Was ArieForce One a Bad Financial Decision?

[@X2tream_Arrow]

I went there on Easter and there was 12 people in the entire park.

[@AmazingElevatorsandClaws]

Poor fun spot :(

[@MrWyn17]

But it was Easter

[@a_goblue2023]

Yeah that’s normal for theme parks on Easter. I went to Carrowinds a few years back on Easter and you could literally walk on Fury 325. The longest I waited was 5 mins

[@inlinechris]

Lies. I was there on Easter too and there were AT LEAST 13 people there.

[@drpenguin57]

​@@a_goblue2023I'd have thought most parks would be packed on easter weekend because of spring break. Hershey always gets busy on easter weekend

[@StamfordBridge]

Before AF1, Fun Spot Atlanta was largely a place for local kids’ birthdays. REALLY small scale. For AF1 to get a return on investment, it will require further developments in the park to make the whole place more of a destination. So further risk. One factor in Fun Spot’s favor: SFoG is a great park in theory, but it has the worst operations in America (yes, worse than Mt. Olympus). I don’t think enthusiasts often realize how fed up so many of the locals are with the way it’s run, and how many just refuse to return. So in that light any alternative park in such a major metropolis has a chance.

[@richtrae99999]

Absolutely agree. I grew up in lithia springs and douglasville and i loved going to six flags but hated the way it was ran.

[@StamfordBridge]

@@richtrae99999 A great park terribly run.

[@KrimsonStorm]

Yep, that's why I think Fun spots push for another coaster or two, maybe a few more flat rides, plus a water park section, would easily just gobble up visitors. It's really can he keep the momentum going while accumulating the debt currently until it's at the point to pay it off

[@alantrotter2077]

I think SFOG has better operations than SFDK and Mt Olympus for sure, and they actually have topped SFOT on my visit to that park. But yes they are well below average as a whole. Especially if you compare them to Carowinds or Dollywood. I've heard a lot of positives about the Fun Spot Ops from someone who went last weekend. I will be going this weekend.

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

SFOG was the only option for a LONG LONG time. Dollywood only grew to be a truly worth competitor within the last decade or so and the same could be said for Carowinds. I lived in Atlanta from 92 to 2010 and during all that time I looked several times at both of those parks instead of SFOG but I could never justify the added cost of an overnight hotel room based on the rides available. All of that has now changed as the last time I looked either Fury 325, Lightening Rod and several other top quality coasters have been added to those competitors. Now if I lived in Atlanta it would be hard to ignore the other options within half a day's drive of the area. With this coaster getting added to the mix it just ratchets up the competition, because if I live on the North Side of Atlanta and drive to Fayetteville I've made the worst part of the drive I'd need to take to Wild Adventures in Valdosta so why not combine the two parks instead of SFOG?

[@thuntermystrokesofgenius3253]

Gosh darn it. I can't help but root for these guys to be the Little Park That Could. They just seem so nice and earnest, and that coaster...what a beauty!

[@ducksfan_1149]

this feels like an old school coaster studios video, great stuff.

[@kingpiniv]

This ride is the reason to go to Fun Spot. But, they need to add more for people to want to come back. This is a smart financial decision if they add more attractions. You can't just plop an rmc down and expect to make a profit long term. Hopefully this is the start of something big for this park

[@KrimsonStorm]

John did mention in iappa wanting a water park there along with more coasters. We will see how much can be added to make it a destination park

[@kingpiniv]

@KrimsonStorm As was mentioned in the video, step 1 has to be making the park look nicer. Right now it screams county fair but with a giant RMC as the centerpiece. After that, I'd add a few new flat rides and a smaller coaster. Arieforce is great, but you want people spending time and money at the park, not just for 1 ride. It will be a slow process, but if done right, within 5 years, it could start to be somewhat of a destination park. They have their Michael Jordan, now you have to build the rest of the team around it

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

@@kingpiniv lot to be said for county fairs. Lots of people who grew up in the south have very fond memories of going to the county fair as a kid. Cumming County Fair in the North Atlanta area is absolutely positively PACKED with people every year.

[@kingpiniv]

@Ashleigh Elizabeth I love county fairs, but with an RMC, fun spot really has to move past that kind of look. And I have faith that they will

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

@@kingpiniv oh I agree they need a park upgrade certainly. But the cost of that compared to the cost of this coaster is negligible.

