TX residents/Schlitterbahn veterans....

[ruadisneyfan2]

We'll be visiting for a long weekend late June. Are the prices/offerings on their website available at the gate? Is there any benefit to buying online in advance? Is there any way to get coupons or promo codes?

I'd appreciate any tips.

Thanks!

 

[TCB in FLA]

We moved from San Antonio about 18 months ago and really miss Sclitterbahn -- best watermark ever! DH is military, so we always bought our tickets at the base, but I do recall Coke products used to have discounts on the cans. So it might be worth looking at a gas station before you go.

As for tips: you can bring in picnics (just not glass or alcohol), so take advantage of that! We would pack chips, grapes, drinks from home and get deli sandwiches enroute to the park. You don't necessarily need to bother with lockers -- just grab a picnic table or chair to serve as a base and leave your cooler, shoes, towels, etc there. We never had anything stolen but I wouldn't leave anything $$$ there. Buy a waterproof box to wear for keys and cash (they use a wristband for your ticket which you will get there). pls check their website to see if policies have changed!
Get there early! We would be able to do several rides walk on during that first hour.
The park is actually 3 different ones (you walk or take a shuttle between the three). Our preferences was the newer one with all slides, the older one that feeds into the river, then the one w masterblaster.
Have you seen the Travel Channel piece on Schlitterbahn (best watermark show)? That will give you an idea of what to expect. Have a great time!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We moved from San Antonio about 18 months ago and really miss Sclitterbahn -- best watermark ever! DH is military, so we always bought our tickets at the base, but I do recall Coke products used to have discounts on the cans. So it might be worth looking at a gas station before you go.

As for tips: you can bring in picnics (just not glass or alcohol), so take advantage of that! We would pack chips, grapes, drinks from home and get deli sandwiches enroute to the park. You don't necessarily need to bother with lockers -- just grab a picnic table or chair to serve as a base and leave your cooler, shoes, towels, etc there. We never had anything stolen but I wouldn't leave anything $$$ there. Buy a waterproof box to wear for keys and cash (they use a wristband for your ticket which you will get there). pls check their website to see if policies have changed!
Get there early! We would be able to do several rides walk on during that first hour.
The park is actually 3 different ones (you walk or take a shuttle between the three). Our preferences was the newer one with all slides, the older one that feeds into the river, then the one w masterblaster.
Have you seen the Travel Channel piece on Schlitterbahn (best watermark show)? That will give you an idea of what to expect. Have a great time!

Yes! That's what gave us the idea. We have SWA credits & awards to use up before they expire, so dh chose Galveston. We'll get a beach day, a water park day, visit the Johnson Space Center & maybe find a shooting range for dh & the boys.
This is so different from our usual Disney/DCL trips so we're looking forward to it.

Too bad our Coke cans usually offer coupons for our local Six Flags.

Thanks!!

 

[mareed]

Yes! That's what gave us the idea. We have SWA credits & awards to use up before they expire, so dh chose Galveston. We'll get a beach day, a water park day, visit the Johnson Space Center & maybe find a shooting range for dh & the boys.
This is so different from our usual Disney/DCL trips so we're looking forward to it.

Too bad our Coke cans usually offer coupons for our local Six Flags.

Thanks!!

Sounds like you're talking Schlitterbahn Galveston and the previous poster's information was for New Braunfels (which is the original and the absolute greatest!). Schlitterbahn Galveston is fine and is comparable to a traditional waterpark, but it just can't compare to New Braunfels.

Be sure to set your expectations extremely low for Galveston beach. Space Center Houston is a fun day!

 

[Brandi1leigh]

Sometimes you can get discounted tickets at HEB (a Texas grocery store). The customer service desk often sells discounted tickets. There are lots of HEBs around.

I second the tip about bringing in a picnic. I love that Schliterbahn allows outside food and drink.

