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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway is the 12th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The book was released worldwide on November 7th, 2017.[1] The cover shows Greg looking out a plane's window, with Rodrick and Manny in the background, a direct illustration shown in the book.

Main Characters[]

See minor characters

Synopsis[]

Greg Heffley and his family are getting out of town.

With the cold weather and the stress of the approaching holiday season, the Heffleys decide to escape to a tropical island resort for some much-needed rest and relaxation, instead of staying home. A few days in paradise should do wonders for Greg and his frazzled family.

But the Heffleys soon discover that paradise isn't everything it's cracked up to be. Sun poisoning, stomach troubles, and venomous critters all threaten to ruin the family's vacation. Can their trip be saved, or will this island getaway end in disaster?

Plot[]

December[]

Rowley tells Greg about the hot-air balloon 1

Hot air is something Greg has plenty of...

The narrative begins with Greg expressing his disinterest in hearing about other people's holidays, except for the ones that go away. Subsequently, he recounts the recent family vacation and how it affected their Christmas plans.

Several weeks prior, Greg Heffley becomes aware that his family is becoming increasingly stressed and falling behind on their holiday preparations. They haven't put up any decorations or purchased gifts, and the cold weather is taking a toll on his parents, Frank and Susan.

One day, while watching TV, Frank and Susan see a captivating commercial for a luxurious resort named Isla de Corales, which also happens to be the location of their honeymoon. Fascinated by the idea, they come to a decision: instead of celebrating Christmas at home, the family will spend their holiday vacation at the resort. However, Greg is not in favor of this plan, having two primary objections. Firstly, he dislikes the idea of traveling by plane, and secondly, he doesn't want this vacation to serve as his "Christmas present."

Despite Greg's objections, his older brother Rodrick and younger brother Manny side with their parents, leaving Greg outnumbered in the decision-making process. As a result, on Christmas Eve, the family heads to the airport to embark on their unique holiday adventure.

Frank and Susan in Isla de Corales photo during their honeymoon

Picture of Susan and Frank enjoying their honeymoon

They are delayed by a series of mishaps. They encounter holiday traffic but arrive at the airport. As they fail to unload in time at the drop off zone, Frank and Greg have to return later with the luggage. Greg steps in a slush puddle and they end up missing the shuttle.

In the airport, the family's suitcases are too heavy and the airport people say it'd cost extra to check it but Frank says they weren't giving them an extra nickel, so they stuff some clothes into their carry-on baggage. They enter the line for security, but a naughty kid unzips a barrier separating the lines, and everybody gets scrambled, resulting in the naughty kid upfront and the Heffley family at the back and tried to ask a security officer to go to the front, but no. They go through security and are delayed again by somebody who has to remove all of his piercings. Manny then gets his toy stuck in an escalator, delaying them more. As a result, the family panic, grab some luggage, and dash to the gate. It turns out their flight is delayed. Greg goes to dry his sock but it ends up flying into a urinal while doing so. He then sees people stumbling out of the plane, feeling tired. He then hears that the flight is overbooked, and tries to stop his family boarding in exchange for a hotel stay and $300 (soon $500), but is stopped by Susan. Then a woman snaps up the $500. A replacement crew for the plane arrives and they finally board.

Greg sleeps together with the couples' baby

Uhh... Greg...?

Greg is first impressed by the plane's first-class seats before he discovers that he has to sit in the economy. However, Frank collected enough air miles because of his business trips to sit in first class. In the economy, Susan, Rodrick, and Manny are seated in the right row. Greg finds out he has three seats to himself until a family arrives late on board. The couple sits on either side of him with their baby. Greg becomes paranoid when he watches the emergency video and begins to ask questions about unfortunate events. Greg is very angry with the other passengers because most aren't watching the emergency video. Mid-flight, he feels boxed in when the people in front recline, and the person behind slides his cold and clammy bare feet on Greg's armrest. Greg tries to recline his chair too but when he asks the flight attendant how he learns that he can't because the row behind him is an emergency exit. He ends up going to the bathroom because the couple's baby started to get annoying, and sits in there feeling like a mini-apartment to himself. However the handle of the door shakes and the whole bathroom shakes too, the Flight Attendant tells Greg that they were going through a little turbulence. Greg tries to swap seats with Rodrick but couldn't get to him because one of the wheels on the beverage cart broke from the turbulence. But then he ends up returning to his seat. He was somehow able to sleep for the rest of the flight.

