Tips please for San Antonio attractions

[Judy from Boise]

Hi, My 15 yo DD and i will be tagging along with DH to conference in June for 5 nights. We will be at Marriott Rivercenter. Because the company will be picking up our tab (DH is VP) we will need to be at 1 or 2 events/meals every day, so we will never have an entire day to "open and close" a park.To keep the trip low key I am thinking of just getting the 2 day passes to Sea World, going to the Alamo (after taking DD to the Imax movie)and possibly the zof course we will be on the Riverwalk every day.
Are there any other attraction parks that you think rise to the level of "can't miss"? Any tips for us regarding Sea World (we were at the Orlando SW in November)?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Don't forget about Fiesta Texas!

I wouldn't rule out the cities surrounding San Antonio, namely New Braunfels. There is an area named Gruene, which is in the city limits, that is particularly charming. There is a restaurant called The Grist Mill that I love! It sits on a bluff overlooking the Guadalupe River.

Then, of course there's tubing on the river!

 

[ElizK]

Fantastic shopping (all the outlets, including a Disney Outlet) in New Braunfels and San Marcos, both very nearby. My family really enjoyed the Natural Bridge Caverns, too.

Sounds like fun. I want to go!

 

[sm4987]

I used to live there and still have some family there. Go to a great mexican restaurant and try some puffy tacos. I'm not talking On The Border or anything like that. The real things, out of the way places. You should find plenty around the river.

 

[RadioNate]

Fiesta TX, as was mentioned, National Bridge Caverns too. I don't think you'll need 2 days at Sea World unless you plan on spending a lot of time at the attached water park. There are only 3 or 4 shows, 2 coasters, 2 water rides, the dolphin feeding tank, the aquarium tank and midway games.

The Alamo itself only takes an hour at most.

The Riverwalk is cool but I find I can only spend so much time there before I've had enough. Of course when my family visits they want to hang out there all day/night.

The zoo is ok. If your DD likes coasters I'd choose Fiesta TX over the zoo.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

Love Market Square (Mexican Market) in San Antonio. My friends and I went to SA in HS. We took a trolley (?) to the Market.

http://www.tavernini.com/mercado/

 

[dennis99ss]

Restaurants, try Casa Rio, La Margarita, or Alamo Cafe. Go to El Mercado, the Alamo and La Villita. Take a river boat ride. Go to Dirty Nellys at night and sing a song, have a drink. Go to Fiesta Texas, and Sea World. June 5 will be hot. Seaworld is still very open, so bring sun screen. Go on the mission trail. Soo the Church of the Little Flower, where a miracle occurred. See the cathedral. The Zoo is ok, and then see the gardens. Look at the houses in Prince William. Tour the Alamo- no hats and no pics though. see the hall of horns. go to the McNay.

 

[SleepyMom]

What perfect timing for this thread! We will be there as well in early June, so I am looking for any tips from others who have been there. I know we will do Sea World, DD12 is a dolphin-freak, so any chance we have to see one in person works for her DH wants to go to the water park in New Braunfels, Schlitterbahn and I want to see the Alamo.

 

[melanie18]

Great thread! My brother is starting Air Force basic training on Apr 4 and will be graduating (hopefully) in mid-May. We were hoping there are lots of things to see in San Antonio if we can go for graduation!

 

[jimmiej]

Y'all come on down & see us! IA about Gristmill in Gruene. Very rustic.

 

[Judy from Boise]

What will Fiesta Tx be like ? I am picturing hot, lots of gangs of teens, and long lines.....am I painting an overly negative picture ? Do they have anything like Fastpass?Is the park nicely landscaped?
We wont have a rental car that I know of......but Taxis and shuttles are doable!

 

[Chuck S]

Fiesta Texas was not built by Six Flags, though they currently operate the park. There are some thrill rides and coasters, as well as a train and some nice stage shows. It will be HOT here, our weather is similar to WDW, but sometimes our humidity is even higher. I agree, our Sea World is not a two day park...not nearly as much to do as Orlando or San Diego.

SA does have a nice zoo, a relaxing way to spend the day. On a side not, the food services at our zoo, though normal burgers/fries type things, often receive 100s on their health inspections.

Staying at the RiverCenter, you are of course, only a short walk from the Alamo, the Imax is right in the Center. I suggest looking around at different places i nthe mall for mealls, the last time I ate at the Marriott the food was yucky...but it has been a few years. The Tower of Americas (our space needle) built in 1968 for the world's fair is undergoing renovation, so it isn't open at the moment...I don't know when it is scheduled to re-open.

