Are you in Galveston and can’t decide which family fun activities you should go to Schlitterbahn or Moody Gardens? If so, then this article is for you.
Schlitterbahn
Schlitterbahn is a wonderful place to have fun at a water park full of just water rides, and pools with your family or friends. At Schlitterbahn the cost to get in is pricey, but you can find discount coupons online. Just google them.
Plus, you can bring your own food and beverages to this water park which really can help save on cost as the food at the park can get pricey. It’s a great perk. If you don’t bring your own food, they have a variety of foods you can eat there.
From my experience, Schlitterbahn is also very clean, has a very friendly staff and it has clean restrooms and showers, so nothing to worry on the cleanliness. Although I would still wear my flip flops in the shower if you know what I mean. 😉
My Favorite Rides
In my opinion, the best rides are those that cause the ultimate thrill
- By far is the Cliffhanger! It is my favorite because you take a big drop from the top of 81 feet and you could reach a speed of up to 40 miles per hour.
- Another great ride is the ROHR. It is just like the Cliffhanger except a bit smaller. You take a drop from a 70-foot tower and you can reach speeds of about 30 mph.
- I also like the Screaming Serpents which is a very long water slides that have sound and light effects when you go through it. It is a great experience over all.
There are so many other types of activities and rides if you are not thrill seeker to, so please don’t let my review deter your from trying out this amazing waterpark.
There are over 30 different attractions from kiddie parks to tubing to all out crazy slides. I promise there is something for everyone.
The Free Stuff
- Free parking
- Free Tubes
- Free picnic areas where you can bring in your own food into the park
Moody Gardens
Moody Gardens also has a water park called Palm Beach which includes:
- cozy, lazy river
- wave pool
- 18 foot tower slide
- Splash pad
- Aquarium Adventure
The water park at Moody Gardens isn’t as grand as Schlitterbahn by any means, so I can’t say it’s awesome per say. The lazy river was very crowded, the slides were not all that thrilling especially for a thrill seeker like myself.
The shower area was not as clean as it could be. Maybe I just went on an “off day.”
I feel like Palm Beach at Moody Gardens is perfect for family with young kids since the water park doesn’t really have any real thrill rides in comparison to Schlitterbahn.
You also can’t bring your own food in. I did find the food to be a bit pricey, but I guess that is expected any park.
The Free Stuff
- Beach & Lounge Chairs
- Beach Umbrellas
- Restroom and Showers
- Parking
- Free admission to one activity for any child (k-12 grade) who has all A’s and B’s (SWEET DEAL)
The good news is Moody Gardens has many other things to do. For example, Moody Gardens has things like an animal exhibit, ropes course, rock wall, movies and much more. It has much more variety than Schlitterbahn so everyone in your family will find something they enjoy.
Aquarium Pyramid
I personally enjoyed the the aquarium pyramid where you can see sea creatures like flesh eating shark or the sweet tuxedo penguins. They also have a rain forest pyramid, which allows you to experience rainforests of Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Theaters
They also have the MG 3D theater and the 4D special FX theatre. These theatres are awesome and give you the best 3D experience possible and they all have AMAZING quality. The 4D Special FX Theater makes the movie come alive ….LITERALLY! They have misters, rain, snow, leg ticklers….kind of creepy but fun!
Discovery Museum
They also have the discovery museum, which might be my favorite one. The discovery museum takes you back to when music was first created and how it progressed. I love music so much, so this really interested me. My brother could care less about how music came to be, so he hated this museum,
Ropes Course
Moody gardens also have a ropes course and a zip line which is so much fun. The ropes course balances your agility and strength. It is the largest steel ropes course in the Gulf Coast. Definitely worth a try!
I must add that these are just some of the attractions at Moody Gardens. The park is so big that I haven’t had a chance to try EVERYTHING out just yet. I am looking forward to going back to try out the rest of the activities.
So Now the Question is: Which Park is Better?
Honestly that question depends on what you want to do.
If you want to go on water rides and have fun in the pool with your friends and that’s it, then Schlitterbahn is the place for you. But if you want to explore and do more activities and are willing to pay a little more then Moody Gardens is the place for you.
Or do what I did and over time, try out both parks and make the decision on your own! J