Updated: Dec 31, 2019

Do you think Schlitterbahn, New Braunfels is just another waterpark? If you do, then this blog is for you. It will impress any travel addict, because of its sheer size. I would have to say it’s impossible to complete Schlitterbahn in one day. It may even take 2 plus days to complete this massive waterpark.

I have partnered with Schlitterbahn for this post. The best part for me, is they had zero restrictions when it came to my blog. Thanks Schlitterbahn!!! This is 100% my thoughts and opinions on Schlitterbahn. I was excited to be able to check this waterpark off my bucket list. I’ve been wanting to go for about 2 years. We have been waiting for the kids to get older, and now they were the perfect age. However, after scoping out the entire park, it’s even perfect for younger toddlers. I wish I would have known this a few years ago.

**Order your tickets online it’s way cheaper**

Parking & Supplies

Let me just start by saying the Parking is Free! Also, you can bring coolers! I suggest bringing plenty of water, snacks, and towels. **Water shoes are a must. The concrete is hot!** If you notice I’m wearing a full piece in the picture above. The last thing I wanted to worry about is bathing suit accidents at a waterpark. No free shows from me. lol.

Finding a Home Base

The park opens at 10:00am. However, we showed up at 9:20am and people were purchasing their tickets and entering the park. We were able to get a picnic table in the park by 9:30am. If you want the best picnic table, I suggest showing up at 9:30am or earlier. For us the location was not as important, because we planned on hitting up the entire park. We found the perfect spot for us by the food and lockers. If you like the bar area, then find a table close to that pool. If you want to hang out by a kiddie area, then find a table close to that area. I suggest looking at the map online and finding the best spot for your family before your trip.

We left a majority of our stuff on the picnic table. We put our wallets and cell phones in a small locker that cost $13.00. We left our items on the table the entire day and no one messed with our things. I noticed when we went there, there were more families than young teenagers running around. Bonus Points for that.

Grab a map on your way in. Trust me you will need it. The park is massive.

My husband and I believe they even opened the rides by 9:50am. After getting a picnic table, we went straight to the rides. It was awesome, because there were no lines.

Downhill Racer- 42 inches to ride

3 story tall slide with sled.

FYI: Everyone has to take off their rubber water shoes when riding down their slides.

Alcohol

They serve beer and frozen mixed drinks. Their margaritas are STRONG. I had a buzz after one drink. Be careful.

Look at the awesome selection. The frozen drinks they serve are Strawberry Margaritas, Lime Margaritas, Corona Ritas & Pina Coladas. They have several specialty mixed drinks and beers to select from.

Food

I give the food a 9 out of 10 considering it’s theme park food.

They are known for their fun funnel cakes. They are super yummy, but be prepared, it takes 15 minutes to cook. They cook the funnel cake when you place the order, which can be annoying. My daughter fell asleep waiting on the funnel cake.

Parks

They have two sides, West (river side, aka cold) and the North (heated pool side). You must take the Tram to get to the other side which is free. It’s that far and a good 5 to 10 minute drive. A lot of smart people start on the heated side and when it warms up they head to the river side. The West side uses water from the Comal River, which is cold. We started on the West side in the freezing cold water, but the lines were short. We were able to squeeze in a lot of rides before the crowds started coming in.

West Side Rides- River Water

Congo River Expedition-Float a mysterious jungle river

This is our favorite ride. You start off floating on a nice jungle river, then it gets a little crazy after 10 minutes. It has a huge drop for a toddler, then smaller drops afterwards. We had to get off after the big drop due to my youngest being too scared. She gets scared easily.

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However, my son had a blast and continued all the way to the end. The ride is about an hour long and ends by the Comal River. It is worth the wait in line! Also, you can skip the lines and enter the Congo River at any of the exit spots. Shh… keep it a secret. A majority of the people do not know that. You will miss the fun jungle theme area, but once you have done it then it’s worth skipping.