[@CoastersTravels]

I share the same concerns, but I have faith in thier decisions. I REALLY hope the GP loves this ride as much as enthusiasts do.

[@brianfoss571]

Hopefully, but it really might be too much for the GP. The Aries took a big risk building their first major coaster for enthusiasts. A small Vekoma Tilt coaster might have been a smarter choice.

[@alantrotter2077]

So, I had family that went last weekend and I'm going this weekend and their comment was the GP was a bit freaked out by it. I'm not sure the locals knew what they were getting into as it is so different than anything else in that park compared to SFOG, where you pretty much know what you are getting into.

[@FunkAndFluff]

I really, really appreciate it whenever you take time to discuss the business and engineering aspects of parks and rides.

[@CoasterStudios]

Glad you liked this style of video!

[@Jadentheman]

Fayetteville is a growing area and Hollywood is moving their production more and more out there. So this park will get some looks in the future, maybe feature in a tv show or movie or two.

[@airtimemyke8164]

John Arie told us directly $13 million to RMC. $6 million to the property in Georgia. Total investment $19 million

[@CoasterStudios]

I could see that!

[@fadedidentity]

from what I gathered from several different coaster channels that covered the opening of ArieForce One, it seems like they already have plans to work with RMC again to beef up the rest of the park and expand on the amount of land that they have readily available to use. it’s probably gonna take some time to get some type of return, but I think creating the initial hype with a world class coaster like ArieForce One was a smart idea. Now they just have to capitalize and move quickly to revamp the rest of the park

[@KrimsonStorm]

I am remaining positive here. When I did my lunch break rides on Thursday last week, the park had a decent crowd at noon. 3 school buses, plus maybe 1/4 full parking lot. I assume each of the kids on there got a pass. If 3 school buses had maybe 40 kids per, that's 120 kids, or 4,800 dollars on its own. I try to buy food from there on top of my season pass to support the park. They theoretically only need 450,000 day passes to be sold to make 18m, of course minus taxes. I got to speak with John Jr himself that day and he mentioned the TV/net ads and billboards will be coming out in the few two weeks. That lines up with the park readying itself for being open every day starting in june. But you're absolutely right, a lot of GP don't know it's open. I was at the grocery store down the road the day after, while wearing the AFO red shirt, and a family asked if I was media or worked at fun spot because they didn't know when the ride would be open. Spread the word!!

[@CoasterStudios]

Glad to hear they’re going to be starting their ads soon!

[@antonytsai6611]

To me it seems like they put a massive coaster thinking people will come but it’s just one ride when most of the park is kiddie rides

[@George_bonnaire]

People will come if it’s that good

[@bohottie]

You mean enthusiasts will come. They do not keep these parks afloat. It will be like I305…

[@TheDon6]

I live in Fayetteville and I’m suprised this place still exist 😂. Grown over the years for sure though.

[@rufusc4311]

The first time I heard about AF1 was on an advertisement at Fun Spot Orlando last year. As an enthusiast from the ATL area, I was like "whaaaaaatttt?!" because I wasn't aware such a big ride was coming to a park within an hour from me that I had barely even heard of. I got the chance to ride it multiple times on Easter with an enthusiast friend of mine (who had never heard of it until I brought it up) and every time it was either a walk on or station wait. While it was a win for me and the other enthusiasts who could lap as many times as we wanted, I agree with your concerns because of the lack of people in such a populated area. They did scan wristbands that day so it may have just been untrained employees. All that being said, this ride is freaking AMAZING and made my top 3. I did this, Hurricane, the go karts and the Screamin Swing - and AF1 by far left the other rides in the dust. Keep up the amazing content you guys!

[@amiraishated3088]

Yeaa I agree it’s crazy you guys lived here and didn’t even know about it. Also, when I go to the fun spots in Florida I get walk on rides pretty much everytime so I think this park will be fine they just gotta add more to get more guests coming in

[@ChasingThrills]

As someone who lives in Atlanta I can confirm that there are billboards. They are just electronic ones and there aren't too many. As for crowds, I went on the Thursday after opening day and it maintained a stair wait the entire time though there were 3 rows closed off due to the brake run issues (They were running 2 trains). The considering the fact that it was raining while i was there and it was still pretty crowded, I think FSA will be fine. But that's just from my perspective from going to opening day and that Thursday.

