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The $250,000 Disney Vacation

Paula K

What is the cost of a Disney vacation? For a man in the United Kingdom, the cost was much more than he expected. In fact, it cost him well over $250,000, and that number does not include theme park tickets.

In April, 2015, Jon Platt of the United Kingdom decided to take his then six year old daughter out of school for a seven day vacation. The reason why he took her out of school was because they were planning a holiday for 17 people, and that was the only week that would work for everyone else. While taking a child out of school for a trip to Disney is nothing out of the ordinary, this time there was a price. According to British truancy laws, school attendance is mandatory, and Platt faced a fine of £120, or about $150, upon his return. He refused to pay, and instead decided to fight the fine.

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At first things looked good for Platt, with the High Court agreeing with him. Eventually the case went to the Supreme Court, and they ruled with the Department of Education. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. Platt was fined £2,200 (approximately $2,800) for the initial offense. Court costs were then added, which caused the price tag for his vacation to soar. In all, Platt was ordered to pay £200,000, which comes out to around $256,000.

To add insult to injury, when Platt left the court he discovered not one, but two parking tickets. Those cost £60 (about $77) each. Platt decided to not fight the tickets, and paid the two fines.

About PaulaK

I grew up in Western Massachusetts. When I was nine my family went to Disneyland and I was hooked. I grew up, attended New England College in Henniker, NH and eventually moved to Virginia. I worked as a disc jockey, married and became a full time mom when our daughter was born. Fast forward several years. In 2010 we moved to Central Florida and my Disney obsession grew. I now work as a freelance writer and spend my spare time in the parks. Under the name Paula Brown I penned the novels Dream Wanderers and The Coffee Cruiser. I also am a co-author of Dining at Walt Disney World: The Definitive Guide. I'm obsessed with Star Wars, so this is a good time to live in Central Florida. I've been a vegetarian for well over a decade, a choice that my daughter eventually made as well. While my husband still hasn't joined us fully he has given up most meats except for seafood. I was relieved to find that vegetarian dining is not difficult at Walt Disney World.