It's definitely the best waterpark in the US. Once you've been to Schliterbahn, all other waterparks don't measure up! Have fun!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Sounds like you're talking Schlitterbahn Galveston and the previous poster's information was for New Braunfels (which is the original and the absolute greatest!). Schlitterbahn Galveston is fine and is comparable to a traditional waterpark, but it just can't compare to New Braunfels.

Be sure to set your expectations extremely low for Galveston beach. Space Center Houston is a fun day!

Why do you say this? We live about 1 hr drive to the Atlantic Ocean/Jersey Shore (not like the stupid TV show) so we can have a beach day any time. I don't have my heart set on it but we do like to try new beaches. (Such as when we spent a week in Williamsburg, spend a day in VA Beach.)

Is this not worth it? We only have 4 days in the Houston area so time is precious.
Is it worth the drive to New Braunfels to visit that Schlitterbahn and maybe fly out of San Antonio? Am I crazy?

 

[Eeyore98]

I've only ever been to the New Braunfels one, but honestly, it is the worst waterpark I have ever visited. We visited 2 of the 3 different Schlitterbahn parks there, and found them dirty, crowded, and unsafe. I had never seen so much debris floating around a waterpark before in my life; nor had I ever seen a lazy river that was wall-to-wall people, 90% of them with no tubes.

Their much-publicized ride, "The Falls", which is billed as the world's longest water ride, is a great way to break a toe or an elbow. It is a like a lazy river combined with a rapids ride. You float along in your little inner tube with your feet hanging off the edge and your elbows out to the side, and the rapids are created by big concrete bumps that stick out into the river every so often. The entire ride, you are basically bouncing from one concrete wall to another, and just trying to catch the wall with a hand or the sole of your foot, instead of a pinky toe or the back of your head!

 

[sissy_ib]

I've only ever been to the New Braunfels one, but honestly, it is the worst waterpark I have ever visited. We visited 2 of the 3 different Schlitterbahn parks there, and found them dirty, crowded, and unsafe. I had never seen so much debris floating around a waterpark before in my life; nor had I ever seen a lazy river that was wall-to-wall people, 90% of them with no tubes.

Their much-publicized ride, "The Falls", which is billed as the world's longest water ride, is a great way to break a toe or an elbow. It is a like a lazy river combined with a rapids ride. You float along in your little inner tube with your feet hanging off the edge and your elbows out to the side, and the rapids are created by big concrete bumps that stick out into the river every so often. The entire ride, you are basically bouncing from one concrete wall to another, and just trying to catch the wall with a hand or the sole of your foot, instead of a pinky toe or the back of your head!

I have to agree. I really don't know what all the hype is. Yes, it is a large park but it is not fun. At least in the original park it is all river water and at least one ride dumps you out in to a roped off portion of the river. It is VERY old and most of the rides are concrete. The newer parks had a few fun rides but the lines were horribly long.

I have seen the Galveston park but not been to it. It is newer but looks like a typical water park.
I have also been to the Kansas city park and was incredibly disappointed for a few reasons. So much we left within 15 minutes of getting there after paying $30+ a piece for the two of us. And I LOVE water parks. We will not be back to any Schlitterbahn.

OP-Check out Moody Gardens. It is actually right next to Schlitterbahn. It has a VERY small "water park" that is more of a water play area and pool. We had an ok time there but it is geared more towards families. Not having kids it just wasn't for us.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thanks for all the viewpoints. I think we'll just leave plans as they are. We have a non stop flight from Houston & to fly out of SAT it's more money and also connecting flights. Also adds a 3 hr drive which makes our schedule even tighter.

If by chance, someone see a coupon in your local stores, can you PM me? I'd gladly send a SASE to get one.

Thank you!!

 

[sissy_ib]

Thanks for all the viewpoints. I think we'll just leave plans as they are. We have a non stop flight from Houston & to fly out of SAT it's more money and also connecting flights. Also adds a 3 hr drive which makes our schedule even tighter.

If by chance, someone see a coupon in your local stores, can you PM me? I'd gladly send a SASE to get one.

Thank you!!

I meant to say Moody Gardens is next to the one in Galveston, not New Braunfels.