[@CoasterStudios]

Rows being closed off would be a completely different issue from brakes. If I had to take a guess, that would likely have to do with the hydraulic locking cylinders. Glad to hear there are some billboards though.

[@TGH1966]

I’ve also seen some billboards around Atlanta too. It will be interesting to see what happens. I wish them luck.

[@DrizzingFoTime]

Cap

[@mylesmcarthur642]

@@CoasterStudios They closed rows on both of the trains because the speed at which it has been running when full on warmer days is causing it to fault when it enters the break run.

[@inthelaunch9319]

@@CoasterStudiosfrom personal experience with RMCs usually rows are closed for seat sensors or power connector issues

[@overbanked]

I was there yesterday and the park had a decent sized crowd. Arie Force One was running one train ops, but was leaving the station with a full train in the afternoon into the evening

[@ThemeParksToTheMax]

You guys work so hard to get all that off ride! Great job :)

[@natep8153]

As someone who lives 10 mins away from fun spot, I went with some gp friends the Wednesday after it opened... I assumed everyone here at least knew about AF1 but even though we'd go all the time in the past to hang out and race gokarts they weren't aware there was even a roller coaster there until we got to the park. I think that says something about the marketing... If the target market in the same county as a world class roller coaster isn't aware it exists, that might be a problem. Even still, we got maybe 40 rides in just a few hours because we were able to stay on the ride. Obviously Im not complaining, but it seems like a coaster like this shouldnt be a walk on the week after it opens, especially with that week being spring break in the area. It's definitely going to get more publicity before the summer season, and I have seen a few billboards around ATL and online ads. Hopefully fun spot is able to maintain it and redirect some income across the chain to AF1 because it really is a great ride.

[@corvscorner6208]

It’s so sad that non coaster enthusiasts don’t care about roller coasters like we do. I’m about an hour from the park, and I rode opening weekend and it was unbelievable. I tried to convince my non enthusiast friends to come and they were like “I already went on the ones at 6 flags, why am I gunna waste my time.” I tried to explain to them how awesome it is but they just don’t care. Sadly I think a lot of people in Georgia don’t care, so I’m worried this RMC is going to be collecting dust 😞

[@kwantis1]

literally same like they just don’t get it

[@BackSeatJunkie]

You need to change friends.

[@affabaffa4393]

I was there yesterday and there was almost no one, a couple of locals, my group of enthusiasts, another group of enthusiasts, and Theme Park Review. So trains were almost full the entire time, but it was all the same people. I really hope they add more to the park because there is so much potential and they need to add a lot more to make a return on investment!

[@salsashark3342]

I saw an ArieForce billboard in Marietta last week

[@KamariMugler]

As someone who lives in Georgia. They did market the coaster. They had tons of billboards off all highways. They started that a year ago. I was actually very surprised to see billboards specifically for a new coaster from such a small park. So yes, they did market the coaster.

[@Somanybeats]

I remember seeing a few too

[@nicholasficorelliii1918]

This is just the beginning for Fun Spot. They are going to add more to enhance the lineup. There is no way that they just add this and expect a lot.

[@alansmith3984]

Six flags over Georgia isn’t busy this time of year either. They’ll start packing in around May. I didn’t even know fun spot existed in Atlanta until Aireforce one. I have an annual pass now.

[@KrimsonStorm]

Same!

[@msmliars908]

I live in Ky and can’t wait to get there to ride it.

[@mattpatti390]

Wow, thanks to this video I am able to realize that I actually have been to this park! Way back in 2012, I was in the area and was trying to make Goliath at SFOG my 100th coaster, but needed one more credit to do so, so I took a spontaneous day trip here and rode Hurricane and then completely forgot about it until now! The name change especially confused me lmao. I never would’ve realized it was the same park…

[@jasonyau326]

Remember their tagline: IT"S HHUUUGGGEE! The Aries are putting money where their mouth is! So regardless of the long term outcome of AF1, I salute them and tip my hat for staying true to their motto!

[@RedSlayerRides]

As rough as mind blower is, fun spot Kissimmee is re-tracking the coaster fully with Brazilian wood. I was talking to the head manager at fun spot Kissimmee and he was talking about how the ride needs a retrack and they are going to do it sometime this year.

