ArieForce One

Fun Junction USA originally opened as Dixieland Fun Park in 1990 with Go-kart tracks, batting cages, and a miniature golf course. Management eventually added a small selection of rides over the years, including the Hurricane Coaster in 2007.{{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Hurricane Coaster|location=Fun Spot America Atlanta|rcdb_number=3684|access-date=March 19, 2023}} In July 2017, Florida-based Fun Spot America Theme Parks announced the acquisition of Fun Junction USA as their first property outside of the state, with plans to roll out new attractions and branding.{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-bz-fun-spot-georgia-fun-junction-20170703-story.html|title=Fun Spot purchases Georgia attraction|date=November 16, 2021|last=Bevil|first=Dewayne|work=Orlando Sentinel|access-date=March 19, 2023}} Chief among these investments was a new go-kart track for the 2018 season, but Fun Spot America CEO John Arie Jr hinted at a signature new coaster to perhaps eventually be built at the park.{{Cite web|url=https://attractionsmagazine.com/fun-junction-usa-become-fun-spot-atlanta/|title=Fun Spot America purchases Fun Junction USA near Atlanta|date=July 3, 2017|website=Attractions Magazine|access-date=March 19, 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fun-spot-america-announces-expansion-to-their-atlanta-propertys-rides-and-attractions-300641686.html|title=Fun Spot America Announces Expansion to Their Atlanta Property's Rides and Attractions|date=May 3, 2018|website=www.prnewswire.com|access-date=March 19, 2023}}

Land was first cleared for this purpose in early 2019, with deforestation taking place where the lift hill and first portion of the coaster are now.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters/comments/b162ht/ground_clearing_at_fun_spot_america_atlanta/|title=Ground clearing at Fun Spot America Atlanta [Baseless conjecture]|date=March 14, 2019|website=Reddit|access-date=March 19, 2023}} Sometime during the following two years, Fun Spot began accepting proposals for a new coaster; GCI and Gravity Group – the respective manufacturers of the chain's White Lightning and Mine Blower wooden coasters – both reportedly (and unsuccessfully) bid on the project.{{Cite web|url=https://coasterforce.com/forums/threads/fun-spot-atlanta-arieforce-one-rmc-ibox-steel-coaster-2023.44784/page-2#post-1111137|title=Fun Spot Atlanta - ArieForce One - RMC IBox Steel Coaster - 2023|date=June 5, 2021|website=CoasterForce|access-date=March 19, 2023}}

On May 25, 2021, Fun Spot America Atlanta announced that they had selected Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Construction (otherwise known as RMC) to construct a major new steel coaster for the 2022 season. Management attempted to secure a naming rights deal with the Atlanta Hawks professional basketball team, although such efforts fell through the following month.{{Cite web|url=https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/05/25/2235847/0/en/Fun-Spot-America-Announces-partnership-with-Rocky-Mountain-Construction.html|title=Fun Spot America Announces partnership with Rocky Mountain Construction|date=May 25, 2021|website=www.globenewswire.com|access-date=November 13, 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.coaster101.com/2021/05/25/fun-spot-atlanta-to-partner-with-rmc-in-2022/|title=Fun Spot Atlanta to Partner with RMC in 2022|date=May 25, 2021|author=Kyle|website=Coaster101|access-date=November 13, 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/FunSpotAmericaAtlanta/posts/3962245130523178|title=Fun Spot America Atlanta|date=June 3, 2021|website=Facebook|access-date=November 13, 2021}} Fun Spot America Theme Parks subsequently trademarked the name "Arie Force One" on June 11, 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://trademark.trademarkia.com/arie-force-one-90768789.html|title=ARIE FORCE ONE Trademark Information|website=trademark.trademarkia.com|access-date=November 13, 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters/comments/11rbmyx/i_got_the_opportunity_to_go_behind_the_scenes_of/|title=I got the opportunity to go behind the scenes of [ArieForce One]! Lengthy TR in replies|date=March 14, 2023|website=Reddit|access-date=March 19, 2023}}

File:ArieForce One Ride Lead Car.jpg

Throughout the summer, Fun Spot socials systematically released conceptual renderings of the coaster.{{Cite tweet|user=FunSpotAtlanta|authorlink=Fun Spot America Theme Parks|number=1410259491485016068|date=June 30, 2021|title=🌟BREAKING NEWS! 🌟 View the first images of our...}} ArieForce One was officially unveiled on November 16, 2021, at the IAAPA Expo in Orlando, Florida. The coaster train's lead car was also unveiled that day at RMC's event booth, and was kept on display at Fun Spot Orlando for a few months before moving to Atlanta.{{Cite tweet|user=FunSpotAtlanta|authorlink=Fun Spot America Theme Parks|number=1460688140985847817|date=November 15, 2021|title=The #RMC train reaveal for @FunSpotAtlanta's...}}{{Cite tweet|user=FunSpotAmerica|authorlink=Fun Spot America Theme Parks|number=1471864063063998464|date=December 17, 2021|title=Do you see what I see? 👀...}} Budgeted at $13 million at the time, the coaster would represent the single largest investment ever put into a Fun Spot park. An animated onride point-of-view video was released on Christmas Day.{{Cite tweet|user=FunSpotAtlanta|authorlink=Fun Spot America Theme Parks|number=1474756821973979138|date=December 25, 2021|title=Merry Christmas from Fun Spot America Theme Parks!...}}

