Best Disney World Resorts for 2024 Free Dining
Free Dining will soon be available to book for summer and early fall 2024 at Walt Disney World. For this discount, you need to choose the best hotel to maximize your value and overall experience. This post covers the best hotels for Free Dining, both from quality and value-maximization perspectives. (Updated January 2, 2024.)
Free Dining is Walt Disney World’s most popular promotion of the year, and for good reason. While we often caution guests to do the math because Free Dining is NOT always the best discount (there’s no such thing as a free lunch!), it can save families a lot of money. This is because you have to pay full price for your hotel room and purchase a non-discounted park ticket. This means you forfeit a potential room only discount and you can’t purchase discount Walt Disney World tickets.
Because of that, many guests fail to realize that a room-only discount at a more expensive hotel might be a better discount for them. For example, a couple of light eaters staying at the Grand Floridian are unquestionably much better off with a room-only discount than they are with Free Dining. It’s always important to crunch the numbers and not just be lured in by the marketing power of “free.” It isn’t actually free!
To help you leverage the discount that Free Dining will offer, we’ve come up with this list of the best hotel options for maximizing the value of the Free Dining promotion. Note that Moderate Resorts only receive the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan, so you might want to upgrade to a Deluxe (or upgrade your Dining Plan at lower tier resorts) if you want the full Disney Dining Plan. Additionally, several hotels are likely to have very limited availability, so they aren’t recommended here.
Let’s take a look at our top picks!
All All Star Resorts
The whole ballgame here is booking the cheapest resort and room in each category. That’s really it. The more you spend on your resort, the more likely you are to be better off with a room-only discount, as that offers a percentage-off savings on your accommodations. By contrast, Free Dining has a flat value that only varies based on party size and resort tier (Value/Moderate vs. Deluxe/Villas).
As such, Free Dining outperforms when you minimize the rack rate of your accommodations. And there’s no better way to do that than by booking the All Star Resorts! Many longtime Walt Disney World fans will turn their noses up at the All Stars, and I’m here to tell you that they are very wrong. Now I know an opinion can’t technically be wrong, but many of them are operating based on outdated perspectives.
For those on a tight budget who are worried about “settling” for the bargain basement hotels at Walt Disney World, fear not. To put your mind at ease, check out: Are Walt Disney World’s Cheapest Hotels Actually Good?! Spoiler alert: the answer to that is an emphatic YES.
I’m not just talking a big game here, either. The two resorts at which I’ve stayed more than anywhere else in the last 2 years have been Coronado Springs and All Star Sports. I have been very pleasantly surprised by All Star Sports–the new rooms are great, transportation has been efficient, and I haven’t had any problems with unruly sports groups (that last part won’t be an issue in late summer and early fall, anyway).
Pop Century
This is our top overall pick across all resort categories because it offers the best intersection of objective value and subjective quality. Although the All Stars are the objective #1 pick, I would personally still splurge on Pop Century if this were my big family vacation and I had the room in my budget.
It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of the value for money that it offers, going so far as to (spoiler alert) award it the #1 slot on our objective list of All Walt Disney World Resort Hotels Ranked From Worst to Best. (Before the hate mail continues to pile in over those controversial picks, keep in mind that cost counts. No, we don’t think Pop is better than the Poly if you’re paying for our stay. But it’s impossible for us to overlook the massive cost chasm!)
There are a couple of advantages Pop Century offers. First, Pop Century is a sentimental favorite of ours with fun accommodations and the price can’t be beat. Second, the still relatively recently-redesigned rooms are great, improving functionality with a space-saving (albeit slightly minimalist) design.
Finally, Pop Century is the only “pure” Value Resort offering Skyliner access to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. This is especially huge for Early Entry, as the Skyliner offers the International Gateway advantage at EPCOT of quicker access to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen Ever After. Same goes for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which means you can beat almost everyone to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or Slinky Dog Dash. Finally, even though Pop Century doesn’t have a table service restaurant, it’s a 5-minute “flight” from Caribbean Beach, and a delicious dinner deal at Sebastian’s Bistro!
Given all of these upsides, Pop Century is our top pick for the Value Resort tier for those willing to splurge just a little. To each their own, but I’d build this upgrade into my budget over Lightning Lanes. While you’re getting the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan at Pop Century as opposed to the standard Disney Dining Plan by default, it’s still a good offer.
