The Mallard family is trapped in their rut. While dad Mack is happy to keep his family safe by endlessly surfing their New England pond, mom Pam is intent on shaking up their lives and showing their children – teenage son Dax and duck Gwen – the whole world. After a family of migrating ducks lands on their pond telling exciting stories of faraway places, Pam convinces Mack to take a family road trip, via New York City, to tropical Jamaica.
As the Mallards head south for the winter, their well-laid plans quickly fall apart. The experience will stimulate them to expand their horizons, to open up to new friends, to achieve more than they ever imagined, but above all it will teach them more about each other – and about themselves – than they ever thought.