We're going to be spending 3 days & 4 nights at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Texas and I hope you can help me with some tips.

I'm especially worried about keeping track of our 3yo and 6yo. The park is huge but we can go back to our on site room any time - still, should we bring a stroller for the 3yo? Or get one of those tether/leash things?

And any tips on what to bring while we're using the park? And how to tote it, yet still use the rides? We can bring coolers to the picnic area & leave them, and they have lockers for wallets & keys, but what about carrying water & sunscreen, etc. around?

Any tips or help about anything are appreciated (I'm not really sure what I should be asking). Thanks

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, June 23, 2007 - 01:51 pm:

I never got a chance to go to a water park, when mine were that little. When Emily was about 10, she got a free ticket to go to the state fair. It was the first nice day, after a string of extremely hot days and it was CROWDED! Even with a 10 and 13yo, I was constantly checking to make sure we still had 4 heads. If you don't take a stroller, I'd be walking with them holding my hands, I think. The stroller would make it easier, I think, though, since only one kid would be walking.

I know we took the kids to the zoo, when they were that little, though. We probably had a stroller for Emily.

By Kaye on Saturday, June 23, 2007 - 02:25 pm:

A few things about schlitterbahn. Wear shoes, they are important. The park is huge, the lines can be long. Personally though I wouldn't use a stroller. I don't think you can use it in lines and the starts of the rides are no where close to the ends of the rides, so it won't be convienent to pick back up.

What we do when we go, we take a cooler with food (no glass no alcohol and they will glance in your cooler). We take it and set it on a table, I leave everything there, including sunscreen, keys etc. I lock an extra set in my car, just take the car key in, I have never lost it. They do have lockers available that have those little wristband keys if that makes you more comfy. You can purchace "splash cash" which is a wristband that you buy with little tabs that cut off for dollars. At the end of the day you can cash it back in. Handy if you need money in the park.

In general we make a home base and then head back to it every few slides or so. The park in new braunfels has 3 sections I believe. The main one is a full days fun. I would be inclined to do each section each day, it would be easier.

they provide life jackets, I would make sure the three year old wore one.

And I repeat, wear shoes, I wear crocs, they really save your feet and worth every penny.

By Kaye on Saturday, June 23, 2007 - 02:26 pm:

oh I didn't ask, but I assume you are headed to the original one in new braunfels, if not let me know.

the other two are much much smaller. We just spent the day at the galveston one yesterday.

By Mia on Saturday, June 23, 2007 - 02:57 pm:

Yes Kaye, we're going to the one in New Braunfels. We should be there in time to do a little exploring on Sat late afternoon/evening, and then we have 3 full days to enjoy the park. And we got one of the apartments on the Bahn side, near the office, because I thought that would be easier on the kids (we have a 9yo too) & save on meal $ since it has a kitchen.

Our 3yo can swim but I'm glad they have life jackets, I'll be sure to get him one. Thanks for letting me know all the details about the park - shoes, that's a good one, I wouldn't have thought of that!

Dawn, the crowds are exactly what I'm afraid of. My 6yo has a tendency to want to move off and touch everything and that worries me. I guess I'll look for some of those kid tethers and keep them leased to us

By Mommmie on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 12:05 am:

When we went there we just put everything in a locker and then my son and I (he was 10 at the time) just hung out together going from thing to thing. We were actually on a rode trip, saw the signs on I-35 and decided to stop. It was about 4 in the afternoon and we stayed a couple of hours then continued on our road trip. It was a very cool place, but we only saw one part of it.

If you have man to man coverage vs. zone I would think each parent would be responsible for a specific child and then you wouldn't need a tether. I would think a tether would be dangerous to have in the water.

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 12:40 am:

I have a little money thingie, that hangs around my neck. It has an o-ring and really is water-tight. The few times that my girlfriend and I went to a waterpark, I used that. It was great and my money really did stay dry!

By Tarable on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 01:04 am:

We went the first week in June to schlitterbaun in New Braunfels and had a blast. Kaye is right definately wear shoes and not flip flops, something that won't just fall off.. either water shoes or crocs. My kids 10 and 12 really enjoyed the river water part better than the other 2 and we were there for 3 days also. We also stayed at the resort at the baun and it did make it a lot easier with lunch and stuff to have the room right there.
We went with my sister and family and she has a 4 year old boy. Make sure when you are on the river side that you get an intertube that has a cover for your little one. And I definately wouldn't bring a stoller unless you are planning on parking by the kiddy stuff all day the rest of the park there is really no where to have a stroller.

