The thrill of throttling a fighter jet or the terrifying exhilaration of rocketing into space is out of reach for most. Fortunately, with a little imagination and an amazing roller coaster, it’s possible to experience the next best thing right here in Fayette County.
Fun Spot America Atlanta, opened ArieForce One in March and some roller coaster critics are already calling it one of the country’s top-tier coasters. Meshing the themes of space and jet flight, the coaster reaches 64 miles per hour as it zooms along 3,400 feet of patriotically painted red and blue tracks. After reaching altitude atop a 154-foot hill, the coaster hurtles down 146 feet at 83 degrees. During the 100-second experience, riders undergo four inversions, two zero-G rolls, the longest zero-G stall in the country, and the first-ever Raven Truss Dive among other unique elements.
Skeptical? Take it from retired NASA astronaut Col. John Hurley who attended the coaster’s grand opening as a special guest. “I know I could never pilot a fighter jet as tightly and smoothly as this experience,” he said. “It was truly amazing.”
The coaster was named in honor of John Arie Sr., founder of Fun Spot, who has had a lifelong passion for flight. “ArieForce One is the realization of our dreams,” said John Arie Jr., president, and CEO of Fun Spot America, which also operates amusement parks in Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida. “It’s fun, it’s unique, and most importantly, it’s huge!”
John Chidester, Fun Spot’s senior vice president of marketing said, “It brings tears to your eyes. It's very fast and it just takes your breath away. It goes from one maneuver to the next and the twists and turns that are part of the ride are so unique. It's why roller coaster enthusiasts love it, and why it's destined to be one of the top roller coasters in the country. It's not a slouch. It doesn't take a back seat to many, if at all.”
Built by the renowned roller coaster company, Rocky Mountain Construction, for $13 million, ArieForce One is Fun Spot’s single largest investment. But more is on the way. Chidester said the company has plans to continue improving and enlarging the Fayetteville park, which originally opened in 1990 as Dixieland Fun Park and in 2012 became Fun Junction USA. Fun Spot bought the park in 2017. At 120 acres Chidester said there is plenty of space for adding attractions and eventually shows and accommodations. “We're very confident that using ArieForce One as an example of the quality and scope of what we have in store, we'll be able to continue to develop the park into world-class or certainly a strong regional park.”
While Disney is considered the pinnacle of parks, Chidester said smaller parks such as Fun Spot offer big advantages. “It's, close, it's convenient, it's very economical and you can have world-class fun, world-class thrills,” he said adding that Fun Spot’s rides are built by the same people who build the rides for Six Flags and Disney. Perhaps the biggest advantage is line lengths. “We make memories too,” Chidester said. “Our memories come from being on rides and not being in line.”
As a local business, Fun Spot also wants to be a good community member. The company makes cash donations to schools and even invited high school journalism students to ArieForce One’s grand opening to cover the event and STEM students to question the engineers involved with developing the coaster. As an employer, Fun Spot trains and develops young employees in work habits, grooming standards, and how to communicate and interact with the public. These skills make them appealing to future employers.
ArieForce One may be the stand-out star of Fun Spot, but there are 25 other rides and attractions including Screamin’ Eagles and Tilt-A-Whirl in addition to a multi-level go-kart track and indoor arcade and batting cages. As a family-owned and operated company, the target audience is households with children. The park also has spaces available for birthday parties and corporate events. Safety is a priority with daily inspections and frequent test cycles on all the rides.
A wide variety of food is available at Fun Spot—pizzas, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, Dippin’ Dots—as well as Fayette County’s only Auntie Anne’s pretzels. No outside food can be brought into the park, but visitors have the flexibility to leave for a meal outside the park and return.
Open daily to defeat summer doldrums, admission to Fun Spot is free. Tickets are sold for each ride, although most visitors purchase an all-day ride pass. In the fall, the park switches to a hybrid schedule and is open on weekends. Interestingly, when the park is not open to guests, it is often used for location filming for the series Cobra Kai, which is based on kids working at a theme park.
For more information about Fun Spot, visit funspotamericaatlanta.com.
“I know I could never pilot a fighter jet as tightly and smoothly as this experience. It was truly amazing." Retired NASA astronaut Col. John Hurley
“It brings tears to your eyes...it's destined to be one of the top roller coasters in the country. It's not a slouch. It doesn't take a back seat to many, if at all.” John Chidester of Fun Spot