by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:30 PM ET, Thu September 10, 2015
Frequent visitors to Walt Disney World are reportedly being boxed out at popular restaurants at the resort by a new service that is essentially scalping reservations.
In a report from Sandra Pedicini of the Orlando Sentinel, the DiS Dining Agent reservation app allows users to book reservations at the Be Our Guest restaurant and several other exclusive establishments, but customers have to pay for the service.
The DiS Dining Agent app reportedly makes a reservation under a false name and then charges users $15 to use the reservation. The DiS app isn't the only service using a similar scheme, as companies like Disney Dining Buddy, Disney Dining Scout and WDW Table Finder are charging anywhere from $1 to $8 to notify users of openings at key locations.
The practice has been dubbed reservation scalping and is popular in major cities like New York and Los Angeles, but it is becoming more frequent at Walt Disney World and other popular tourist destinations in Orlando.
The DiS Dining Agent app is not affiliated with Disney Theme Parks, and Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler told the Orlando Sentinel, "We are currently reviewing the situation involving third party website dining services. Disney has no affiliation with these third-party services, which can interfere with the guest experience we strive to create."
Visitors to the parks are angry about the lack of space at popular restaurants. Disney insider Anna Skamarakas told Pedicini, "It just infuriates me. They are doing something to circumnavigate the system, which isn't fair to the rest of us who are trying to play by the rules."
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