As they land on Christmas Day, Greg is tired and begins to understand why the family came there. They touch down and began to head to the resort, Isla de Corales. He is even excited by the activities the resort offers which he sees on the bus. Greg hopes the resort will let them combine activities. They get there and are greeted by the staff. Susan and Frank tell the receptionist they want to stay in the same building they stayed in for their honeymoon, but she says that the resort has since changed, and it is now split into a family side (the Mild Side) and an adults-only side (the Wild Side). However, Frank is disappointed by the changes, but Susan says it's better because it is a family vacation and she says they don't need to be around a bunch of young couples partying. The family also discovers that they got the wrong luggage that is locked, and their luggage was sent back home. They only have the clothes they put in their hand luggage. They attempt to buy some new clothes, but they won't buy them because the items cost a lot of money. So they only buy sunscreen and a toy pail and shovel for Manny to use at the beach.

The family goes to explore the resort and end up at the pool. The Director of Fun shows up, however, and gets everybody moving. The Director of Fun makes Greg and Susan get in the conga line. Then Greg decides to do the Treasure Dive. After this, Greg sees an iguana by the pool and is worried, so the family goes to get some lunch. Greg and his family try to eat outside; however, too many birds and bugs keep ruining their meals. Greg wants to go back to the room, but Susan says they were just getting started exploring the resort. Frank also wants to go back to the room because he wanted some rest after the flight. So they head back to the suite, but Frank contracts a severe infection from his water. He uses Ay! Mi Estomago!, which according to Greg either cures or causes diarrhea. It appeared not to work at all.

Greg shrieks at the big spider

The beast has awoken!!

The next day, the family decides to go to the beach. Susan tells them that they'd clean up after themselves and decides to rent a cabana at the beach. Greg uses the outdoor shower. As he puts on his slipper, a giant spider falls out. Greg has an intense fear of spiders. As a result, he calls room service, but the lady who answers keeps asking for his breakfast order. Greg gives up and orders breakfast. He gets another call from the room service waiter that there is a do not disturb sign on the doorknob. Greg tells him he could come in. The waiter who arrives also is scared of spiders. Eventually, they manage to trap the spider and flush it down the toilet. The family heads to the beach while Frank is still at the suite. He returns, however, and reveals that he found the same spider that Greg attempted to flush away was actually on the toilet seat. Manny develops an obsession with collecting sea creatures in his bucket so he can have them as pets. But he is upset by Susan when she dumps them back in the water, so they decide to go to the activities.

Susan decides to sign the family up for the banana boat and turtle hatching. Before this, they have to find Rodrick, who has been in the Teen Zone helping a girl get her lip ring out of the volleyball net. They first try the banana boat to take a photo for the Christmas card. But the water gets fast, and when they hit a big wave, Rodrick, Greg, and Manny(from left to right)are sent flying off. The driver has to circle around so they can get back on. When they start moving again, they get close to an in-water trampoline and the kids start using the banana boat as a target. Eventually, one kid landed directly in the middle of the banana boat and punctured it. The boat loses air fast, and the person holding Susan's camera takes a picture of the disaster-struck scene, but Greg doubts it will be used as their Christmas card.

They get hungry, so they go to the golf clubhouse which turns them down as they are not following the dress code. They go to the poolside bar and learn of a monkey that has been returning there for drinks every day. They are chased away when Manny finds the TV remote, changes the channel to his favorite cartoons and throws the TV remote in the water. Greg goes to the arcade, and the family regroups later to find Rodrick. The same girl he helped earlier is now his girlfriend. In the evening, they go to the beach bonfire and go to see turtles hatching. Just as Greg is prepared to leave, they begin to hatch - but they lose their way to the sea as people are using the flashes on their phones to take photos. The Heffley family finds Rodrick with the girl in the dunes.