Everyone we saw also brought coolers and stuff and just left it sitting there no one messed with anything. We didn't do the whole cooler thing because we went back to the room for lunch but we did have a bag and stuff on a table that we left and it had towels, sunscreen and water in it.

All I can say is make sure you don't forget to reapply the sunscreen often. My kids did great and didn't get burned but some how I ended up with really bad blisters all over my shoulders and back.

Also if your older kids want to ride the really big slides I would suggest that you go hit that side of the park as soon as the gates open because the lines are really bad. We waited over an hour to ride one that had "wolf" in the name and it wasn't supposed to be the longest line there. And most of the line was on top of a tower in the blazing sun (which is where i got sunburned).

We had fun and for most of the time there were 4n kids with us ranging from 4 to 12. Everyone enjoyed it.

Hope you have as much fun as we did.

By Karen~admin on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 09:33 am:

Never been there, but I have been to other water parks and Disney, fanny packs and backpacks work great. DH wore a small backpack with a couple bottles of water, wipes, sunscreen in it. It also doubled as a camera bag.

As one who has been to many water parks and amusement parks, I recommend comfortable clothes/coverups for swimsuits if needed, comfortable shoes/water shoes, get the kind of sunscreen that is waterproof and lasts the longest (I have seen some advertised as staying on for 5 hours).

I do know the waterpark in our area offers lockers so we've put pretty much everything in the locker, and I ditto designating a *meeting place*, to check in or in case one of you loses the rest of the group.

HAVE FUN!!!!!

By Mia on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 12:30 pm:

I'm really glad I asked this question! I've made a list of all your tips and ideas, and that's going to be such a huge help!

Now I need to go shopping!

By Karen~admin on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 05:47 pm:

OH - don't forget sunglasses and hats, for when you aren't playing in the water.

By Tarable on Monday, June 25, 2007 - 10:33 am:

They have these little straps at walmart that will keep your sunglasses on your head they are waterproof and great if you want to wear your sunglasses on the rides. My bil wore a hat the whole time we were there.. but i think there would be a chance you would lose that. If you can't find the sunglasses thing at walmart they have them at the gift shops around schlitterbaun for about $2-3, the ones I found a walmart were about $1. Hope you have a blast.

By Mia on Monday, June 25, 2007 - 12:22 pm:

I think I've seen those straps at the Optical center at Walmart. I'll check when I make my shopping trip. Good thing you mentioned those, both dh and I wear glasses!

By Dawnk777 on Monday, June 25, 2007 - 11:29 pm:

I usually wore my glasses, all day, at the waterpark. I had a strap, to keep the glasses on my head and it really did work. My glasses have transitions lenses, so are like sunglasses. Besides, it's a pain to be without my glasses, the whole day. We would be there from about noon until 7pm. They usually dried off soon enough, when I was out of the water.

By Mia on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - 03:45 pm:

I'm glad to know they work Dawn. Dh lost his glasses on our honeymoon & it cost us a fortune to get new ones there. We can't see a thing without our glasses!

By Kaye on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - 03:58 pm:

Okay, so my new take with you item....antibacterial soap, and use it immediately.

My middle kid got a rash yesterday, I was thinking it was maybe an odd sort of hives. No apparently he has something called folliculitis that he probably picked up at schlitterbahn on friday. Nice...real nice. So we have a heavy duty antibiotic and I am doing laundry like crazy.

So next time we go, we will make sure they shower with good strong soap when we get home.

By Tink on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - 05:25 pm:

Ugh, that was the mystery rash two of my dks had last year that they got from my parents' hot tub. No fun but not a huge deal in the scheme of rashes. Watch the antibiotic, though. My youngest dd ended up with a yeast infection. Just what every 4yo wants! Good luck with it, Kaye!

Mia, I'd use the antibacterial soap at the park, if there is anywhere for you to shower off there. If not, use it as soon as you get back to your hotel room each night.

By Mia on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - 08:31 pm:

Oh gosh, that's a bummer Kaye. Our room is on site so washing up shouldn't be a problem. Maybe the rashes are from wet clothes rubbing? Our middle son has eczema so we're going to have to be very careful about rashes!

By Kaye on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - 11:08 pm:

No mia, this is a bacterial infection. We aren't 100 percent sure this is where he got it, but we know it is bacterial. fun fun

By Mia on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 10:27 am:

Well it was probably from the park then - all those people & water. I hope recovery is quick!