Work on ArieForce One was marred by serious delays, with progress bogged down by supply chain bottlenecks, zoning woes with Fayette County, and a modest construction crew. The issues ultimately pushed back ArieForce One's scheduled opening into 2023. In August 2022, John Arie Jr. stated that, "[the] project has been delayed by about eight months. We have had to invest $5 million more into property changes to satisfy the county". Fayette County officials ordered the park to construct a new parking lot and more storm drainage, which required the removal of their miniature golf courses. As stated by Arie Jr, "Basically, we had to remove one income source to build another”.{{cite web|url=https://amusementtoday.com/issues/2022/202208/|title=Fun Spot America breaks ground on Arieforce One roller coaster|website=Amusement Today|last=Sherborne|first=Pam|date=January 6, 2022|page=16|access-date=March 19, 2023}}

Steel first began arriving for the coaster in late 2021.{{Cite tweet|user=gavinwaple|number=1464702943693873154|date=November 27, 2021|title=Lots of steel for ArieForce One’s support structure has been dropped off...}} Fun Spot America held ArieForce One's groundbreaking ceremony on January 6, 2022.{{cite web|last=Sim|first=Natalie|title=$13 Million RMC Roller Coaster, ArieForce One Breaks Ground At Fun Spot America Atlanta|website=Theme Park Tourist|date=January 7, 2022|url=https://www.themeparktourist.com/news/20220107/32187/13-million-rmc-roller-coaster-arieforce-one-breaks-ground-fun-spot-america |access-date=November 18, 2022}}{{cite web|title=Fun Spot America breaks ground on Arieforce One roller coaster|website=Amusement Today|date=January 6, 2022|url=https://amusementtoday.com/2022/01/fun-spot-america-breaks-ground-on-arieforce-one-roller-coaster/|access-date=November 18, 2022}} The first pieces of the support structure were installed in February, with construction continuing up until the end of the year.{{Cite tweet|user=FunSpotAtlanta|authorlink=Fun Spot America Theme Parks|number=1493339319418904580|date=February 14, 2022|title=Roses are red, Violets are blue, Here's the first piece of #ArieForceOne,...}}

Departing the station, the train traverses two bunny hops before ascending the {{convert|154|ft|m|adj=on}} tall lift hill at an angle of 45°. Upon reaching its peak, the train plummets down a {{convert|146|ft|m|adj=on}} first drop at 83°, reaching an advertised top speed of {{convert|64|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}. Riders rise up into the coaster's first inversion, a dive loop (dubbed as a Raven Truss Dive) acting as a turnaround. A speed hill directly proceeds such, leading up into the second inversion, a large Zero-G stall underneath the lift hill. A large outwards-banked airtime hill follows, redirecting the train 90° to the left and into the park. After speeding through a double up, riders sharply drop into the third inversion, a tight barrel roll overtop of the arcade. Behind the park's main buildings, the coaster twists through an off-axis hill, right-hand turnaround, and a final Zero-g roll. A second low hill above the arcade leads riders into the coaster's final stretch, consisting of an extended quad-down. Riders pop up into the final brake run and proceed back to the station through a 90° turn to the right. One ride on ArieForce One is advertised to last 100 seconds.{{Cn|date=October 2022}}

ArieForce One stands {{convert|154|ft|m}} tall, {{convert|3400|ft|m}} long, and reaches a top speed of {{convert|64|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} throughout the ride. The natural topography results in a total elevation change of {{convert|180|ft|m}} throughout the ride layout. The coaster runs two 5-car trains, each car of which seats riders in two rows of two, resulting in an occupancy of 20 passengers per train and an estimated hourly capacity of 900 people per hour. In terms of the layout, ArieForce One contains an 83° first drop and four inversions, including a headlining "Raven Truss Dive" and the largest Zero-G stall in the United States. G-forces throughout the ride vary, with riders being subjected to vertical G-forces between 3.75 g and -1.0 g, as well as lateral forces of +/- 1.25 g.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMGAKfRx1Jo|title=ArieForce One Roller Coaster Reveal|date=November 16, 2021|website=YouTube|publisher=Fun Spot America Theme Parks|access-date=November 16, 2021}}

ArieForce One received the 2023 Golden Ticket Award for Best New Attraction Installation from Amusement Today.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsbtv.com/entertainment/things-2-do/local-roller-coaster-wins-best-new-attraction-award-golden-ticket-awards/ZES2MUTM4BBSLBJOUYELSRIRTA/|title=Local roller coaster wins Best New Attraction award at Golden Ticket Awards|date=September 17, 2023|publisher=WSB-TV|access-date=August 11, 2024}} It also ranked at position 25 for the world's best steel roller coasters its debut year.

{{GTA table

| type = steel

| access-date = September 10, 2023

| 2023 = 25

|2024=17}}

{{reflist}}

• {{RCDB|19332|ArieForce One}}

{{Golden Ticket Award for Best New Attraction Installation}}

Category:Hybrid roller coasters

Category:Roller coasters in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Best New Attraction Installation