ParkDibs — Get a text the moment a Chicago Park District spot opens

Why this exists

The race you can't win by refreshing

If you've done a Park District registration morning, you know: alarm set, wish list loaded, in the queue at 9:00 sharp — and still waitlisted by 9:02.

✶

Popular programs fill in minutes. Some camps and swim lessons are gone in under sixty seconds of registration opening — before most parents finish logging in.

✶

But plans change all season. Kids switch camps, families move vacations, schedules collapse. Those spots quietly return to the open catalog — at 9:47 on a Tuesday night, when nobody's looking.

✶

Today, reopened spots go to whoever happens to be refreshing. That shouldn't be a job requirement for getting your kid into swim lessons.

How it works

Three steps, then forget about it

Tell us the program

Any camp, swim lesson, gymnastics session, or class on the Park District's registration site. Just send the name — we'll find it.

We watch it around the clock

A check every five minutes, day and night — including the late-night hours when cancellations actually land.

You get a text the second it opens

With a link straight to the program. You register on the official Park District site, same as always — just first in line.

Founding pilot pricing

Costs less than one hour of babysitting

Watchlist

Free

to try it out

1 program watched
Checks every hour
Email alerts

Single Watch

$9.99

one program, until it opens

Checks every 5 minutes
Text + email alerts
Runs until a spot opens or the session starts

Season Pass

$29

per season

Up to 10 programs watched
Checks every 5 minutes
Texts to two phones — both parents hear it
Covers the full post-registration cancellation window

Our promise: if your watch never fires all season — not a single opening on any program you tracked — your next season is free.

Fair access

Built for the parents who can't refresh at 9 a.m.

Shift workers. Single parents. Anyone whose job doesn't come with a desk and a browser tab open at registration time. Right now, reopened spots go to families with the most flexible schedules. An alert means everyone hears at the same moment.

If your family is enrolled in Park District financial assistance, your Season Pass is free. Email us — no forms, no questions.

Questions

The fine print, in plain English

Does ParkDibs register my kid for me?

No — never, and that's a rule, not a limitation. ParkDibs only tells you the moment a public page changes. You register yourself on the official Park District site. Your account stays yours, and no bot ever takes a spot on anyone's behalf.

Is this affiliated with the Chicago Park District?

No. ParkDibs is an independent service, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Chicago Park District. It reads the same public program catalog any parent can browse — it just never sleeps.

Which programs can it watch?

Anything on the Park District's registration portal: day camps, swim lessons, gymnastics, Park Kids after-school, break camps, and seasonal classes.

How fast are the alerts?

Paid watches check every five minutes, around the clock. Reopened spots at popular programs can vanish quickly, so every text includes a direct link — most parents are on the registration page within a minute of the alert.

Isn't this an unfair advantage?

It levels one. Today, reopened spots go to whoever can afford to sit and refresh — usually the parent with the most flexible job. With alerts, the ER nurse and the desk worker hear at the same second. And because ParkDibs never books automatically, a human still has to act every time.

What happens after the pilot?

Founding members keep pilot pricing through summer 2027 registration — the big one. You'll also get first access when we add more cities and program systems.