New Braunfels is home to Schlitterbahn, a huge water park. They are the company that designed and built the water coaster at Typhoon Lagoon.

 

[RadioNate]

To me Fiesta TX is nicer than the average Six Flags parks. I agree with Chuck that it is because it wasn't built by Six Flags. I think it only came under the Six Flags ownership a few years ago.

June in San Antonio is hot but it'll be hot no matter where you go.

Week day crowds shouldn't be too bad. Weekends will be way more crowded. I've never encountered huge crowds at either park but we tend to avoid peak days. In short, I think you are being more negative than you need to be. I was pleasanty suprised.

I would suspect that the hotel would have shuttles to the major theme parks. They are both quite far, at least by cab, from Downtown.

I'd consider a car then you can check out the Mission Trail and make it up to the New Braunfels area (Grune, Schlitterbahn, Natural Bridge Caverns).

 

[frozone]

The Alamo itself only takes an hour at most.

Not if you're into history. The Alamo has some great programming in the summer, including music and storytelling. There is also a film there produced by the History Channel that's worth seeing.

If you want some more history, the Menger bar in the Crockett hotel behind the Alamo is where Teddy Roosevelt gathered Roughriders.

There are also a number of other Spanish missions nearby that are worth touring.

 

[pixiepower1971]

Since you are staying on the Riverwalk, I would call for reservations at the brand new...just opened the other day Rainforest! It is beautiful! New animals...my girls LOVED it! They also like the Hard Rock.

I agree that SW here is a one day, same as Fiesta Texas. Alamo and IMAX are great as well. Fiesta Texas has a really nice waterpark area and I have never felt uncomfortable there- truthfully I am more uncomfortable at the Rivercenter mall!

Schlitterbahn is at the top of my list for this area. The zoo is ok but pales to zoos in other large cities. Not an all day thing.

The Shops at La Cantera -brand new outdoor mall...beautiful place if you like to shop!


If you like shows check and see what is playing at the Majestic Theater while you are here.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

What perfect timing for this thread! We will be there as well in early June, so I am looking for any tips from others who have been there. I know we will do Sea World, DD12 is a dolphin-freak, so any chance we have to see one in person works for her DH wants to go to the water park in New Braunfels, Schlitterbahn and I want to see the Alamo.

If your daughter is a dolphin freak, there are special programs (for an extra cost, of course) that can get her closer to them. There is also a dinner with Shamu. We didn't do it last summer, but have friends who did and they highly recommended it.

We had season passes last year and Sea World'd ourselves out! I agree about not spending two days there as OP mentioned. While the park is very large in space, it's not filled out with enough attractions. Timed right, you can easily see the park in one day. Think the AK.

And prepare yourself for the most disgusting, bland, monotonous theme park food you've ever seen.

 

[jimmiej]

The zoo is ok but pales to zoos in other large cities. Not an all day thing.

Wow, I disagree. I think our zoo is great. And I've been to the San Diego Zoo (and one in Chicago).

 

[SleepyMom]

Thank you Am I There Yet! I have the Sea World site bookmarked, but haven't had a chance yet to see what is available there. She has swam with the dolphins at Discovery Cove in 2002 and last year we had Breakfast with Shamu in San Diego, so maybe dinner with Shamu this time. I would have paid double for the breakfast thing just to see her face, we have the best pictures from that day. I am off to check out the SW site, thanks again!

 

[Judy from Boise]

I remember where the Hard rock is.....but where is the Rainforst Cafe ? It would be fun to go for a meal!
One of the reasons I thought Sw would be a two day park is that the web site bragged that they are bigger than Orlando's.
The Marriott web site seemed to indicate that the zoo was within walking distance of the hotel, would you agree?

 

[Chuck S]

The Marriott web site seemed to indicate that the zoo was within walking distance of the hotel, would you agree?

Yahoo shows it at nearly 4 miles, using the freeway. It would be a tough walk on "not the best streets", avoiding the freeway.

If this link works, here's the map:
http://maps.yahoo.com/dd_result?newaddr=101+Bowie+Street&taddr=3903+N+Saint+Marys+St&csz=San+Antonio%2C+TX&country=us&tcsz=San+Antonio+TX+78212&tcountry=us&tname=San+Antonio+Zoo&tdesc=%28210%29+734-7183

I agree with JimmieJ, we don't have a huge zoo, especially compared to San Diego, but it is a nice zoo and would be a great place to spend a day.