Family Trip to Disney World Costs Over $300,000, and That Didn’t Include Tickets to the Parks
One family’s long-awaited week-long trip to Walt Disney World ultimately cost them more than $315,000, and believe it or not, the staggering amount didn’t even include the cost of theme park tickets for each guest.
Related: Avoid the Temptation: Guests Warned Not to Buy These Items at Disney World
Not All Disney Vacations Take Place During the Summer
Guests who frequently visit the four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort can attest to the fact that the Central Florida Disney Resort tends to be more crowded during certain times of the year–namely, during the summertime and the Christmas holidays in December.
Many families choose to visit during those times of the year so their children don’t have to miss school. However, it’s not uncommon for some families to take their children out of school so they can travel to Disney World, and though the children might be counted absent by school officials, that’s often the extent of the proverbial fallout.
But for one family in the United Kingdom, the results were quite different.
One Family Takes a Chance on the “Magic”
Jon Platt and his wife decided to take their six-year-old daughter on a trip to Disney World with several members of their extended family, but since the trip was scheduled for April, it would mean taking her out of school during that time as well.
The trip was to last for seven days, and the trip had to be planned for April because it was the only week that would work for everyone in the 17-member group.
Visiting Disney World during the school year is a common practice for many families. Some do it to avoid crowds, and others do it to save money. But doing so isn’t easy for everyone, including Platt and his wife.
In the United Kingdom, school truancy laws are strict, and school attendance is mandatory. As such, Platt faced a very negative experience once he and his family returned from their trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth.
The Family is Fined For Taking Vacation During the School Year
Upon the family’s return from Florida, Platt faced a fine of £120 (about $150 USD) because his daughter missed school. He could have paid the fine, and the matter likely would have been dropped. Instead, Platt decided to fight the fine in court.
Instantly, however, Platt was convicted of “failing to ensure his child regularly attended school after a court heard clearing him would ‘undermine Parliament’ and go ‘against public interest’ following a Supreme Court ruling.”
Jennie Walker, a magistrate at Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court, confirmed that school rules were broken when Platt and his wife took their daughter out of school to go to Disney World.
“The circumstances of this case fall squarely into that breach of school rules,” Walker said.
Platt was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a hefty fine of £2,020 (approximately $2,550 USD).
The Family Decides Not to Fight the Court Further
“This is the end for me now; this has gone on for far too long, and far too much money has been spent by me and the taxpayer,” Platt said. “I’ve spent close to £30,000; a Freedom of Information request found £140,000 has been spent by the taxpayer, but if you include the Supreme Court legal costs, I think it isn’t far off a quarter of a million [pounds].”
The amount of £250,000 converts to approximately $316,000 USD, meaning Platt’s Disney World trip ultimately cost more than $316,000–and more than two years of his family’s life.
“Way too much money has been spent, but I’m not going to appeal it,” Platt continued. “I don’t agree with the magistrate’s decision, but I’m going to respect it. I’m sure there are parents out there that hate me and I’m sure there are some who think I’m a hero. But at the end of the day, I turned up to court to say ‘not guilty’ to an offense I’m not guilty of.”
Platt also said that public opinion about his case was divided.
“Satisfactory” Didn’t Mean “Satisfactory”
Despite his daughter’s school attendance record being presented to the court—documenting an attendance of 92.3% of her class time—all of the judges at the Supreme Court level ruled against Platt.
During the court case, one of Platt’s attorneys, Paul Greatorex, argued that the court’s continued prosecution of the young father was unfair. Greatorex further requested that the court throw out the case.
Paul Greatorex outlined his case for an ‘abuse of process’ argument by saying Platt’s daughter had an attendance level between 90 and 95 percent which the school deemed as ‘satisfactory’.
Mr. Greatorex QC said the documents Platt received from the school were ‘completely vague’ and it was not made clear that if he took her on an unauthorized holiday he would receive a fixed penalty notice and be prosecuted if he did not pay it.
It’s worth noting that Platt was told that his daughter’s attendance was “satisfactory” and that a family vacation wouldn’t change that. Even so, he was forced to pay the fine imposed by the court in addition to the legal fees he accrued as he fought the court’s decision.
