Advice for Schlitterbahn

[redrhodes]

Hi! My DH and I are taking our kids to Schlitterbahn June 22. We are only going for one day so I need advice on how to plan our day there. Are Wednesdays very crowded? The ages of the kids are 6, 11 and 16 so we need a plan to keep in touch. Can both parts be done in one day? Which side should we start with? Of course the Master Blaster is on the top of the list to ride. I would love some advice. We are planning on bringing an ice chest with food and drinks also. Thanks for your help!

[Sir Clinksalot]

I'm not Robb or Elissa, but I was at Schlitterbahn with them.

 

Not sure about Wednesdays. We were there last Memorial weekend and it was quite busy. All your kids should be able to ride everything in the park, including the blasters. Our son was 6 when we went and loved them.

 

You should certainly hit Master Blaster first, then head over to the other park with the river adventures. They are pretty long and very fun, but can get very full.

 

After that I would head back and do Family Blaster and Dragon Blaster. Don't miss BackSplash on the Family/Dragon Blaster side, it was one of the best things there. Also have fun on the "Crazy River" that is in the Master Blaster area. Not to be missed.

 

One day should definately be enough, but if you can close out the park the night before and get on Master Blaster it would certainly help. When we went that was the only way we were able to get on without waiting an hour or more. Just remember, everybody else in the park will have the same idea as you and will head for Master Blaster first.

 

Have fun!!!

[Rastuso]

I LOVE SCHLITTERBAHN. Here's my tips:

 

Schlitterbahn is always crowded, but a Wed should be decent. Without a doubt, get there 30 minutes before open, get in the park, and go over to the bridge in Blastehnoff and wait for the running of the bulls to the Master Blaster. If you are there at open, you won't wait more than 15 minutes or so, assuming the ride starts on time.

 

If you simply must have another ride, you probably should do it right then. The line for MB almost always fills the top platform, so if the line doesn't got down the stairs to the next level, that's about normal. On a Wed, it shouldn't ever get too long, but it never gets short.

 

Next is sorta up to you. There are some other good slides at Blastenhoff, you may want to go ahead and hit them with basically no waits in the morning. One BIG opinion of mine is that you do not want to go to the old area in the morning. They use river water for the rides, and it's damn cold year round. If it's not real hot out yet, you'll be in for a shock when you get in it.

 

The Torrent River is not to be missed. It encircles teh Blastenhoff tower and is a lazy river/wave pool that is anything but lazy. I could spend an hour just floating around it. Later in the day, it can be packed, and a tube tough to find. You should take a spin, just so you don't miss it.

 

If you leave Blastenhoff after an hour or so, and walk over to Surfenburg, you can sometimes get walkons on the two Blasters there. If you are that lucky, ride to your hearts content on those two. They aren't as good as Master, but they are both very fun, and Dragon Blaster is fairly long.

 

If you must do the surf wave, do that as soon as you get to Surfenburg. IMHO, it's no fun unless you spend the time to get good at it. Your first time you'll wait, slide down the wave, and then get pushed back and off the wave, ride over.

 

Now comes the tough part. With a family, it's a PITA to now take everything over to the old section. Be sure to put lotion on a second time before heading over if you aren't bringing it with you. I've yet to go to the 'bahn without getting a sun burn. You can haul your crap over there, but if you put it all in a locker at Blastenhoff, that means you must hoof it back over to there, get your stuff, then walk back to Surfenburg to catch a bus. I think the best plan would be to park as close to Surfenburg as possible and leave your crap there. Then, after hitting both new section to start the day, just run to the car, get your stuff and go to the old section to get a locker. Oh, and go to Wal-mart and buy WATER SHOES. Trust me, your feet will thank me. They are about $10 a pair and pretty much a necessity at the 'bahn.

 

When you get to the old seciton, DO NOT GET OFF AT THE FIRST EXIT. You will be way over in a section with very little to do other than a kiddie area and a wave pool. It's the Schlitterbahn ghetto. Ride to the Castle entrance at the top of the hill. The locker room is to the left as you enter. You'll ride through it on one of the excellent tube chutes.

 

Speaking of the tube chutes. They are AWESOME, but be warned, everyone riding them WILL be flipped off and dumped into the water sooner then later. JUst a warning for the kids. You may see folks leisurely floating down them, but they all have some drops that might flip you. ANd the blue one that starts right at the entrance is the most extreme one. It starts with a 20 foot spiraling double drop that is incredible, but might be a bit much for small kids. Some have some serious whirlpools that can separate your party if you don't pay attention. The water in the pools you get flipped in can be 3 feet deep.

 

The normal body slides in the old section aren't all that fun, imho. Time is better invested in the totally unique tube chutes. The blue one at the entrance and the castle one that starts with the long back and forth section you see at the top of the hill are the best, thrill wise. You can also take a looooooong one that is over a mile and drops you into the river. But you then have a long hike back. Oh, and to get the tubes, you must go down to the bottom of the hill from the locker room. Get a big one so you aren't real top heavy, or you'll flip constantly.

 

Oh, and I forgot, but get a money wristband in the morning when you buy tickets. It has little tabs that are worth money that can be spent in the park. Why they aren't smart enough to price everything so the tabs can be spent with no change returned is beyond me. They probably get a LOT of change out of the filters, maybe that's why. It's a bit of a risk having money on your wirst like that, but very handy.

 

The old section has a lot of shade, whch can be a blessing on a hot day. After you're done there, it's your decision if you want to go back to the newer section for more. I usually ride the Torrent River a few more times before leaving. The park can clear out later in the afternoon, because I think people are simply drained by then.

 

Have fun. Use lotion multiple times during the day or you will be sorry.

 

Rastus O'Ginga

[redrhodes]

wow thanks for all of the great information. I'll definitely follow your tips. I guess the older kids will have to keep track of time and sort of check in with me every so often so we can decide when to head to the older side. So what should I do with our ice chest? Do I carry this with us from one side to the other?

[Rastuso]

I doubt you can take the cooler on a tram to the other park. The 'Bahn isn't layout friendly to taking anything there really. We took our infant there a few years ago and it was a MAJOR pain dealing with baby stuff. It's just too spread out. You could drive your car to the other park. Parking is free. You'll easily find a place on the bottom of the hill on a Wednesday. You could then have lunch before heading in to the old park.

 

Just an FYI, the distance between Surfenberg and Blastenhoff entrances is about 2 football fields (remember those water shoes), plus another field of walking to actually get to the Blasters. The distance between those two and the Castle entrance at the top of the hill of the old park is a bit less than a mile.

 

They should offer those new kid-finder bracelets that I saw Dollywood has on the new Waterparks show last weekend. VERY cool system.

 

Rastus