode Flashback}} of their first meeting, the babies becomed saddened by Angelica leaving, including Angelica herself (who overheard the whole thing) and [[JerkWithAHeartofGold wishes she could've been nicer to them.]] The episode ends with Charlotte being passed over for the promotion, and the babies happy that Angelica won't be moving after all...much to Angelica's dismay.

A plotline, seen in some children's cartoons, where the main character's best buddy overhears his parents saying that he's moving, thinking that he or she is actually moving to another town. As a result, the subject says goodbye to everyone and makes everyone miss the subject (don't expect anyone ''not'' to miss them and/or [[AndThereWasMuchRejoicing actually celebrate the departure.]]). Sometimes the subject even runs away from home to stay with his friends. However, the person actually finds out that he or she's actually moving to another room, resulting in a happy SnapBack ending. Alternatively, they may just be moving across the street or may not actually be moving anywhere at all, but the point is that the characters get the idea in their heads that someone is moving to another town, but they're not.

A plotline, seen in some children's cartoons, where the main character's best buddy overhears his parents saying that he's moving, thinking that he or she is actually moving to another town. As a result, the subject says goodbye to everyone and makes everyone miss the subject. Sometimes the subject even runs away from home to stay with his friends. However, the person actually finds out that he or she's actually moving to another room, resulting in a happy SnapBack ending. Alternatively, they may just be moving across the street or may not actually be moving anywhere at all, but the point is that the characters get the idea in their heads that someone is moving to another town, but they're not.

* The ''WesternAnimation/AngryBeavers'' episode 'Pack Your Dags' where Norbert claims his beaver instincts are going to force him and Daggett to move away. After all of Dag's protesting and attempts to stop the supposedly inevitable, the episode ends with Norbert deconstructing the whole dam, only to rebuild it a mere inch to one side from where it was.

* The TropeNamer is a ''LittleLulu'' cartoon that had this premise.

* The ''{{Angry Beavers}}'' episode 'Pack Your Dags' where Norbert claims his beaver instincts are going to force him and Daggett to move away. After all of Dag's protesting and attempts to stop the supposedly inevitable, the episode ends with Norbert deconstructing the whole dam, only to rebuild it a mere inch to one side from where it was.

* ''{{Rugrats}}'' had Angelica's family moving after her mom got a promotion at work. At first the babies are thrilled that Angelica won't be around to bully them anymore until Tommy mentions that it was because of Angelica's bullying that they all became friends in the first place. After a {{Whole Episode Flashback}} of their first meeting, the babies becomed saddened by Angelica leaving, including Angelica herself (who overheard the whole thing) and [[JerkWithAHeartofGold wishes she could've been nicer to them.]] The episode ends with Charlotte being passed over for the promotion, and the babies happy that Angelica won't be moving after all...much to Angelica's dismay.

* In an episode of ''RocketPower'', it was Twister's older brother intentionally making him think he was being forced to move.
* In the pilot of ''EekTheCat'', Eek finds out, to his dismay, that his new girlfriend is moving. After being sad for a short time, he turns the letter over to read "P.S. I'm moving across the street."
* Was the focus in the final episode of ''{{Fosters Home For Imaginary Friends}}''.
* In ''TheWeekenders'', Tish didn't even change rooms; nor was she, herself, confused by this. However, the other main characters ''thought'' Tish was moving because Carver found a novel she'd been writing (confusingly titled "Diary"), in which the main character moves to another country at one point.
* One episode of ''BobbysWorld'' has the Generic family packing up and moving... to the other side of their cul-de-sac. Bobby even asks "AreWeThereYet" right after they depart, which his father happily affirms.
* Used ''twice'' in ''PBAndJOtter''. In the premiere story, "Bye Bye, PB&J," everyone thought that the title characters were moving, but it turned out they were just getting a new bed in their room. Then, in "Pinkie Pledge" from the final season, everyone thought that Pinch Raccoon and her family were going to move, but it turned out that it was only that her father was going to be commuting to a different town at night for his job.

* ''Anime/Hamtaro'' plays this straight twice with the ham-hams then cruelly averts it. [[spoiler:First with Bijou and then with Hamtaro, both who were very close to averting this trope and were only saved when their owners' parents decided to not go through with the move in the last minute]]. Then really averts it when [[spoiler:Travis]] did move.

* ''Anime/Hamtaro'' plays this straight twice with the ham-hams then cruelly averts it. [[spoiler:First with Bijou and then with Hamtaro]]. Then cruelly averts it when [[spoiler:Travis]] did move.

* ''Literature/LittleCritter'' has one in ''We are Moving''. He and Little Sister are both very upset, but it turns out that they're just moving a short distance away, to a home nearby their elementary school. This is one of the few that actually tries to hide that the move isn't a big deal.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}''

* In one episode of ''{{Series/The Wonder Years}}'', Kevin thinks that his family is moving. Eventually, he learns that he was mistaken, but then learns that Winnie is moving a few miles away.

* ''Series/LeaveItToBeaver'' had an episode where the Cleavers were going to move because Ward had a job promotion. However, he ended up not getting that promotion, enabling them to stay, but then before he could tell his class, Beaver's class through him a surprise going-away party.

* Lily Bobtail's father considered moving his family away so she wouldn't be subject to ''WesternAnimation/PeterRabbit'''s bad influence anymore. To try and convince him otherwise, he and his cousin Benjamin Bunny held a last picnic to try and impress her folks by showing off their best behavior... while also dealing with the local predators threatening to crash it.

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* ''{{Doug}}''

* The LivAndMaddie episode "Move-a-Rooney".