Coronado Springs & Gran Destino Tower
One of the best options for 2024 Free Dining is Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs, and the resort itself. In our full Gran Destino Tower Review, one of the things we praise is dining. (It’s also an upscale resort at the Moderate tier, so there are two things going for it.)
The objective side of this is that the outer buildings at Coronado Springs are typically among the cheapest options in the Moderate Resort tier. So if you’re not comfortable “settling” for a Value Resort, this is the best option for minimizing your accommodations cost and maximizing your value.
Then there’s the subjective side. In our full Coronado Springs review we described it as having great rooms. In general, the amenities at Coronado Springs are nicer than other Moderates, likely because of the convention crowd to which it caters. In addition to the nicer rooms and overall quality, Coronado Springs is a good choice during the Free Dining promotion because of its dining options, including the food court, which is one of the best uses of counter service Disney Dining Plan credits.
That means that it has the most expensive entrees, so you get the most bang for your buck out of those credits. Even if you aren’t directly paying for the Disney Dining Plan during Free Dining, you’re indirectly paying for it, and it’s good to get mileage out of those credits.
Caribbean Beach
This always used to top our list, but honestly, it’s tougher to justify for 2024 Free Dining. Since the promo was last offered, the rack rates at Caribbean Beach have increased more than any other Walt Disney World hotel, to the point that it is now the most expensive Moderate Resort, on average.
Keep in mind, you’re only getting the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan at all of the Value and Moderate Resorts, so by booking Caribbean Beach, you’re essentially paying the most for accommodations while getting the least in terms of the Free Dining tier. It’s essentially the exact opposite of what you want to do, and the worst way to min-max cost and value.
Still…we love Caribbean Beach and it’s really hard not to include it on this list from a purely subjective perspective. We’ve been over this countless times, but the resort really is like the “Poor Person’s Polynesian.” (Well not so much poor given that it’s really expensive, but “Upper Middle Class Person’s Poly” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.) Suffice to say, you get a lot at the Poly that’s often only found at Deluxe Resorts–there’s a reason why rack rates are so high, and that’s because the resort is really good.
One of the other big reasons we love Caribbean Beach is its dining options (Spyglass Grill, Sebastian’s Bistro, Centertown Market, and Banana Cabana), which are much more ambitious than they were the last time Free Dining was offered. And naturally, dining is a big part of the Free Dining experience!
Not only that, but you also have all of the superlative restaurants at Disney’s Riviera Resort within a short walk. Add to that everything within a 15 minute Skyliner commute, and you have over a dozen restaurant options easily accessible to Caribbean Beach–and that’s just what’s outside the theme parks.
Oh, and did we mention the Skyliner? This gondola transportation to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot is a huge selling point for all of the same reasons it’s a great option from Pop Century. Non-bus transportation at a non-Deluxe Resort is rare, which is what makes Caribbean Beach and Pop Century such strong recommendations even at their higher price points.
Animal Kingdom Lodge/Wilderness Lodge
In terms of the best value for your money during Free Dining, you either want to choose the least expensive Value or Moderate Resorts, Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge. Without question, these are your best choices for getting the most mileage out of the Free Dining discount.
These two resorts are often lumped together in terms of theming, even though they are much more distinct from one another than, say, BoardWalk Inn and Beach Club. We aren’t lumping them together due to a misunderstanding of theming or location, but instead because they are the cheapest of the Deluxe Resorts and two of the best-themed resorts at Walt Disney World. In terms of value maximization when taking advantage of the promotion, that puts them in a special class.
Due to Moderate Resorts only receiving the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan, these two lodges offer some of the best per person value during Free Dining if you have a party of 4. Even though these hotels will cost more than a Value or Moderate Resort, they come close to recouping the cost difference by virtue of the per person value of the standard Disney Dining Plan (as compared to the Quick Service DDP).
On top of that, you enjoy the luxury of staying in two of the best-themed resorts at Walt Disney World. The reasons why you might want a Deluxe Resort over a Moderate Resort–even in the absence of Free Dining–should be fairly self-evident. In case not, they have interior hallways, larger and better rooms, and are just generally nicer. For all that we talked up Caribbean Beach as the “Poor Person’s Poly,” it’s still not on the same level and you’re making a lot of sacrifices to stay there.