[@Taylo791]

I live in Atl but consider Carowinds my home park now lol so am hopeful that Fun Spot will keep this trajectory going

[@markeezygarage]

Would have made a lot more sense to be at one of the Florida locations, now that you said it! Shame that they didn’t have enough space. It would’ve been a top 5 coaster in Orlando.

[@goldstarchoice]

When school gets out, FunSpot will be a madhouse trust me.

[@Maniac1551]

Making a spontaneous trip out this weekend. Lets goooo.

[@clarkyoung6970]

While I did go on a day with miserable 40 degree weather, there was a SINGLE other guest at the park. This is no exaggeration. However, the ride operator, who I also saw in construction/funspot updates, did state they were very pleased with the attendance of the first week…

[@brianfoss571]

The closest comp I can think of to this is Desperado at Buffalo Bill's. Literally in the middle of nowhere, over 30 miles from the Vegas Strip. But it worked because it was at a casino that could cover its losses. FECs obviously don't have that revenue base, so it's hard to see FSA add much more than a Vekoma STC and family boomerang in the coming years.

[@FloridaRaisedRomeo]

As a Florida resident who often travels north for parks like Dollywood, sfga, Kentucky kingdom etc. I will be stopping here with my fun spot passes… the three park pass is 100% worth it for a amazing rmc.

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

And people from Atlanta traveling to Florida will do the same. Believe me when I lived in Atlanta and traveled to Florida if this thing had been open I would have definitely stopped. I'd also stop on my way to Savannah, GA or to St Simon's Island. I'd have stopped by when I went to the Georgia Ren Fest which is near by or if I went to an event at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. And if I'm driving from the North Atlanta Suburbs to ride it, then why not make a week of it and go down to Valdosta to Wild Adventures? Come to that there is a State Fair in the southern part of Georgia as well and the Vedalia Onion Festival as well...

[@benjacobs574]

If they want this place to become a location similar in size to the other fun spot parks, I’d start by buying something like a vekoma suspended coaster as well as a few modern permanent flat rides, and just spruce up the place a bit, targeting younger families initially. Then after it’s a more established location, I’d build the signature large coaster.

[@seadog1988]

they're gonna have to get rid of the carnival rides and bring in permanent flat rides. they could try to develop it like owa or alabama adventure. and wild adventure.

[@CoasterCrest]

Even Lost Island themepark had most likely a much less profitable opening year than ArieForce One is starting off with. Their situations feel oddly similar, and yet Fun Spot Atlanta has more potential for success, I'd say. So if Lost Island will be able to turn things around and stay in business (that is a mighty big *if*), I have no doubt Fun Spot can too.

[@hawkeyenfl]

They gotta market them selves in Atlanta even my family in Atlanta didn’t know this park existed and they go to Florida semi annually and even go to Fun-spot in Florida

[@sirbossk]

This does strike me as extremely risky, but I think we should wait until summer to really see if people will start to show up. Hope it works out for them!

[@adamthesportsfan2346]

Update: went it summer. Was still dead

[@karlmanning2603]

I rode this for the first time this past weekend. Yes, it is a PHENOMENAL roller coaster. However, most of the people who were there were locals and coaster enthusiasts. As someone who grew up in an Atlanta suburb (I live in Savannah now), I admit that I never knew this park existed until ArieForce One got announced. I told all my friends who live near Atlanta to definitely check this out, but it will take more than “word of mouth marketing” to get more people to the park. Still, I’m sure Fun Spot Atlanta is seeing an increase in attendance overall.

[@Xolivas1]

Honestly, I think AF1 is a good start for good things to come. But...this is a huge BUT...if they intend to expand Fun Spot (which they intend to do), they gotta do it right. If they focus on the park/coaster enthusiast with installing huge rides, that could just turn away the GP, thus creating an investment drain for the park. But if they just install smaller rides (flats, another go-kart track, etc.), that could drive away potential park enthusiasts. I think the right approach would be the standard formula. Add something small, then install a major investment later on. That way, they can have more patrons coming to Fun Spot.

