Stakeout has a free tier that includes one watch with push notification only. The Apple App Store listing (apps.apple.com/us/app/stakeout/id1586225563) publishes in-app purchase price points from $9.99 to $19.99; billing cadence is not stated on the listing. Text alerts are Premium only, and upgraded plans support up to 3 phone numbers per the listing. stakeoutapp.com itself was unreachable (DNS failure) as of May 2026.

Does MouseWatcher send SMS texts?

Yes. MouseWatcher collects a phone number at checkout and sends SMS alerts. A single one-day alert costs $5. Subscriptions start at $19 per month for 5 active alerts. (Source: mousewatcher.com, verified May 2026)

How many restaurants can I watch with MouseDining?

MouseDining's current watch limits and plan structure were not accessible from mousedining.com as of May 2026. The site is JS-rendered and pricing details could not be verified. Check mousedining.com directly for current plan details.

Does any of these apps cover Enchanting Extras like Savi's Workshop or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique?

MouseWatcher's venue list includes Savi's Workshop and other Disney activities alongside dining restaurants. (Source: mousewatcher.com venue dropdown, verified May 2026) Whether those alerts are actively supported with working detection is unverified. Stakeout and MouseDining's Enchanting Extras coverage could not be verified: stakeoutapp.com was unreachable and mousedining.com is JS-rendered as of May 2026.

Which app is fastest at finding a cancellation?

None of the three publish a verified check cadence in the sources we reviewed. Check cadence could not be verified from primary sources for Stakeout, MouseWatcher, or MouseDining as of May 2026, so real-world speed comparisons should be treated as unverified unless a current dated receipt supports them.

MouseDining vs MouseWatcher vs Stakeout: An Honest 2026 Comparison

Disclaimer: We describe what each product publishes or advertises, not real-world performance, speed, or catch rates. Any cell in the table marked "Not published" or "Not verified" reflects what we could confirm from primary sources as of the dates noted. Our methodology is at /methodology.

All three apps do the same basic thing: watch Disney dining reservations so you don't have to keep refreshing the page. The differences in pricing, alert channels, and what they actually cover can matter a lot depending on what you're trying to catch, whether it's a last-minute Be Our Guest cancellation or a Savi's Workshop slot that opened up. Here's what each one offers, based on what we could verify from their own sites.

Stakeout

Stakeout is a native iPhone app with a free tier and decent name recognition in Disney reservation-alert searches. That combination makes it the most likely first stop for someone who just found out this category of tool exists.

The free tier gives you one active watch with push notification only. According to the Apple App Store listing (apps.apple.com/us/app/stakeout/id1586225563, observed May 2026), text alerts are Premium only and upgraded plans support up to 3 phone numbers. The same listing publishes in-app purchase price points from $9.99 to $19.99. The billing cadence (monthly vs. annual, per watch vs. subscription) is not stated on the listing. stakeoutapp.com was unreachable due to a DNS failure as of May 2026, so further pricing details could not be confirmed from their own site.

Stakeout is primarily a dining reservation tool. Enchanting Extras coverage and check frequency are not verifiable from available primary sources.

Best fit: Someone who wants a native mobile app, is comfortable starting with push-only alerts, and wants to try it for free before paying anything.

MouseWatcher

MouseWatcher is web-based. No app to download. You set up an alert on their site, pay by the alert or by the month, and they send you a text or email when something opens.

Pricing is published and specific. A single one-day alert is $5. Subscriptions are listed on mousewatcher.com/subscriptions (verified May 2026) at $19/mo for 5 alerts, $49/mo for 15, $79/mo for 25, $99/mo for 35, and $139/mo for 50. SMS is included at every tier. You enter your phone number at checkout.

MouseWatcher's venue list extends beyond dining. Savi's Workshop, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and other Enchanting Extras-adjacent bookings appear in their venue dropdown. (Source: mousewatcher.com, verified May 2026.) Whether their detection works for those activity types is not something we can verify from a primary source. MouseWatcher does not publish a check frequency.

Best fit: Someone who wants SMS included from the start with no add-on fees, or who only needs to watch one restaurant on one date and wants to pay $5 instead of a monthly subscription.

MouseDining

MouseDining has been around longer than most of the others. It focuses on Walt Disney World dining and runs as a web service without an app.

The live pricing page at mousedining.com/pricing is JS-rendered and returned only an ad-wrapper shell as of May 2026, so current plan details could not be confirmed directly. Based on a 2025 hands-on review by WDW Prep School (wdwprepschool.com) and MouseDining's own 2018 blog (blog.mousedining.com), the free plan is email-only with 6 alerts, and text alerts are a paid feature at roughly $9/month. Those figures are from secondary and dated sources, not the live pricing page. Verify at mousedining.com before relying on them.

MouseDining's check frequency is not publicly stated. Enchanting Extras coverage is unverified.

Best fit: Someone who has used MouseDining on a previous trip and wants to use a known quantity, or who wants email-only alerts for free.

Side-by-Side

	Free tier	Paid entry price	SMS included	EE coverage	Check cadence	Watches at paid entry
Stakeout	1 watch, push only	$9.99-$19.99 IAP (App Store listing, May 2026); cadence not stated	Premium only (App Store listing)	Not verified (site unreachable May 2026)	Not published	Not stated on listing
MouseWatcher	None (pay per alert: $5/day)	$19/mo	Yes, all tiers (mousewatcher.com)	In venue list; detection unverified	Not published	5
MouseDining	6 email-only alerts (2025 WDW Prep School review)	~$9/mo (2025 review; live page unverified)	Paid only (2018 MouseDining blog + 2025 review)	Not verified	Not published	Not verified
SpotSitter	1 watch, push + email	$49/mo (Founder, 5 watches)	Paid tiers after carrier approval	Dining + Enchanting Extras	Configured by plan	5

Competitor cells marked "Not verified" reflect missing primary-source confirmation as of May 2026. SpotSitter figures are from our own pricing page and founder catch logs.

Which One to Pick

The real decision comes down to three questions: Do you need SMS on a free or low plan? Do you need Enchanting Extras coverage? Do you want a native app or are you fine with a web service?

If SMS from the start matters and you don't want to pay for an add-on, MouseWatcher is the most transparent option. The $5 per-day pricing also works if you're only trying to catch one reservation on one specific date.

If you want a native mobile app and push notification is enough, Stakeout is worth trying on the free tier before paying anything.

If you've used MouseDining before, it's a known quantity. The gaps across all three are consistent: Enchanting Extras coverage is inconsistent or unitemized, none publish a check cadence directly, and SMS access varies by plan in ways that aren't always clear from the top-level plan names.

SpotSitter is a fourth option. Free tier with one watch, no credit card required. Paid tiers include SMS after carrier approval and cover Enchanting Extras (Savi's Workshop, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Droid Depot, La Cava Experience) in addition to dining. Get your first watch free.

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Last verified June 6, 2026 · SpotSitter Editorial