I'm also in the minority on this one, as I quite liked it. It wasn't the most original premise, nor was it jam-packed with a lot of hilarious jokes, but it appealed to my seasonal cheer. I thought the characterisation of the family was good all around, and particularly enjoyed that Homer stepped up to scold the kids for being selfish. Their attempts to put on a happy face for Marge's benefit had some genuine heart, and it was nice to see them making such an effort. There was nothing remarkable about the story or their adventure in general, but I felt that was kind of the point. They tried to do something nice, it didn't go to plan and turned into a crappy vacation, but in the end they were all on the same page and were happy. A little corny? Sure, but it's a Christmas episode. In a time where a lot of comedies are pushing so hard to be ultra-edgy, acerbic, and mean-spirited in their humour, stories, and characterisation, a bit of old school treacle worked for me.
I will say that Gil has gone from a pitiable character to a rather unsympathetic one. It's not necessarily a bad direction for his character to take as it kind of makes him a little more interesting than merely getting dumped on all the time, but man, it's definitely tough to cheer for Ol' Gil these days!
There were a few decent jokes and standout moments. Marge wondering why they had rabbit ears plugged into a HD TV ("It looks cool!"), the cat wanting to be fed, the animation as Marge is passing out, "We call it a shoilet!", Bart's revenge on the sleazy manager, changing the bumper stickers to appeal to the state they were travelling through (and then doing it in reverse on the return trip), FaceTiming with Milhouse, the church sign changing to "promise" new Star Wars, and yes, even the disturbing couple in the room next door, were among the ones I enjoyed. I also liked the Family Guy gag, especially as they had a bit of a friendly jab at The Simpsons in their latest episode. It appealed to me because I remember all the hoopla when Family Guy was brought back and people were liking it a lot more than The Simpsons (which was in the thick of some rather dismal Jean Era seasons, so I don't totally disagree with the sentiment), only for it to dissipate rather quickly when Family Guy's quality nosedived quite abruptly, so the Stewie Impersonator's line felt extremely apt.
I certainly understand the criticisms of this one, and normally, I'd probably feel similarly about some of the blander go-nowhere moments. I think the overall message and niceness of the episode overrode that for me though, and as I said, there were jokes that hit the mark for me as well. Call it the Christmas spirit if that's not too corny, but despite the flaws, this one left me feeling good regardless. 4/5, and may Gil be blessed with coal in his stocking.