[@DownAndDirtyOffRoad]

I live outside Atlanta, never been to Fun Spot before. Always went to SFOG or Dollywood. Now we will probably get a season pass to fun spot just to ride this one ride, as it's way better then anything SFOG has

[@dopaminecoasters]

When I visited the park, the entire station was empty and the only people were enthusiasts. I’ve barely seen any advertisements or posters about the ride in the area, so this does make me a bit worried. I could’ve just came on a slow day though.

[@komanjohnson7521]

The had billboards up all down hwy 85 for 2 years

[@maxhagenauer24]

I think that 240 off 1 train was really where they were thinking and wanted to go cause that is actually stupid insane the fact you can get $240 off 1 full train. They were probably thinking it would be popular and get even just medium lines and make insane money from that if everyone payed per ride.

[@railsrust]

My guess is that they're funneling money off the Kissimme locations to maintain this park. Like you said, their other parks make plenty of money. They probably figured it would take a while, and just wanted a big ride that they could make a big splash with. Keep in mind, there are other parks who made similar (not quite to this scale, but still) of investments. Look at Beech Bend Park with Kentucky Rumbler and ZDT's with Switchback. I've been to ZDT's and it still boggles my mind that THEY are in business with that single wooden coaster in the middle of nowhere. Give it time and I think this park will be bumping along pretty well. This is definitely a park to keep your eyes on.

[@carlollmann831]

This seems like a big first step for a park that really has nothing else. I hope lots of people go ride it but it is a bold first move. If it cost 15 million you are now thinking of all the other rides they will have to add to get people there. Then in a couple of years they really will need another roller coaster to beef the park up. To me it seems like a big hole of endless spending. Hopefully there other parks pull in enough to pull this off. I wish them luck.

[@davidrivera9743]

Exactly. It's a get people in the door and two to three years out another big move.

[@airbus7373]

I’d also say investing in something less intense than Arieforce would be a smart move. Some guests may be turned off by the intensity of AF1, thus leaving those guests to stay at SFOG. Vekoma could do wonders here with an STC or SFC.

[@brianfoss571]

Even a family boomerang would be fine if they can't afford a STC right away. I kinda wish they'd built North America's first Tilt coaster instead of an RMC, though.

[@KrimsonStorm]

A quality woodie would also do the trick. Aren't those decently cheap comparatively?

[@brianfoss571]

@@KrimsonStorm Yeah, but FSA might not want to build a Gravitykraft considering how badly MineBlower has aged in < 6 years. A steel family coaster could be a safer pick.

[@KrimsonStorm]

@@brianfoss571 I mean there's more than one wood manufacturer 👀

[@brianfoss571]

@@KrimsonStorm I don't think Fun Spot Atlanta would want a woodie over 2,000 ft long. At least not in the next 5 years. White Lightning is GCI's 2nd shortest coaster, and that's still 2,032 ft.

[@CoastinWithNick]

I hope everything goes well for Funspot. I’ll continue to do my part in showing support by visiting as much as I can and buying beer and food while I’m there 😎

[@minnesotacoasters]

About the over shooting the brakes thing, I was there last Friday and I never actually saw it happen because I left mid day to go to Over Georgia, but when I came back for night rides, they had rows 3 and 4 closed and the enthusiasts who were there at the time claimed it was because the train over parked slightly outside the station. I took a video of the two rows being out of service and it’s in my vlog on my channel. So I can’t verify whether or not it did actually over shoot, but it certainly overparked, and Fun Spot shut two rows down.

[@CoasterStudios]

Rows being closed off would be for a completely different issue

[@gametime2473]

We have gone to Fun Spot Atlanta a few times since Arie Force One was installed and it's a really fun park. They have another janky but hilarious coaster, some old school flat rides and the best go cart course I have ever been on (and it's included in the wristband). You actually get airtime on it lol. Food is reasonably priced and you can lap AF1 as much as you want. We got 37 rides on it last time we went. We didn't even have to get off most of the time.

[@lanardfletcher1422]

I live in Atlanta and I had no idea. Lol

[@caleblloyd1734]

As an Atlanta native they have potential. Six flags is also outside of the perimeter and white water is even further. They do have some public buzz. If they take advantage of six flags inability to add anything significant they can succeed with this.

[@snkrbst502]

Just rode this thing today. One ride. Back right seat and WOW I was blown away!