The next day, Susan goes to the spa and Frank goes to the gym. Rodrick then goes back to the Teen Zone. Greg takes Manny to the Toddler's Cabana, but Manny gets out of going to the club by peeing on the ground. He puts Manny in the pool but has to get him out again later. Susan booked a charter cruise for the whole family due in thirty minutes. On the cruise (which turns out to be a regular boat), the captain offers them to go snorkeling. Greg is freaked out by all of the deadly animals, especially the box jellyfish, and only stays in for one photo. As he surfaces, he swallows a big gulp of water. He also thinks he swallowed a seahorse along with it so they return to the bay to see a doctor. Frank and Susan were also both seasick, so they just return to the poolside.

World's Most Venomous Box Jellyfish

When I said the beast has awoken, I meant the Jellyfish, not the spider!

They see the Director of Fun, who keeps circling their chair, but suddenly stops to look at something in Manny's bucket. Greg thought it is a plastic bag, but it is actually a box jellyfish that Manny smuggled from the snorkeling trip, where the Director of Fun launches it back into the pool in fear. Because the pool workers can not find the jellyfish, they have to drain the pool. The Heffley family escape in the commotion and noticed Rodrick isn't with them. He had been left in the sea where they went scuba diving and got sun poisoning. They return to the suite and decide to spend their last two days outdoors. Since the aloe the doctor gave them did not help Rodrick, they rub Rodrick's back with frozen treats.

Getaway189

Kids attempting to KO Greg.

The next day, after Frank came back with a box of frozen treats, he said he heard it would take THREE days to refill the pool. Greg goes to the tennis court in the Tween Zone in hopes of learning how to play tennis. Unfortunately, when the counselor, Rodrigo, locks them in, it was just a cage full of children with a ball machine and tennis balls. It turns into a free-for-all, which stops suddenly when a kid recognizes Greg as the family who brought a box jellyfish to the poolside. He tries to tell them that it was Manny's fault and an accident, but they throw tennis balls at him. He quickly escapes the cage by climbing the wall and goes back to the suite with his family. They were out of things to do and want to leave the resort early, however, Frank refuses to leave until he gets a decent meal. Manny discovers that the suitcase they got on mistake fell and broke and has the clothes they need to get in the clubhouse. They each wear some of the clothes in there; they first head to the clubhouse, and then the putting green for golf. However, they are spotted by a security guard, who escorts them out of the green because a family had reported them for wearing their missing clothes.

They attempted a failed getaway, and are ultimately sent back to the hotel to return the clothes. They were also ejected from the hotel for theft, so they were forced to stay overnight at the airport hotel. The next day, Susan and Frank didn't like the way things ended and reveal they plan for them to return to the resort to leave on a high note. So they sneak in. They skip the pool and then find Rodrick's girlfriend, who's making out with Rodrigo, much to Rodrick's dismay. They go back to the beach and scavenge for food by distracting others and then eating their food. They go to take one more photo but are spotted by the family who they took clothes from, and the family ran off to evidently report on Greg's family.

Privatebeach

This isn't the time or the place for pictures Greg...

The Heffleys try to escape the resort. Greg heads for the beach and windsurfs away. He gets stuck in the dolphin swimming area but is chased back to shore by security. He ends up on the Wild Side of the resort and lands on a private nude beach in which adults sunbathe without clothes on. Greg runs for the wall dividing the two sides, just where his family was passing. Greg tries to climb over the wall, but now this is destroyed by a stampede of tourists. The family escapes unnoticed and heads to the airport.

Arrib

Translation: "ATTENTION!" Please contact Isla de Corales if you know the identity of these people in the photo above."

