Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels is one of the best water parks in the world. With three separate and distinct areas there is so much to do.
Schlitterbahn New Braunfels
I grew up going to Schlitterbahn water park in New Braunfels with my family and on band trips and was so excited to take my 3 kids to experience one of my favorite places when I was their ages. I was a tad worried it wouldn’t be as good as I remembered. Luckily it was even better than I had recalled.
When we showed up I had no idea they had added an entire other section. When I was a kid they had just opened the Blastenhoff section. Now Schlitterbahn has three distinct sections.
Schlitterbahn West
I took my kids to the oldest part of the water park first Schlitterbahn West and parked by the back entrance. For whatever reason, I find it a little easier to find a parking spot near this entrance. I think maybe people do not know that there is an entrance there. Keep in mind that wherever you park it’s free. 
This is a small pool with a swim-up bar near the back of the older part of the water park. Near here is the pizza place we usually go to and sit at picnic tables and have lunch. 
In the older section, the water is cooler than in the two newer sections. This is because they use the river water. The water park is built alongside the Comel river. Several of the tube rides end by dropping you off in the river and letting you float down a ways.
You could easily spend your entire day in just this part. What I love about this section of Schlitterbahn is the length of the tube rides. Depending on how many people are on the ride these tube rides can last 20 – 45 minutes. it certainly makes standing in line not so bad.
- I’ve noticed that an hour and a half before the park closes this section empties out. With so few people left you can get through the water rides much faster.
Next time my plan is to start at the other park and end out the day over here.
To get to the other sections you either have to either move your car or catch a shuttle. We always catch the shuttle. It is quick and easy. To catch the shuttle head out the main entrance and follow the signs.
- Sometimes there is a food cart out front selling mini donuts. They are cheap and delicious!
Surfenburg
The bus will drop you off at Surfenburg. This is where you will find the Boogie Bahn Surfing ride, a good size lazy river, Dragon’s Revenge – the 1st uphill water coaster, and a large area for younger kids to play.
What’s really cool is now when you walk out of this section you can get into a lazy river ride that will take you over to the newest section Blastenhoff. You do not even have to walk. In a perfect world, you would ever have to walk from ride to ride at any type of theme park, instead, you would ride to it. Now, their website refers to this as a 4th section, but I think that is a stretch.
Blastenhof
Over in this new section, you will find a lazy river wave pool combination. That’s right! They have combined a wave pool concept with a small lazy river and the results are epic
The Torrent River ride is my kids’ favorite thing to do in all of Schlitterbahn. They go around and around in this for hours. While they go round and round I kick back in a chair and enjoy an adult beverage. Although my favorite place to have a cocktail is in one of the huge hot tubs.
Also in this new section are large water rides. The lines, unfortunately, are always long. It’s because of these lines specifically I recommend purchasing the Blast Pass. You can list for a ride and when it’s your allotted time you come back and skip the long line. I normally wouldn’t recommend an added expense like this, but I feel like it’s worth it. The price apparently fluctuates, but the day we were there, it wasn’t that much.
Schlitterbahn Lodging
That brings me to another thing that might be worth paying for – staying on property. They have their own hotel rooms, but they are not cheap. Every time we visit I regret not staying at their hotel, but I just can’t justify the expense.
The perksof staying at one of their hotels is getting into the Blastenhoff section early. Because the lines are so bad in this section it would be nice to get in early, but I have been told by other people at the water park that the lines are still so bad the extra hour doesn’t help.
One thing to keep in mind when booking lodging is the older rooms look exactly the same as they did in 1996 when I stayed there as a teen. And back then those rooms were already old.
After a little more research I found $80 a night rooms on Travelocity at Schlitterbahn resort. (affiliate link)
Here is a room tour of our room at the SchlitterStein Lofts.
What you need to know
- Food and drink can be brought into the water park. (no glass containers)
- Take your own towel.
- Free life jackets for children are available.
- They offer a military discount
- If grandma wants to watch and not swim, she might be able to get the “Seniors Spectators” rate, if she is over 55 years old.
- Locker rentals are only good in one park. If you switch sections you must get a new locker. Lockers cost $11.
- Wear cheap sunglasses
- Ice water is free
- Buy a refillable mug. It is way cheaper than buying everyone drinks.
Schlitterbahn Packing List
- bathing suit
- Bathing suit cover up
- SPF swim shirt
- Sunglass (Cheap ones in case you lose them. I’ve lost several at this point.)
- goggles
- sunscreen
- aqua shoes
- Water proof lanyard
- GoPro
Military Discount
Schlitterbahn does offer a military discount. $49 for ages 12 – 54 and $39 for ages 3 – 11 & 55 and up. CHILD RATES APPLY FOR ALL AGES ON SUNDAYS.
The biggest issue with getting the military discount is that you cannot get it at the gate. Instead, you have to get the tickets at a military ITT office. This is not hard, but slightly inconvenient. There are a lot of military installations in Texas. Here’s who has them:
Schlitterbahn FAQs
Can you bring your own alcohol in at Schlitterbahn?
Although you can bring in a cooler with food and drinks you cannot bring in alcoholic beverages. You also cannot bring in glass containers.
Does Schlitterbahn accept cash?
Not anymore. They switched to cashless a while back.
Does Schlitterbahn provide towels?
No, you need to bring your own.
Does Schlitterbahn have life jackets for kids?
Yes, they do. However, these are not guaranteed to be available so bring your own. Check out this travel lifejacket for kids.
Can you leave and come back to Schlitterbahn?
Absolutely!
Schlitterbahn New Braunfels is a great place to take the family for some water-based fun. With tons of different rides, there’s sure to be something for everyone in the family. And if you’re looking to cool off on a hot Texas day, this is the perfect spot. So pack up your swimsuits and head on over to Schlitterbahn New Braunfels!
Where to Stay Nearby Schlitterbahn
I think it is important to note that if the grandparent is in fairly good shape that a lot of the rides/slides are awesome any enjoyable for any age. Love it there!