[@kickthesky]

This feels like the Dania Beach Hurricane. They build a kick-butt coaster as part of a fun center with small rides and a huge arcade. I went there one day before boarding a cruise in Miami and had the coaster to myself pretty much the entire afternoon. This coaster was visible from a major highway, was in the midst of a popular vacation spot in Florida, and yet, the whole thing was a bust.

[@George_bonnaire]

I was just thinking the same thing. I used to live near there and it was a good coaster but it wasn’t enough for the place to stay relevant forever

[@Cheezbat]

Exactly! The Dania Beach Hurricane was a great ride in a busy city easily accessible and viewable from the freeway, and even it couldn’t survive.

[@davidrivera9743]

@@Cheezbat land became far more valuable than the Hurricane and go karts sitting on it. That's South Florida in a nutshell.

[@Pianissemo]

I feel bad for fun spot😔 I wish i lived near there

[@coastersnthings]

This has been a worry of mine from Day 1 with this ride at this park. I really REALLY hope it gets the attendance it needs cause if it doesn't, then they might not gain enough profit in return to put back into Fun Spot Atlanta after ArieForce One. That being said I'm really hopeful this addition will help this park's profit.

[@amiraishated3088]

I feel like once they add a few more attractions to the park there will definitely be more people coming out. Side note…I have seen more billboards for arieforce prior to them actually opening the ride back in 2021/2022 they had billboards all over saying that the ride would debut in 2022….that did not happen and slowly after that I stopped seeing the billboards. On opening week I just so happened to see a commercial for it on MTV which got me pretty excited.

[@ComposerConductor]

I think Fun Spot by Atlanta will be expanding. This is one of likely several other rides.

[@TheNinjaDC]

I feel the intent is to transform Funspot Atlanta into the chain's full fledged theme park. The Florida ones are limited in expansion, but the Atlanta one has plenty of room for growth. I think them planning to turn it into a Kentucky Kingdom size park (minus the waterpark) would also make sense for the area since it is so far from anything else. Turning it slowly into a full fledged amusement park makes it more a destination to visit, not an attachment to another trip (which is what Funspot Atlanta needs).

[@adammayo4377]

One way they are paying for it is a huge increase in annual pass prices. Our passes went up $40 or so and they stripped out tons of the benefits and put them on a new platinum pass at $299/year. We weren't happy with these new neutered passes but we go to both Orlando parks so much we got them anyway.

[@AdventuresWithAlex]

I had those same concerns with seeing how slow the park has been since open. I’m sure they’ll continue funneling money from the Florida parks into this one to flesh it out and attract more GP EDIT: happy to hear the confirmation about remaining trimless 😊

[@dextermorgan1]

I used to live in Atlanta. I'd never heard of this place until I saw it on your channel.

[@WaveManMike]

All it’ll take is the state of Georgia to see more development. They might be projecting a population increase. By that time this would be a very prestigious coaster.

[@Galistia]

I was wondering if they were planning on beefing up the entire park to make it a real contender for Six Flags over the years. Like turn it into a legitimate, full day amusement park. But the location really isn't ideal, like you've stated. But if it was a nice full day park, could it turn into a destination, and perhaps cause the area to grow?

[@KrimsonStorm]

Keep in mind Fayetteville is growing rapidly. I mean, hell, pinewood studios (where guardians of the Galaxy is filmed) is right there. My next door neighbor did the sets for guardians 3.

[@GTR3x]

There are specific ArieForce One billboards on I-285 between the airport and Six Flags. Let’s see how much publicity picks up as summer approaches.

[@shakatak0128]

I was just there on Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024, and we were literally the only car in the lot for at least an hour. The most cars that were in the lot while we were there was 4. It was CRAZY. We rode Arie Force One around 15 times, and there were never more than 2 other people besides me and my 2 sons on the ride. We also rode the big Go-Kart track (Goliath?) about as many times. It was a fun visit, but it was weird seeing it completely deserted.

[@shakatak0128]

I should add that Arie Force One was incredible and it had so much weightless time.

[@theweakestlink2278]

This park is going to be a work in progress for the years to come to bring it up to par with their other parks. The ATL location still needs upgrades to their flat ride line up and to the overall appearance of the park. They also lack a mid range family coaster like the Orlando park has. I think Arie Force One is only the beginning. They're just going to have to do it a little at a time as their budget allows being a small chain like they are.