In other words, if the rack rate cost of Caribbean Beach Resort is $306 per night and the cost of Animal Kingdom Lodge is $441 per night (an actual example from mid-September 2024!), we would choose AKL even at the higher price. The value of the better version of the Disney Dining Plan will almost completely bridge the gap, and to the extent that it doesn’t, the nicer accommodations will.
So, which to choose? We love both, but that doesn’t help you much in deciding between the two. Take a look at our Animal Kingdom vs. Wilderness Lodge head-to-head to help you determine which is right for you. We’re huge fans of Wilderness Lodge–it’s my #1 resort at Walt Disney World–but that’s in large part during the Christmas season, which is not pertinent for 2024 Free Dining (yet).
Beyond that, we would recommend Animal Kingdom Lodge if you want to take advantage of its superior dining options (The Mara, Boma, and Sanaa are all highly recommended when on the Disney Dining Plan; we love Jiko, but since it’s a 2-credit Signature Restaurant, we don’t recommend it on the Disney Dining Plan). Additionally, there are Awesome New Rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Speaking of new rooms, the Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge are home to our new #1 rooms in all of Walt Disney World. The problem, though, is that there is incredibly limited inventory of those set aside for Free Dining, so they’ll be nearly impossible to book. Which brings us to the final bonus entry…
BONUS: Old Key West & Saratoga Springs Resorts
These are real wildcards. In a vacuum, Old Key West and Saratoga Springs Resorts are both cheaper than the aforementioned lodges. Their nightly rates for the lowest-tier of studios (standard rooms) are cheaper than the cheapest rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge or Wilderness Lodge for almost every single night from July through September 2024. If you’re just searching single dates, you should see that.
The problem is that, in practice, this is often not the case. Since Old Key West (OKW) and Saratoga Springs (SSR) are Disney Vacation Club resorts, there isn’t a lot of room inventory set aside from the ‘hotel side’ of Walt Disney World to book (the full explanation is more complicated, but that’s all you really need to know).
As such, if you’re searching for a weeklong vacation, there’s a good chance you won’t see the cheapest rooms at either Saratoga Springs or Old Key West. Heck, there’s a decent chance you won’t see anything under $1,000 per night (those are the multi-bedroom options). But maybe you’ll get lucky, and there will be something at the lowest price points.
DVC diehards are going to hate me for this, but honestly, I’d still pay more to book the lodges. We love both OKW and SSR, but they are very much acquired tastes built for repeat visitors. If you’re an infrequent visitor or Walt Disney World first-timer, we do not recommend them. They are very much, “if you have to ask, they aren’t for you” types of resorts, in our view.
Everyone is going to have their own favorites for the Free Dining promotion. This list is based entirely on our determination of “best value,” taking our preferences into account, as well. We feel you can’t really go wrong with any of these choices, but if you prefer other eligible resorts, don’t hesitate to book those on our account.
If you need personalized help with planning any aspect of your vacation, or want someone to watch for the Free Dining promotion for you and book it once it’s available—we recommend contacting a no fee “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner” (Disney’s term for a travel agent) to get a quote and to help you plan. They get their commission from Disney, so none of the authorized (key word) planners will charge you for booking their trip and helping. Here’s one such recommended Authorized Disney Vacation Planner.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What do you think? Which is your favorite hotel to book during the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion? Are you a fan of Free Dining or do you generally go for a room-only discount? If you have any questions or additional thoughts, please share them in the comments!
Just wondering about FD. For instance you said last year it was offered 11/8-11/20, what if you are booked 11/7-11/14 or 11/14-11/21 will you receive FD the whole time? Also which of those 2 weeks is the least busy? FD dining would be huge for 10 people Thanks
You would have to arrive 11/8 to receive the FD, it will not just switch to FD on the 8th if you go from 11/7 to 11/20, if you are set on going that date, you would need to do a split stay. Which means you check in on 11/7, check out 11/8 and check back in 11/8. If you arrive 11/14 you will have FD for your entire stay, even if the last day isn’t on the official calendar for FD. Does that answer your question or make sense?
