I think people have too much time on their hands if they try and throw doubt on her story. It is the internet after all.
It’s not implausible that she would take a single shot of her cardboard father at each locale, than take the rest of time enjoying her trip. I don’t think she implied that she was buying him dinner or believing that her cardboard cut-out was really alive.
She just wanted to give him something that he was never willing to give himself, because he wanted to give his best to his family.