 

[EMom]

Why do you say this? We live about 1 hr drive to the Atlantic Ocean/Jersey Shore (not like the stupid TV show) so we can have a beach day any time. I don't have my heart set on it but we do like to try new beaches. (Such as when we spent a week in Williamsburg, spend a day in VA Beach.)

Is this not worth it? We only have 4 days in the Houston area so time is precious.
Is it worth the drive to New Braunfels to visit that Schlitterbahn and maybe fly out of San Antonio? Am I crazy?

I think Galveston is one nasty beach area. I won't sit directly on the sand , let alone get in the water! Stains the clothing every time. Often tons of seaweed that give it a funky smell. I'll go to Galveston for a lot of things, but not the beach.

If you decide to go to Schlitterbahn Galveston, stop in any HEB grocery store and the tickets will be a few dollars less. DO NOT wait to buy them at the gate. The line is often long and slow. Get there just before opening and hit the headliners and you'll be glad you did. Wait until 30 minutes after opening and there may be lines already. Schlitterbahn can take a whole day with kids.

How old are your kids? That may affect my answers. A day at Kemah Boardwalk might be fun. Again, get there right when it opens. Better yet, the NEW boardwalk at Galveston should be open by then, with lots of rides, restaurants, etc. NASA is an option. Drive a couple of hours away and they have cavern tours. Have your kids ever done that?

If you do Moody Gardens, there is an all inclusive ticket that includes the "beach" (with sand) pool. Visit the website to see what all they have. "Gardens" really doesn't describe it.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Our boys are 15 & 12.

Are the cavern tours like Luray Caverns in VA? We all enjoyed that, especially since it was 100 deg outside but a cool 58 inside.


Wow, I almost considered paying a lot more for our hotel to be closer to the beach. I'm so glad I didn't! I found a Spring Hill suites near NASA that was half of Galveston prices.

Thanks again for your tips. Maybe we'll just do a little stroll past the beach to see it, without budgeting a lot of time there. Do private homes line the beach or is there a public access like a boardwalk or promenade?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I have also been to the Kansas city park and was incredibly disappointed for a few reasons. So much we left within 15 minutes of getting there after paying $30+ a piece for the two of us. And I LOVE water parks. We will not be back to any Schlitterbahn.

We had plans to go to CO last Summer & spend 2 days at the KC Schlitterbahn on the way home, but the online reviews were really poor - in particular, it sounded like they were WAY behind on construction & that most of the rides weren't ready yet. So, we decided to put the CO trip off a couple years & went to Wisconsin Dells instead. Loved Noah's Ark We'll still give Schlitterbahn a shot one of these days though.

 

[ekatiel]

You'll be able to find plenty to do in the Houston area for a long weekend. As PP said, the Schlitterbahn in Galveston is not the "original" Schlitterbahn that is on all the TV shows. It is a fun waterpark, but not nearly as large as the original Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels.

Moody Gardens is right next door to Schlitterbahn and is a fun place to visit. They have a rainforest pyramid, an aquarium pyramid, an IMAX theather, a 4-d Theater, and Palm Beach (which is a water play area-- great for younger kids). http://www.moodygardens.org/ We are members at Moody Gardens, so we go a lot .

Space Center Houston is a fun day, as well. Make sure to go on at least one of the tram tours that take you around the actual Johnson Space Center. We like the tour that stops at the super-huge swimming pool where they train the astronauts under water to help simulate weightlessness.

The Kemah Boardwalk has a lot of restaurants to choose from, as well as some carnival-style rides. http://www.kemahboardwalk.com/

The beach is a tricky subject. The problem with Galveston beaches is that the silt from the Mississippi washes down the Texas shore line, making the water appear "muddy" and not clear. If you grow up here, you're used to swimming in it, but I wouldn't come here and think of the beach as an ultimate vacation destination. When we go to the beach at Galveston, we like Galveston Island State Park http://www.galveston.com/galvestonislandstatepark/ You can bring in your own canopy, etc. Of course if you're flying down, and will need to rent chairs and umbrellas, I would suggest Stewart Beach http://www.galveston.com/stewartbeach/

The Houston Galleria is always a fun shopping experience-- lots of high-end stores and an ice skating rink in the mall.

