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!
I found that foe a family of 4 all in adult price range we were able to stay at a deluxe resort (AKL) since the saving were significant with the free dining. Could we have stayed cheaper at a value or moderate? Yes. Did I want to stay at a value or mod? No.
For us it was cheaper to pay full price for our room and get the free dining. I did the math and it worked out better for us this way. Plus we REALLY wanted to stay at AKL. We were not disappointed either with our choice!
Hi from Australia, love all this information.
I’m hoping I can get some help to my question…..
If I book my hotel prior to a possible Free Dining Offer would I be eligible for the offer when it is announced or do I also have to book in a specific time frame? We are looking at coming Mid Sept – Mid Oct would be willing to do WDW either first or last. Just trying to plan and budget. Its a big long trip from down here so every little helps. We must have just been lucky on our last trip (2012) as we got free dining at Port Orleans. thanks for all the info.
From doing the research on this site and some others (I think I have read an inordinate number of articles on this site – just from reading one and following links to others from within the article) you can do this. We are actually planning a trip for last week of August into the beginning of September. They are anticipating that that will be a free dining week. So, we are going to book in the upcoming weeks, then call and try to add free dining as soon as it becomes available (also probably going to try to get the Disney Visa card so we can have access to the Free Dining promo a couple days before everyone else). The only concern I have is whether what we book (Garden View – Garden Wing of Contemporary) will be eligible for Free Dining. From research my wife did, even if what we book is not eligible, Disney is said to be helpful about finding us something similar that will qualify for the discount.
One other note – since we are booking so far out, we will be able to make Advanced Dining Reservations before Free Dining even becomes available. Last year, we booked the Free Dining trip for early September but booked in early summer. By then, the dining reservation options were somewhat limited as to the popular restaurants or as to good times. We were thus stuck having to potentially book dinner reservations at 3:45, etc. We’re trying to get ahead of the game now the second time around.
The short answer is yes. However, as mentioned in the blog there does tend to be some restrictions. Keep that in mind when you make your reservation.
I think if you have 2 adults and 2 kids under 10 in a value room and upgrade to regular ding plan from free quick service, you will still save money over moderate. Same food, and more managably sized resort, imo. Only drawback I see is the double beds versus queen size at mods. If you have 1 adult and 3 kids under 10 and you upgrade to ddp it is an even better deal! Moderate is not always the way to go even with free dining. Values are cute, highly themed, nice food courts that are easy to get to, and easy to take full advantage of refillable mugs, and better bus service, esp Pop Century.
I’m planning on going in february 2017. First week. Will there be free dining for carribbean. I’m so confused.
I don’t necessarily agree with the statement “Why not pay $10-20 more per night for a much nicer hotel?” when comparing the value to the moderate hotels. We have stayed at the All Star Movies (value) and Port Orleans (moderate). The rooms are almost identical in the quality of furnishings and amenities. With the Value hotel, we were much closer to the bus stop, dining and pool. At Port Orleans, the bus stop and dining hall and pool are NOT close to any of the rooms from what we saw. Your free refillable mug was useless there unless you wanted to walk around the world to get it filled. The bus ride back each evening from the moderate was also much longer which made to walk back to your room even more daunting. If given the choice, I would definitely chose the value resort every time. We have not tried to top tier resorts but have visited them for dining and they are EXTREMELY nice if you can afford it.
I think your reply is the perfect example that we all have different opinions.
We stayed at POFQ and POR for a week each before staying one night at All Stars Movies before our cruise recently. To us the Value resort was a BIG step down.
It was ok for a night, or if you plan to be out visiting the parks from morning to night. Otherwise I’m with Tom, choose moderate if this is a weeklong stay with family.
I’m staying at the French Quarter from 8/19-8/23 and the free dinning starts the 23rd. So not happy. I have been waiting for the this for a long time and I am limited to dates. they really should have opened August dinning earlier by a few days. This is such a big disappointment to me and my family. We always come around this time. It has been a very tough year for us and this vacation with free dinnning would have been such a money saver to us. thank you WDW!
If you have a Disney Visa card you would get the free dinning but not at the French quarter. Disney Visa card holders get to book for the week befor the 23rd.
The French Quarter isn’t included in the Free Dining Plan this year. I checked into it for when we arrive on 8/27/16. We are staying at a moderate that includes free dining but would have preferred the French Quarter, too.
I thought as long as one of your booking dates fell with the date range for free dining – you were qualified…is that not the way it works?
Have been ton both Walt Disney world and Disneyland am planning to do Disneyland again hopefully soon. Are there any free all inclusive dining options or discount room options for Disneyland and if so which resorts? Love everything Disney. ..
Gabriella ☺
If I have already booked at wilderness Lodge could I still take advantage of the free dining? If so, do I call right at 8am tomorrow?
If your start date is within the free dining promo dates, then yes. Just call them after the announcement and ask them to apply discount.
