The Park at OWA is located in Foley, Alabama just a few miles from Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. On the way to OWA, my family kept trying to guess what OWA stood for. We came up with some interesting suggestions until my husband googled it and found it wasn’t an acronym after all. “Pronounced like oh-wah, the name is inspired from the Muscogee Creek language to mean “big water.”” The theme park at OWA is the most obvious part of the development (the view of the rides all lit up at night is SPECTACULAR! ) But OWA is more than just a theme park, it’s going to be a 520 acre destination including the park, retail shops and restaurants, a water park and an RV park.
The best part of the OWA park, to me, is the size. You could walk around the whole park multiple times without getting tired. But don’t let the size fool you, OWA is PACKED with fun rides! The rides at OWA are divided into 3 categories : Thrill Rides, Kiddie Rides and Family Friendly Rides.
The Thrill ride section includes the Crazy Mouse, Rollin’ Thunder, Freedom Flyer, Air Racer, Alabama Wham’a, Twister and Wave Rider. I’m not generally a thrill seeker. I rode 2 of these and left the rest to my husband and kids. The employees operating these rides were very thorough in their safety precautions which made me feel good about letting my kids ride. The Rollin’ Thunder Roller Coaster is HUGE! It runs from one end of the park to the other. It was a hit with my family. The Freedom Flyer will give you the best aerial view if you’re brave enough to ride!
One of our favorite parts of our visit to OWA was the Twister ride. None of us were brave enough to ride this but we did sit by the fountain and watch people ride it for 20 minutes. Seeing the looks on the faces of the riders as they traveled in a 360 degree circle was so much fun. Definitely spend some time at the Twister even if you’re too chicken to take a spin!
The Family Friendly Rides include the Southern Express (this is a small roller coaster – it looks like a child’s ride but don’t be fooled! It goes pretty fast.), Flying Tigers, Flying Carousel, AeroZoom, Rockin’ Raft, Tea Time, Sky Balloons and Flutter By. If you are at OWA for the thrills, then some of these rides might be too tame for you. But for me, they were perfect!
If you have young children, then plan to spend most of your time near the Kiddie Rides. They include Swingin’ Fun, Leap Frog, Gully Washer, Flying Aces, Happy Haulers & Zip Zap Race. Most of these rides will allow adults (up to a certain height) to ride with their kids. We loved the Happy Haulers and no one in my family is a little kid anymore!
There are two places to eat inside The Park at OWA. They serve concession style food and there is plenty of outdoor seating. You can eat a cheeseburger and watch people fly by on the roller coaster. One of the fun things at OWA is the free face painting and henna tattoos. If you are like me, you are constantly telling your kids “No” when it comes to extra stuff at attractions. So it was really nice to be able to say “Yes” to the free fun at OWA.
Here’s the boring but necessary information. Parking is free at OWA. You may purchase your tickets online or at the entrance to the park. There are plenty of bathrooms throughout the park (and they were SUPER CLEAN!) There is a gift shop on site and a place to rent strollers and wheelchairs.
Another component of the OWA development is the Marriott TownePlace Suites located right on the property. We were able to stay at this hotel during our visit and it was so convenient. You can sit on the outdoor patio of the hotel and watch the park rides all lit up at night. The hotel offers free breakfast which is always a plus for family travel. And the best part was the drive to the park takes about 1 minute!
If you travel to Orange Beach, consider adding a few days at OWA in Foley, Alabama to your plans. It’s only 20 minutes from the beach and it can be a great way to have some family fun during your vacation.
Thanks to Visit OWA for sponsoring our experience at the park. Their financial partnership keeps our site FREE for our readers. All opinions are my own.
Family Fun Facts
The Park at OWA (Map)
Hours/Days vary by season. Check the schedule at this link for up to date information.
Admission – Adults $34.99 Kids (under 42″) $27.99 Kids 3 & under are Free
