"Drawing similarities between "Journey to the Past" and "I Want" songs used in Disney films, Michael Dequina of The Movie Report wrote that "Anya articulates her dream of having a family" while "prancing her way through the snow-covered forest and even capping her song by dramatically raising her arms into the air", observing its strong resemblance to a musical number from a stage musical.Orchestral arrangements of the song by composer David Newman are used and reprised several times throughout "Anastasia", including a final "victorious" rendition at the end of the film.