We are booked at AK 1 bedroom villa and we were told no. Not happy
We are going to WDW for the first time at the end of September and need a recommendation for a family of 5. There is a lot to be overwhelmed with and it is very confusing. Dont want to spend a fortune on the deluxe resorts. Would like a couple of character meals. Looking at value hotels but not opposed to another if its a better option (cost wise, transportation wise). Was wondering what you recommend that includes free dining hopefully Or forget free dining and go for discount rooms and park tickets?
I think Moderates would be your best option since you get the Dining Plan for all 5 members vs. going with a Value resort and paying to upgrade for each member. The regular dining plan is definitely a plus if you plan on doing a lot of Character meals since they can take 1-2 Table Service credits each or you could pay out of pocket for them with the Quick Service Dining Plan. You could definitely do the math and figure out which works better. As for picking a moderate, Carribean Beach if you have really young kids (zero entry pool) or Coronado Springs if you have older kids/adults (cool pool with a fun slide). Hope this helps!
Does anyone know if Art of Animation is included in the Free Dining Plan?
Usually not – or at least the Little Mermaid rooms aren’t.
yes art of animation is included in the free dining. I have gotten it the past 2 years going there in September. The little mermaid room is not included.
Question: When you stay at a Moderate resort do you have to get a preferred room in order to get the free dining promotion? We’re planning on going to WDW October 25 – November 2, family of 4, and are currently at Pop Century eagerly awaiting the announcement of the 2016 dining promotion.
I’m so glad we’re staying at PORS in November and we do have a preferred room.
I have a question. We are staying for a week in mid September 2016- 2 adults and 2 kids. We have already booked our dining reservations for the week and I went ahead and paid for the dining in the package. We are staying at Caribbean Beach resort and have a 4 day hopper pass to the parks. I am hoping for free dining! If it is offered, how do I claim the free dining? Since I already have reservations for food, do I have to change all my reservations? Just not sure how I make sure free dining is applied?
I’m not sure how they will credit the account if you already paid in full – but I know I have had dining reservations before. I just called once the special offer was announced and they applied the promo to my account. I didn’t have to change any reservation numbers. It was really easy and they are always really helpful.
This is really amazing blog which gives very effective information about Disney world hotels and sculptures.
This blog is so awesome! Best information I have read anywhere! Please help with your recommendation for a family of 8. We would like to go as cheap as possible. Quick service is great but would like a couple of character meals. Looking at value hotels but not opposed to another of its a better option (cost wise, transportation wise). Was wondering what you recommend, take our chances and try for free dining and which hotel do we stay in? Or forget free dining and go for discount rooms, park tickets? Thanks. Looking at Nov. 11th 2016.
So rumor has it that Coronado Springs will be largely excluded from Free Dining for 2016 due to refurbs going on in the fall. A friend of mine who got a bounceback offer of free dining said that almost all the resorts were open, but Coronado only had Junior Suites available. Just thought I’d put this here as a heads up. Next best option for a moderate is Caribbean Beach IMO.
I second that 😉 Caribbean Beach is a beautifully charming resort. They’ve updated/refurnished most of the rooms in 2015. Schedule time to visit the big pool and explore the grounds… You won’t be disappointed!
I’ve stayed at POP & Caribbean, and hands down prefer this one. Typical visitors already plan some character &/or table service, making it a great value getting the QS upgrade to Standard DDP in a “moderate”. The food court is fine, but isn’t a huge factor since most people end up eating in & around the parks anyway.
I have to say that it isn’t always about the money. We are staying at a Moderate resort and upgrading to the Deluxe Dining. We are on vacation and don’t want to have to worry about meals. It will cost us more, most likely, in the long run but if my husband had to open up his wallet for every meal I’m sure he wouldn’t enjoy himself as much.
Hi Tom, We are travelling from Australia to Disneyworld in September and have booked 4 nights at the Boardwalk Inn Disney Boardwalk Inn. Do you know if this hotel has the free dining program? thanks
Your report of the Free Dining states that POR was not included in the Free Dining… I said at POR at the end of Oct for a week and was given free dinning. What gives? I know you aren’t the only one to state this, but did I get ripped off by Disney or did I really get the deal. I stayed 7 nights with 5 day pass 2 adults, 2 children ages 14 and 9. I paid right at $3200 for the week and it was a Port Orleans Riverside Royal Guest Room. Please comment back, I’m headed back there this year, but staying at the Wilderness Lodge.
Following because I am planning to book this hotel in the fall with the hopes of getting the free dining plan.
Hi, I have a reservation for the art of Animation Hotel, the little mermaid room. I want to take advantage of the free dining as soon as it comes out. Ive heard that that room has not been included in the promotion in that past. Do you think I should change hotels now to one that does historically include free dining or should I wait until it comes out ? My dilema is that if I wait there may be no room available , but I change now I risk that maybe this year they will include the little mermaid room in the offer. what to do????? thanks 🙂
Following. Cause I was thinking of staying in this hotel as well.
Is it confirmed that POR is excluded this year for FD? I wasn’t sure if that was a temporary thing in 2014, or something that will stick.