Houston also has a great Zoo (the new Africa part reminds me a lot of AK), and great museums.


Honestly, if it's not that much more $$, I would try to fly in to San Antonio instead. There are a lot more "touristy" options in the San Antonio area-- you could go to the "real" Schlitterbahn, spend an afternoon walking down the River Walk, go to the Alamo, head to Sea World San Antonio, go tubing down the Comal river in New Braunfels, go to Six Flags Fiesta Texas, etc. You can have a couple days of fun in Houston, but San Antonio lends itself to a "family vacation" much better. Just my 2 cents. Have fun whatever you decide. --Katie

 

[TCB in FLA]

I didn't realize you were talking about the Galveston location. I've only been to the New Braunfels location. So some of my earlier comments probably don't apply.

I second the motion to go to HEB to get your tickets in advance -- good deals! You might be able to find tickets to other attractions there as well.

If you do get a chance to go to SA someday, go! Great Riverwalk area, history opportunities (not just the Alamo, but several missions), Sea World, Fiesta Texas (Six Flags) and the best NBA team in the country!

 

[Kirby]

I'd say just stick to your current plans and enjoy yourselves. There's lots to do in the Galveston/Houston area. Sure, the beaches aren't as pretty as other parts of the country but like you said, your're really not there for the beach.

Like others have pointed out, Moody Gardens, Houston Space Center and the Kemah Boardwalk are fun places to go to. Definately take a tram tour at the HSC, I believe there are two or three different ones. There is also a plane museum next to Moody Gardens. Try a tram tour of Galveston to learn a little about the city.

Your can get multiple attraction tickets at Moody Gardens. You may be able to do the same at the HSC. It's been awhile since I've been there so I'm not sure about it.

For some Texas history, there's the San Jacinto Monument and Battleship Texas.

Save San Antonio for another much longer trip.

You didn't mention where you were going to stay, Houston or Galveston. Houston is a very large city land wise and I think it's about 40 minutes to an hour to Galveston, maybe more depending on where you are staying. I could very well be wrong on the time, I do know though when I was there 10 years ago, we stayed near the HSC and it was a 30 minute drive to Galveston.

 

[Debbie7452]

I bought our Schlitterbahn tickets online at a discount. There were special lines for prepaid tickets where there was no wait. One less thing to worry about. If you need to get groceries for a picnic anyway, then HEB is a great idea however. In Galveston, the Strand is a nice area for restaurants and shopping. LaKing's is an old timey ice cream parlour/candy shop on the Strand. Definitely worth a visit.

I hope you love your trip!

 

[Friendly Frog]

yep, expect brown water at Galveston.

 

[RachelsMommie]

As a Texan, we visited Galveston last year and I was pleasantly surprised. The water is more brown than blue/clear, but it's not because of oil or anything like that. The sand on the Texas shores isn't the white "sugar" sand, but more like a dirt type sand. So the sand swirls up in the water and makes it appear brown.

That being said, check out the new Galveston historic pier. Google Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier and you'll find lots of info. It should be open by the time you go. They have rebuilt the old historic pier that was destroyed in Hurricane Ike and made it what it was in the 1900's. There will be a ferris wheel at the end of the pier, plus 20 something other rides and some places to eat. Looks like a lot of fun!

Moody Gardens is fun, as are the Duck Tours that run on the island. Check out King's confectionary on the Strand...YUMMY if you like taffy!

I was expecting for it to be a crappy vacation when we went last year. But we went for a week and it was VERY relaxing and my girls loved it. My DD7 already asked if we can do Galveston again next year (we're doing Disney this year). Funny how kids don't notice the brown water...she's been to the Caribbean and liked Galveston more. =)

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

So are all TX beaches like that?