When they got back on Sunday, December 30th, Greg wants to show Rowley where he went to for his Christmas vacation. He discovers there that his family is banned from Isla de Corales and is wanted by the staff, in other words, the chances of the family going back there ever again is history. This is exactly why he considered the idea of going to Isla de Corales a terrible idea in the first place.

Trivia[]

  • Being released in 2017, this book was released in the same year as the series' 10th anniversary.
  • This is so far the only even numbered book of Diary of a Wimpy Kid to start with "The."
  • This is the third blue book. Rodrick Rules was the first, and Cabin Fever was the second.
  • This is the third book to include the reptile skin design, and the second to include the new amulet logo.
  • Fregley makes no appearances for the fifth time.
  • This is the second book that takes place on a vacation. The first is The Long Haul.
    • This is also the second book where the book only covers 1 month (in this case, December). The first is the Long Haul, which took place in June.
  • This book was foreshadowed at the end of The Long Haul film, where Greg's mom says that next year they'll be flying away for vacation.
  • This is also the fifth book to feature Greg’s trademark frown on the cover.
  • In the sneak peak, the flight attendant on Greg's plane has a different physical appearance.
  • The pig is absent in this book. However, it returns in The Meltdown, where they explain his absence.
  • Corny's Family-Style Restaurant makes a brief appearance when Greg explains that adding "family" to something means it will be of poor quality.
  • This is the third book where Rowley is not seen on the title page.
  • Larry Larkin makes a possible cameo on page 22.
  • This is the third book that takes place at Christmas time (the first being Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the second being Cabin Fever).
  • This is the second book in which Rowley has a minor role (the first being in The Long Haul).
  • This is the third book where the drawing on the cover is also in the book.
  • The first being Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the second being The Last Straw, and the fourth being The Deep End.
  • On page 64, Greg states that the pilot must have accidentally kicked the plane's steering wheel. However, on most Airbus aircraft, the control stick is by the side of the pilot, so it is very difficult to accidentally kick it. It is more possible to accidentally kick a rudder pedal on most aircraft, but doing so is more likely to cause a loss of control rather than a jolt, which is more probable on a yoke or control stick jerk.

Continuity[]

  • The box jellyfish may not have been an actual box jellyfish, due to several hints suggesting that Isla de Corales is located in the Caribbean, and the fact that box jellyfish are native to Australia. If so, either Greg misidentified it, or it was a factual error.
  • This is the 2nd time Rodrick made an appearance on the book cover. The first since Rodrick Rules.
    • This is also the 2nd time Manny made an appearance on the book cover. The first since Cabin Fever.
    • This is also the first book to feature more than 2 characters on its cover (3).
  • This book reveals that Greg has never been on a plane before and doesn't know how they work. He is also shown to not know that there is a first class, despite knowing it in Dog Days.
  • 466 words are written in all-capitals in this book.
  • Greg is taller in this book and in the following books.
  • The sentence "Feliz Navidad" translates to "Merry Christmas".
  • The Polish version of this book has two minor changes.

Cultural references[]

  • Jurassic Park was referenced when Greg is running away from the Giant Iguana on Page 90.
  • Spider-Man was mentioned when Greg climbs up the fence in the Tennis Court on Pages 188 and 189.
  • The main plot of this book is almost similar to the 1985 National Lampoon's European Vacation Film's plot: Both families are going to a different country on an airplane, there are a few romantic moments in each of them, and there some other similarities between this book and the film.
  • A Star Wars character is shown holding a Lightsaber on Page 76.
  • Charlotte's Web was mentioned when Greg fantasized himself into the actual book on Page 107, saying that if he was in it, it would’ve been "a very short book" with him as an exterminator.
  • In the arcade, there's a game named “Crumb Muncher“ that appears to be a parody or a reference to Pac-Man.
  • Also in the arcade, Greg is seen playing a game that appears to be a reference to the game Asteroids.
  • On page 148, people are seen hitting snakes with bats, a possible reference to "Whacking Day," an episode of The Simpsons.

