Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston

Which Schlitterbahn would anyone prefer best? Galveston or New Braunfels?

Very bad experience with Schlitterbahn Galveston

I bought 7 tickets for August 9, but that day the park was closed due to water issues. I understand unexpected situations can happen, but the most disappointing part has been their customer service.

I also purchased insurance for the tickets, but the insurance refused to cover the loss because the closure was decided by the park, not by me.

I’ve sent several emails explaining the situation and asking for a refund, since the tickets were bought for family visiting from another country who couldn’t come back another day. The only option they gave me was to use them another day, which was not possible, and they have refused to issue a refund.

It’s unfair to pay for a service that was never provided, especially when the cancellation was the park’s decision. I really hope they reconsider their policy and treat their customers with more respect and empathy.

Is it still temporarily closed or does it just open for the summer ?

We season past members here for quite some time have watched to go through different ownerships. We wish it was still family owned and operated, but it’s still a lot of fun. Have a great lazy river although part of it’s not real lazy it’s got some nice waves great waterslides lots of shade and places to sit that’s my favorite part is not having to come back to a table. It’s all hot when you’re wanting to rest and have a bite to eat. They have quite a few selections for food.

I went on a weekend in August (because they are only open on weekends at that time) and it was tons of fun for the whole family. It had the BEST lazy river I've ever been in and rides for everyone, queues were unfortunately large even during 'off season'

Awesome stay!

I took my family on vacation the weekend before school started. We chose Galveston so that we could spend a day at the waterpark. I purchased 6 tickets, 2 fast lanes and a cabana. Around the cabana, all water features for the kids were closed. Then around 2pm (after being there for around 4 hours), the park lost power. We stayed in our cabana for 1 hour waiting for an update. The bathrooms were closed as there were no emergency lighting and all park features were closed. Then our cabana host came to let us know the park would be closing and to go to customer service to get updates on our options for tickets. They took our information and said someone would be in contact with us. We waiting in line for 45 minutes to give that information to them. I let 2 weeks pass before I reache out. At which point I was told the 6 tickets and 2 fast lanes could be extended until the 2026 season but nothing could be done on the cabana. I accepted and mentioned i would reach out to corporate regarding the cabana. After several emails back and forth they have said that they will not honor the cabana rental so I accepted the loss and asked when I would get the information on my 6 tickets and 2 fast lanes. They are now telling me that those tickets were for the 2025 season (which ended 7 days ago) and that no extension could be granted.

I guess when you are a huge corporation you can get away with saying one thing and doing another. I also guess you can get away with not having emergency lighting in your bathrooms and interior rooms when the power goes out.

I am a single mom who saved for months to take the kids to the park and the experience was horrible and now i am out almost $1,000 with only 4 hours to show for it.

Had they not said one thing and then gone back on it, I would have never made this post but I feel people need to understand that weather was not a problem that day. they lost power and had no backup generators for anything at the park. Not a single back up generator. So if you are considering buying tickets to spend the day just know if they loose power you are out every dollar you spent.

This is NOT the Schlitterbahn that we love. We went the last day the park was open this season, and a good chunk of areas or rides were closed, which was definitely disappointing. Even if they were open, only part of it was open, or they desperately needed more rafts/tubes so that it would run more efficiently. Maybe they were closed early due to the season being almost over, but my tickets still cost the same, so seems unfair. And admittedly, over the course of years going, there's usually at least one attraction that is closed. Reading other reviews people have left recently, they speak of the closed areas smelling of sewage. My husband smelled the same, and I smelled sulfur.

I don't know if this new rule was due to recently being bought out, but now everyone under 18 is required to wear a life vest in the lazy river, and adults must go stand in a line NOT at the entrance and show an ID to sign a waiver and receive a wristband. None of this is mentioned until you're in the lazy river being yelled at by lifeguards by the way, so then you have to get out, go back to your locker to get your IDs, go to the area where the wristbands are, go back to lockers, THEN attempt to enjoy the lazy river while your teenager complains about the life vest. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for safety measures at a water park. I've been to some that could stand to use a little more implementation. But asking teenagers to wear life vests is insane. Only smaller children under a certain height should be required.

Schlitterbahn Galveston used to have my favorite all time lazy river. Having three different parts, it was a great blend of relaxing and excitement. However the White River Rapids were closed, the Tidal Wave portion was nowhere near the intensity it normally is, and the new life jacket rule killed the part of this trip we look forward to most.

Overall, due to long waits even with minimal guests there, limited rides, ridiculous new rules, and other minor things that happened not really worth mentioning but tainting this trip, I am pretty sure this was our last trip here unless some major things change.

It gets two stars because at least my husband and I both got a delicious adult beverage, and the swim up bars and what else the park still has to offer are great. I really would like to give 2.5 stars, because three doesn't convey the disappointment this last trip brought.

It has gone down hill immensely in the last few years. Every year we go half the water park is closed, they force you to wear a life jacket, and the lifeguards have a lot of attitude.

Came to celebrate a birthday, no rain for over an hour and no rides were open, $300 for 5 tickets for the lazy river and no reimbursement or tickets for another day..... Just trash 🗑️

Don't waste your time. It a money grab and not nearly as fun as it used to be

We went here in June, within an hour of arriving someone seriously injured themselves and everyone in the park was asked to leave. We were told by guest services to come back before September 1st and we will be given another day pass. What they didn’t tell us is the hoops that have to be jumped through to even get in contact with anyone at all to get the required “written” verification of the “reimbursement” day pass. We decided to attempt to call ALL DAY 8/30/25 and not once was the phone answered by anyone but Human Resources for their employees, who then transferred me to people that she knew wouldn’t answer my calls. I’m thoroughly disappointed. We spent over $500 for our large family to attend the park and got a single hour of WAITING IN LINES and then being told to leave. We will not be back. I hope this company bankrupts and everyone disputes their charges as we are.

They charge too much for a run down park. Kids area aren't safe due to neglect. They were alot areas closed.

Get the waiver so you don't have to wear the life jackets anyone over 18

It was not my first visit to this location but this visit was truly disappointing. Several attractions were closed and the park smelled of sewage water from those attractions. One member of our group was bitten by ants because they held on to a post that was meant to be a rail coming down a step. You could see dirt and algae on the bottom of the lazy river. The staff was rude and disrespectful. By the end of our trip with a party of four, three of us were sick with a stomach virus and we saw a sewer and plumbing truck leaving the park.