We are back from our trip to the great Texan cities of San Antonio and Austin. Seeing The Alamo, the missions on the Mission Trail, as well as listening to great music on 6th Street... But what visit would be complete without a day spent at one of the largest water parks in the US... Schlitterbahn!
There are four Schlitterbahn parks in the country, but the biggest is in New Braunfels, Texas... in between San Antonio and Austin. We stayed in San Antonio on the River Walk at the Hyatt Regency, which was a great place to stay. Nice hotel, clean large rooms, great views, rooftop pool and in the middle of all the happenings on the River Walk.
This was our first visit to Schlitterbahn, and we learned some tips that may be helpful to those who are newbies just like we were:
Get there early. Even as early as an hour to get a good place to park and be one of the first inside the park.
If you are a high trill water slide seeker, go directly to the Master Blaster first! This is one of the most popular attractions at the park, and the length of the line when you get there will be the shortest it will be all day. If it seems long at the start of the day, just want until later!
There are two parts to the park... the original/west side, and the new/east side. The thrill slides are in the newer side to the east. They provide a tram that takes you between the two sides, all day long.
There are lockers in both sides of the park. We ended up parking at the original side, putting our things in a locker, and taking the tram directly to the new side to get to the Master Blaster right away. That worked out well because after we were done at that side of the park, we ended the day on the original side where our locker and car were located.
Wear shoes! It's a big place and walking around barefoot all day can be uncomfortable. Just make sure whatever shoes you wear will stay on your feet on the water slides! We wore flip-flops, and just put them on our arms when we when on the rides. It actually worked out just great.
If you are wearing a hat or sunglasses, you may lose them... prepare accordingly!
You may want to wear a shirt over your suit to keep the sun and heat off you while standing in lines. It will get super hot! We actually saw people in the water and on the slides wearing full water shoes, long shorts and t-shirts like they were dressed for the day.
You are able to bring in your own food and drinks (no glass, no alcohol) so take as much as you want for your family and a picnic.
Purchase a Splash Cash card. You can load this card with as much money as you wish, and use it to purchase anything around the park. That way you keep your money and/or credit cards locked up, and the Splash Cash Card stays on a lanyard around your neck. The best part, is whatever you don't spend... you will get refunded back to you.
Bring a change of clothes, towel and a plastic bag for your wet suit and clothing. After our day we were able to change and get dry so the ride home was perfect!
So, that's the scoop! It's a lot of fun, but there will be a lot of people so prepare for crowds and lines depending on when you go. Email me with any questions! astimmel@cruiseone.com
Below/right is a picture of the Downhill Racer in the original side of the park... was one of our favorites! Brought back childhood memories. :)