Translations[]

  • At the end of the book, a picture is shown of the Heffley family on a banana boat with X's crossed on their faces with a caption that reads: "ATTENCIÓN!" "Póngase en contacto con Isla de Corales si conoce la identidad de las personas en la foto de arriba." This is Spanish for: "ATTENTION!" Please contact Isla de Corales if you know the identity of these people in the photo above."
  • "Isla de Corales" translates to "Coral Island".
  • The medicine that reads "¡AY! ¡MI ESTÓMAGO!" on Page 97 is Spanish for "OH! MY STOMACH!".
  • At page 109, when Greg attempts to call 911 because of the spider, he was greeted with a pre-recorded message which says "EL NÚMERO QUE HA MARCADO NO ESTÁ DISPONIBLE", which translates to "the number you have dialed is not available".
  • On page 210, when Greg gets caught by a security boat while in the dolphin enclosure, the boat's speaker says "¡PARA JUSTO DONDE ESTÁS!", which translates to "STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!".

Goofs/Errors[]

  • Greg's waist seems way too high throughout the entire book. This could just be a new character design.
  • Greg states that he learned that human waste is ejected from airplanes. In real life, human waste is kept on the airplane until landing, except for cases of leakage.
  • Manny seems too short on some pages, especially in the upper picture in Page 150.
  • Greg's pants are longer than his dad's pants on Page 78. His pants are also too big in Page 14 since it almost touches 3 lines when it should only be touching about less than 2.5.
  • Rodrigo's goatee is missing in the lower picture in page 203 and 204.
  • Greg's left arm is missing in the lower picture of page 40.
  • On page 24, the escalator is shown to stop abruptly, with riders tumbling due to inertia, however, in real life, pressing the emergency stop button will slow down then stop an escalator.
  • Greg's hair is white on page 38.
  • The airplane's nose (front) wheel is missing on page 47.
  • On page 50, Greg states that everything in the plane gets sucked out if a window breaks. However, airplane windows are layered, and even if one breaks, only small objects may get sucked out.
  • Greg says that every time they go to a hotel, he has to sleep on a cot or a sofa bed, but in The Long Haul, he slept in the closet's floor.
  • On page 202, the man in sunglasses' body is transparent.
  • When Greg sees the iguana, and runs out of the pool, he says he actually skipped across the water. But in Cabin Fever, he reveals he cannot skip. He could probably have meant ‘sprinted’ or 'ran'.
  • It is revealed in this book that Rodrick can’t even clip his own toenails. However, in Hard Luck, on the very first page, we saw Rodrick clipping his toenails. This a continuity error.
  • On Page 122, it says "Manny ran off to collect seashells". But in the picture on Page 125, he can be seen as a silhouette building a sandcastle.
Greg and Frank helping out to put luggage into the car
  • Legal error: On page 7, Susan lets Manny sit in the front seat. In the US, an individual must be at least 12 years of age sit in the front seat, while Manny is just about five years old. This error also occurs in The Deep End. Maybe this rule was ignored due to other editions in other countries, or because of Manny being favourited.
  • Greg's adult depiction of him on page 64 is missing its mustache, which returns in the next page.
  • Rowley seems too tall on some pages, especially on page 184.
  • On pages 156 & 161, the kid who blocks the cannons is somehow floating on the water.
  • In certain copies of the book, the sentence "Everyone wrote down 'astronaut' and 'veterinarian' and stuff like that" on page 106 (with the normal font) has the word "and" after "veterinarian" printed twice.
  • On page 102, one of the dead fish is transparent.
  • On page 199, Susan's glasses are thicker than usual.
  • On page 39, Frank's mouth is not showing teeth. On page 40, it shows teeth for the rest of the book.
  • Possibly deliberate: On page 146, Greg says he has to deal with one bug in the hotel room, referring to the spider. However, spiders are arachnids, not bugs.

Gallery[]

See Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway/Gallery

Video[]

Diary_of_a_Wimpy_Kid-_The_Getaway_by_Jeff_Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid- The Getaway by Jeff Kinney

References[]

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