Hillside- Serpentine Tube Chute

You will notice my son on my husband’s tube, but it was because we forgot his tube. I suggest the child having their own tube, because they kept flipping over. This rapids ride is smooth for the most part, and the biggest “scaredy cat” in our family survived the turns and small drops. This is a good 15 minute ride. It’s a lot of fun.

The Beach- Family-size toddler wave pool

The wave pool is perfect for toddlers who want waves and this without the parent having to worry about them being swept under water. You can find life vest stations next to the beach. This is the perfect spot for parents who just want to chill while their kids play. There are shaded spots through out this area with chairs in the water.

Polywog Pond- Kid’s water fantasy land

This is for smaller children. I think my kids spent 5 minutes in this area.

Tadpool- Shallow family pool with slides.

This area was perfect for my 4 & 5 year olds. We had to drag them out of this area. There is several slides and water features to keep the kids entertained.

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Schatze’s Central Park-Magical kid’s play area

This Schlitterbahn park has a huge selection of kiddie features to entertain the kids. My kids couldn’t make up their mind which area was their favorite in this section. They just ran around like kids in candy store.

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North Side Rides- Heated Pools

We headed over to the North side when the day started to warm up after only completing 30% of the West park. We missed out on several kiddie areas and some amazing older kid rides. Keep your map handy, because you can easily miss out on half of the park. It seems like some places are hiding.

In order to get to the other park you must take the Tram, which is a good 10 minute ride. It’s free.

Han’s Hideout- Five-story water fun house

This was my 5 year old’s favorite area. It’s a five story water playhouse. They have several high fast slides.

The Torrent- Tidal wave river.

These waves are massive and a ton of fun. This river circles around the Blastenhoff section of the park.

Blastenhoff Beach- Giant Wave Pool

This is where you can enter the wave river. Beware this area can be dangerous! It threw my husband and daughter into the side of a wall. I heard a huge thump when my husband’s head hit the wall. Luckily no one was hurt.

Kristal River- Fast-moving whirlpool river.

My kids loved how fast the water pulled them down the river. It’s a relaxing fast time around the Schlitterbahn park. My family was able to jump on one of the alligators floating by. You can enter the river at several locations.

Kinderhaven- Children’s Pool & Slide

By the time we got to this area we were exhausted. We let the kids play for an hour in the shallow water while we laid in the shade. We needed some downtime.

Wolfpack, Master Blaster (42 inches), & Black Knight (42 inches).

These rides are located together and the lines are long. FYI- The Black Knight always seems to have the shortest lines.

My daughter and I hung out at the Bamboozle Bay Heated Pool & Bar which is located under the slides. We just floated around while the guys had fun on the slides. It’s the best place to relax in a shaded pool with a toddler, while the other kids are on the thrill rides.

Kiddie Coast- Children’s pool and slide

We spent an hour at this spot. There was so much to do for toddlers. They have a pirate ship, submarine, and octopus to keep the kids entertained.

Blast Pass

If you have older kids, I suggest getting a blast pass. It holds your place in line so you can go do other activities.

We were on a mission to complete as much of the park as possible and I feel like we didn’t even put a dent in it. I’m starting to wonder if it would take half a week to complete. There is really so much to see and do. This park is by far my favorite. If you have time in your schedule then plan your trip ASAP, because I promise you will love it.

A fun fact is you can see people floating down the Comal River having a great time because it’s right next to the park. In fact some of the rides utilize the Comal river as part of the ride itself. There have been many times I’ve floated down that river and was envious of the people at the park. You can hear the people at the park having a blast, while the people at the park can hear the people on river having a blast. lol, I love summer time!

We made it into Schlitterbahn’s Instagram stories. I love when that happens.

Looking for more travel ideas then follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/glam_journey_/

What to pack: 1) Cooler

2) Water shoes

3) Beach Towels

4) Life vest

5) Waterproof Camera

6) Water What I’m wearing: