Why did TouringPlans shut down its Reservation Finder?

TouringPlans announced the end of its Reservation Finder service in 2025. The exact operational and technical reasons were communicated by TouringPlans directly. For current information from TouringPlans about their service status, check touringplans.com.

What replaces TouringPlans Reservation Finder?

Several independent alert services have launched to fill the gap, including SpotSitter. Each works by checking Disney's official booking pages for cancellation slots and notifying you when one appears. You complete the booking directly on Disney's site.

Is SpotSitter a TouringPlans product?

No. SpotSitter is an independent service with no affiliation to TouringPlans or The Walt Disney Company. It was built by a founder who caught a Cake Bake Shop reservation for Mother's Day weekend 2026 using an open-source availability-checking script, and decided to turn that approach into a reliable product.

What does SpotSitter cost?

SpotSitter offers a Free plan (1 active watch, push and email), Founder at $49/month or $470/year (5 watches), Pro at $99/month or $950/year (15 watches), and Agency at $249/month (35 watches, waitlist only). Annual pricing saves about 20% versus monthly.

TouringPlans Reservation Finder Is Gone: Your Replacement Checklist

Introduction

If you relied on TouringPlans Reservation Finder to catch Disney dining cancellations, you already know it is gone. The service that many Disney regulars treated as essential was shut down in 2025. This checklist is for the guests who need a direct replacement and do not want to spend hours researching options. Work through these steps in order and you will have a working alert set up before the end of this page.

SpotSitter is an independent alert service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The Walt Disney Company.

Step 1: Confirm What You Actually Need

Before switching services, get clear on your situation:

Do you have a booking you are trying to upgrade? (Same restaurant, different time. Or same time, different restaurant.)
Are you trying to land a first reservation for a restaurant you missed at 60 days?
Do you need multiple watches for a longer trip?
Is your travel date within the next 30 days? (Urgency changes which plan tier makes sense.)

Write down your target restaurant, preferred date, party size, and acceptable time range before you set up any alert. Vague preferences lead to alerts you cannot use.

Step 2: Know Which Restaurants Need an Alert

Not every Disney dining reservation requires an alert service. Some restaurants have consistent availability even close to the travel date. Focus your effort on the ones that genuinely warrant it:

High-demand, alert-worthy:

Be Our Guest Restaurant (dinner)
Cinderella's Royal Table
California Grill
Victoria and Albert's
Oga's Cantina
Space 220 Restaurant
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and other Enchanting Extras
Any restaurant during Food and Wine Festival weekends

Moderate demand: Most EPCOT pavilion table-service restaurants. Worth watching but not urgent.

Usually available: Most quick service, counter service, and lower-profile table-service locations. Checking Disney's site directly may be sufficient.

Step 3: Set Up Your First Watch on SpotSitter

Go to spotsitter.app and create a free account.
Add a new watch. Enter the restaurant name, your target date or date range, party size, and time window.
Choose your notification channel. Push notifications and email are live and ready. SMS is in development, pending carrier approval.
Save the watch.

That is it. SpotSitter starts checking for openings immediately. On the Free plan, it checks every 2 minutes. On paid plans, every minute. When a slot appears, you receive an alert and follow the link to Disney's official booking site to complete the reservation.

Free plan covers 1 active watch. If you have one priority restaurant, start there. If you need to track multiple restaurants simultaneously, consider the Founder plan ($49/month or $470/year) which covers 5 concurrent watches.

Step 4: Compare to Other Available Tools

You have more options than you did when TouringPlans was the default choice. A few notes on the current landscape:

Most alert services work the same way: they check Disney's booking pages on your behalf and notify you when a cancellation appears. The differences come down to: how frequently they check (check cadence), which channels they notify through, and how much they charge.

SpotSitter checks every minute on paid plans and every 2 minutes on the Free plan. Notifications go to push and email now. SMS is in development. The Free tier is a permanent free plan, not a trial.

When evaluating any alert service, ask the specific check frequency, confirm the notification channels, and check whether there is a free tier before paying.

Step 5: Check Your Notification Settings

Alert services only help if the notification actually reaches you. Before your watch goes live:

Enable push notifications for the SpotSitter app in your phone's notification settings.
Confirm the email address on your account is one you check frequently.
If you are traveling with a partner, consider whether both of you need accounts so either person can respond to an alert.

A missed alert is a missed reservation. A few seconds of setup upfront prevents that.

Step 6: Have Your Disney Account Ready to Book Instantly

When the alert fires, you need to be able to complete the booking in under a minute. Disney's official site is where the transaction happens, not SpotSitter. Before your travel date:

Verify your Disney account login works.
Confirm your credit card on file is current.
Know your party's dining restrictions if they are required during booking.
Have the My Disney Experience app installed and logged in on your phone.

What to Do When a Spot Opens

SpotSitter sends you a notification the moment a slot appears. Tap the link, confirm your party details on Disney's site, and you're done. We watch the page. You enjoy the trip.