The kiddie pool and the adult swim-up bar were the first attractions at Schlitterbahn to open to the public. The waterpark has opened rides in stages over the past two years but will be fully complete by the grand opening April 30. Courtesy photo
Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi will finally be celebrating its grand opening April 30 with all 17 of its attractions completed and open for the first time.
Since 2014, the park has planned three grand openings, none of which happened because the park was not complete. Money trouble plagued owner Jeff Henry, who kept expanding the scope and adding rides.
“We tripled the size of the park and the resort because it became clear that there was a greater demand for more room,” explained Amy Gazin, marketing and public relations director for Schlitterbahn. “That’s when the money humps came in.”
Construction halted for several months while the company regrouped. Gavin said they have no regrets.
“Now, we have this great park,” she said. “Pushing back the grand opening was definitely the right decision.”
The waterpark was open throughout Spring Break in March with only five attractions running for guests. The official inaugural launch on April 30 will be one big party, with all 17 attractions up and running. From then on, the park will be open seven days a week until late August.
Schlitterbahn has five parks total: New Braunfels, South Padre, Galveston, Kansas City and now Corpus Christi. Each park has its own charm. The original park in New Braunfels is situated on the Comal River and uses river water for many of its rides. One even ends up with tubers in the river.
The Corpus Christi park sets itself apart with a river system of its own. The Kristal River — a lazy river that is navigated by inner tube — takes up the entire park.
“It would take two hours to navigate our whole river on an inner tube,” Gazin explained. “It’s like a river highway. All the rides are incorporated into the Kristal River, so you don’t have to get out and carry your tube around. You take the river from ride to ride.”
The attraction that will surely be the favorite is the Skyblaster, a 60-foot uphill water coaster that defies the law of gravity, using jets that shoot riders upwards.
Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi emphasizes fun for the whole family. While the kids go out and play in the lazy river, the adults can enjoy a swim-up bar, a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts and more. The waterpark also has 10,000 feet of meeting space.
“People want to come here for a convention and make it a vacation,” Gazin said. “Take care of your work responsibilities, but don’t neglect your family — take them with you!”
Gazin made it clear that Schlitterbahn’s mission is to allow families to have fun together on a budget.
In addition to the big savings through online specials the park offers year-round, inner tubes and parking are always free and families can bring in coolers full of picnic items.
“The goal is not to gouge the family when they walk in — very straightforward Schlitterbahn policy,” Gazin said. “Our ultimate goal is that we want people to stay at our resort.”
A Stay and Play Package offers day passes at reduced rates when staying in one of the resort’s 92 rooms. Prices vary from off-season to high season but are comparable to other hotels and motels on the island.
“Of course, you want to be competitive,” she said, “but you don’t want to price yourself out of the opportunity. The design of the waterpark was to do one thing: promote the whole family to come out and make those splashy fun memories.”