My boyfriend & I are going to disney September 2015. I’m 24 and have never been so this is very exciting. Recently out of college money is definitely a factor and I am trying to make this the best trip but on a budget. We’re planning on staying at all-star sports just because it’s cost efficient. We like to eat but we are still torn on if the free dining is for us. We may do one or two nice dinners and the rest of the nights just average restaurants. Any more insight on the free dining or even just adding a dining plan in general would be so appreciated! Thank you, Jaclyn
My daughter, grand kids and myself stayed New Orleans – Riverside Royal Rooms and we also had free dining. It was great and the room was great also. The grand kids had a great time, almost as much as
I did. Riverside is the best place to be to at the Disney Parks. I plan on booking a trip in September of 2016 so the little one can go see the new ride Frozen at Norway’s Maelstrom. I hope they have free dining , it saves me a lot of money. I’m hoping to book the trip at the beginning of next year.
Hi Tom,
I am really hoping to take advantage of free dining if offered for late summer stays. We plan to book
An 8 night stay over Labor Day week. Wondering can I book the trip without the dining plan now
but then call to have it added if it gets offered free? Or do I have to have it already booked and then just get credited if it goes for free? I have three healthy-eater boys and I’m sure we will use it well!
Thanks.
You can book now, but you’ll have to call back to get the cost of the Disney Dining Plan credited back to you. A travel agent can definitely help with this.
Hi Tom,
We are a family of 5, which, of course, limits our resort choices. I just recently read that Caribbean Beach has updated rooms for families of 5, but wondered if those will be excluded from free dining as Port Orleans Riverside has been recently. Any thoughts on this? Thanks for all your insight!
Jen
Hi Tom,
I am planning a trip for me, my husband and little guy for the end of this September. I have a Disney visa so am banking on getting the early notification for FD this April/May. My question is- should I go ahead and book my package now since the room rates are under $100/night, then when FD is announced, call and have FD added to my reservation? Is this possible? Or should I wait and book my package once FD is announced? I don’t have a sense of what the room rates will be if I wait to book later, and am trying to maximize my savings!
I appreciate your thoughts!
Room rates won’t change. Keep in mind that if there is a discounted room rate available now, you won’t get that rate with free dining (regardless of when you book the room), because you can’t stack discounts.
Thanks Tom. This is not a discounted rate- just the standard rate at one of the value resorts. We don’t want a preferred room and figured if we booked now we could get one of the cheaper rooms. So, could I book now with my Disney visa then get the FD applied to my reservation later? Is that advisable?
We went to WDW Dec. 15-21 with free dining & I think this promotion is the BEST! We didn’t have to worry about where to eat (had reservations to our favorite restaurants) & tried some new restaurants. We are already talking about going again Dec. 2015–as long as the FD is offered!
I’d fully expect it to be offered again. Keep an eye out for dates around April or May 2015!
We would like to go to the Coronado resort the end of February beginning of March time period (2015). Last year they had the free meals over this period. When do you think they would announce the 2015 free meal days? Thanks!
Was this offered to you via a targeted PIN code offer last time, a bounceback offer, or are you an international visitor? I ask because I don’t believe there was a general public offering for the spring of this year, and I wouldn’t expect one next year. Hope for your sake that I’m wrong!
First, no I’m not an international visitor. Second my last trip was December 2013, after my visit I received an email from Disney saying that they were extending their free dining through I believe it was March 5, 2014. I guess my best plan would be to get the best rate that I can and then see if the free dining comes up as a special and go from there.
Hi,
Thank you so much for your blog, its very helpful! I’m a newbie to all of this (haven’t been to Disney in 20 years!) I was wondering if you know when the 2015 Free Dining dates will be published?
I am hoping to book a trip for 1/5/15-1/11/15 staying at Port Orleans-Riverside or Coronado (still pricing everything) for two adults and I was wondering if I should wait to hear about 2015 free dining dates or just go ahead book. I’m on the fence about the dining plans. Thanks!
I booked my trip before FD was announced. I was a bit annoyed because I was hoping for low crowds while I was there. But was relieved that the resort I booked (Port Orleans-Riverside) was excluded. I’m hoping this means the resort isn’t completely overcrowded.
For me (and my situation), Free Dining just doesn’t make sense. I couldn’t see giving up a discounted room for it. I booked at about 35% off room rate for Port Orleans Riverside and was happy with that. I can see the draw for others, but if you keep an eye out, Disney does do quite a few discounts throughout the year.
I wonder if POR is going to continue to be excluded in the future. We are doing MNSSHP this year, and I was hoping to return next year for Christmas for MVMCP and wouldn’t mind being at a less crowded resort if my trip falls during Free Dining.
