How to Beat the Crowds at Schlitterbahn?: Travel Tips Tuesday

It's Travel Tips Tuesday!  Please join with Walkingon Travels and myself as we share our travel tips and invite you to share your travel tips. 

When the Texas summer starts heating up, those in the know head down to the river.  The perennial coolness of the Guadelupe and Comal rivers entices visitors to the Texas Hill country town of New Braunfels, where they can cool off at Schlitterbahn on the banks of the river.  The waterpark has been a staple for over 30 years for hitting the water and beating the heat, but its popularity means there are often crowds.  So, is it possible to beat the heat and skip the crowds?

Tips for Beating the Crowds at Schlitterbahn New Braunfels

1. Go on a weekday, or weekends early or late in the season.  Schlitterbahn is an extremely popular attraction with no ticket limit.  Lines, waiting, and a shortage of tubes will be a part of the day if you don’t plan to avoid the crowds.   If you can, plan your visit for a weekday, but if that is not possible, plan for a weekend before school is officially out for the summer. Late April or early September is your best bet for a crowd free weekend.  Weekends in May could be hit or miss depending on how many schools plan class trips for the weekend.   

 

 

2. Stay at the resort.  Resort guests are offered early admission to the park for each day of their visit, so that makes the resort fee worth it.  With the close proximity of the park to the resort, guests can easily skip the time parking and driving and spend that time instead splashing and swimming.  The resort also offers the benefit of returning to your room to rest during the hottest and most crowded part of the day, and then hops back to the park in the evening when the lines have died down.

 

3. Have a plan.  Schlitterbahn has grown and expanded over the years so that it not only includes the original park, but also the newer Blastenhoff and Surfenburg parks.  Each of the three parks has unique, must-do rides that have the longest lines.  Familiarize yourself with the park map so that you can easily find the rides you want and pick a time when the lines will be shortest.   Also take note of the many activities that you can enjoy that don’t have a line, so that you can come back to those when the lines get long.

4. Spend two days splashing.   With such a large park, you can easily fill two days with activities, so you might have to worry about sunburn, but you won’t have to worry about getting bored.   If you have two days to spend, you can spend one day at the original Schlitterbahn and one day at the newer two parks.  At the beginning of each day, you should hit the most popular rides first, and then enjoy the rest of the day in the non-line activities. 

5. Start at the edges of the park. The original Schlitterbahn starts at a center point and branches out on both directions.  Most people will enter and then find the closest ride. Huge mistake!  Instead, head to the outer edges of the park where the lines will be the lightest. 

~Schlitterbahn provided complimentary passes for my family to visit.  All opinions are my own~