Hi! I’m thinking of booking at Port Orleans-Riverside as well. How did you get 35% off your room (if you don’t mind sharing)? Thanks!
Did you ever find out how? I’m also curious about this.
We stayed at French Quarter 3 weeks ago. Bedspreads at French Quarter have been upgraded to a swath of fabric across the bottom of the queen size beds.
Hi Tom!!
First off, I’m a huge fan of your blog. I was just in Disney World at the end of May and I used your site extensively to plan my trip – which was awesome 🙂
My question for you is this: do you have any special credit cards that you use to get points at Disney or for travel in general? Travel is a top priority for me while I’m young, so I want to stretch my travel budget as far as possible. Thanks for all your tips, tricks, and dining recommendations (Sanaa was OUTSTANDING)!
Cheers,
Megan
We have a litany of credit cards–all of which we pay in full each month. From hotels to airlines to general purpose cards like Chase Sapphire and others. We each have ~5 credit cards we use on a regular basis depending upon the circumstances.
I booked a two week Animal Kingdom Lodge as an add on to a month long trip taking in Miami, a Caribbean cruise and then Disney. I purchased at my own expense the quick service dining. I arrive 22 October and depart 5 November. If I ask to upgrade my dining would I qualify for free from 26 October or do I just pay difference in cost. Might add my entire month’s holiday with premium flights, transfers etc is costing less than Disney now quoting for AKL so I’m not to worried about free but want to change my dining plan as I have reservatios for restaurants I planned to pay for anyway.
I was looking into booking a free dining offer in Early November, but all the value resorts are full. Does anyone know if more rooms become available if people cancel or something along those lines?
Thanks!
We tried to book a WDW vacation for Nov 9th all hotels offering free dining are booked. Will they be opening more rooms for this free dining offer.
you can get the regular dinning plan at the Pop Century (or another value thats participating in the offer) all you have to do is pay a small fee which ends up being cheaper than staying at a moderate and getting the dinning plan.
We are taking our first CHRISTMAS trip to WDW. We are DVC members and trying to decide if I want to change my 6 days at Wilderness Lodge to 4 days Bay Lake and 2 days Animal Kingdom??? any thoughts. Also, any suggestions on hopper pass discounts??? We are traveling Dec 20 for 6 nights, does the Free Dining work for me??
I would love some help. This is my first time to WDW, I have a 4 year old, 7 year old and a 15 month old when we travel Late Sept. to early Oct. We are doing the free dining, but deciding weather to do Pop Century or for a little moe All Star family suite, for the cheapest and upgrading the dining since we have to have Character meals, or going with a moderate at Coronado or Wilderness or the deluxe Animal Kingdom or Wilderness Lodge… What would you suggest?? Really not sure how any of the hotels are, but would love some guidance. Thank you.
Hi. We are visiting WDW for the first time in September. We were recently booked to be staying at the moderate Port Orleans Riverside resort in the princess theme room. However when the free dining plan was released and available on our travel dates I decided to upgrade resorts. The Port Orleans was not included in free dining. The wilderness lodge was one of my top picks but out of my price range when we originally booked. The free dining let me upgrade with no extra charge. I think the quick boat ride to Magic Kingdom will make the trip a little easier since we have 2 girls and will spend most of our time here. I’m not sure I did the math to get the most bang for our buck though? I am now left wondering if we should have moved our reservations to the moderate Caribbean beach resort since it was included in FD. I may have got a little money back.
We were booked for Port Orleans riverside when this came up. I changed to the Boardwalk. Figured the money I was saving on food I could afford the upgrade. Plus boardwalk is only a 10 min walk to Epcot and a 15 min walk to Hollywood. I sold the idea to my husband when I told him the hotel is so close, we can return mid day for naps.
Ok did the math even staying in two rooms at the Shads of Green the DVC key west two bedroom villa for 8 over 10 and one child was a better deal….with free dining. And that was eating dinner for 26 a person at shades of green…it was almost break even…now we can all stay in the same suite which is more fun for us and we don’t have to budget for dinner and lunch…time to plan what parks for which days. And make dinner reservations….we will upgrade our 3 day tickets for florida residents annual pass ( the upgrade has to be a more expensive ticket). And before they expire next year. We will go again with a room discount … Susan florida resident first disney visit 1972…. Remembering abcde tickets.