[@CoasterStudios]

I agree!

[@connorchambless7062]

Fun Spot has every opportunity to be the best park in Georgia. I know coaster enthusiasts enjoy SfoG’s lineup, but there are few companies that I have felt like could care less about in-park experience than SfoG. It sucks. They know you’re there for the coasters and not much else. The locals are so tired of it. To pay $30 for a day at Fun Spot, and be able to leave the park and come back, it’s fantastic. Arieforce One is amazing, they need another great coaster and I will be campaigning relentlessly for them. Cheering for Fun Spot as a Georgia local.

[@The8BitNerd]

0:05 Love the Field of Dreams reference.

[@Calakapepe]

Depending on how good that friendship has become developing this ride.. maybe this is an opportunity for RMC to branch beyond the giant clients (which many have an rmc now).. and, like The Gravity Group, start to offer kids/ family coasters? Or even branch into... other types of rides.. in hopes to help this park

[@DJWezzyK]

They have said it is part of a huge expansion plan to this property to turn it into a proper amusement/themepark. So I am very curious how they will do that.

[@CoasterStudios]

It will definitely be a place to keep our eye on!

[@iamdigbick4675]

If it fails I hope they will be able to move it to one of the Florida parks. The back section where hurricane is at the Kissimmee park seems like wasted space. I don't know if it would fit back there though. I'm just jealous that Atlanta got this, because Orlando needs an RMC and I don't see anyone else in Central Florida doing it.

[@overbanked]

I don't think that the FL Fun Spot parks have the space for AF1. That small plot where Hurricane is in the back is certainly not enough land

[@Bc232klm]

Visually, it looks a lot like what I imagine an RMC American Eagle could look like.

[@oceanairboy]

Am I going crazy or are the people in the front row during your slow motion stall at 1:19 playing Rock, Paper, Scissors? I swear y'all catch the strangest stuff in the slow motion parts of your videos. Lol. One from a while back had two dudes that were just locked eyes and staring at each other.... I'm beginning to think it's intentional, but I never recognize the people from any of your videos. 😂

[@Josh_Stuchbery]

The new ride looks absolutely sick but the park is kinda ugly. I know it's not what people come for, but some decent landscaping would go a long way. It looks like it actually has some decent attractions, but having vast areas of dead empty space kinda kills the mood in my opinion.

[@nafspark]

AF1 was a vanity project, not a legitimate investment for the long-term growth of the park. It's way too extreme (especially with how aggressive the ending is) for the park's normal clientele, and the park lacks other attractions to appeal to enthusiasts seeking higher thrills. Sure, a lot of folks are going to be intrigued by the big new ride, but how many are going to want to come back?

[@thebe_stone]

The other 2 parks dont really get much attendance during the day either. Those 2 are really night parks for after a day at disney or universal. Once I went during the day and the ride ops just followed us around since there was essentially nobody else there

[@kristopherlove2760]

The fact you got a clip of someone standing RIGHT next to the coaster while it’s running should tell us everything we need to know lol.

[@PhoenixTTD]

There is not good history for places relying on 1 rollercoaster. You have the Vegas places, Desperado, Timber Falls with Avalanche/Hellcat, and I might include Celebration City with Ozark Wildcat and a small park compared to Silver Dollar City nearby. Big Chiefs/Mt Olympus made it because they had a waterpark and resort. But there is not a lot of track record for a small place with just one coaster. The bonus is you don't have to rely on a small park maintaining a wood track, but they will probably need a waterpark and resort to put it all together.

[@overbanked]

Boomers, Dania Beach Hurricane

[@stephengurr8365]

I think we need to wait until summer to judge attendance.

[@alantrotter2077]

SFOG has a nice coaster collection. Without question it is above average in the chain and probably as whole in the US. The operations are hit and miss and are really subpar. So, if Fun spot can find their spot and market the coaster well, they have a chance. Atlanta is a big market, and the weather is pretty good year-round. I think a small RMC Raptor is a very logical addition for one of the 2 Florida parks.

[@KrimsonStorm]

Yeah, the fact they were able to pull over 3x visitors during spring break which included not just Easter Sunday, so a dead day, but also 3 rainy days is honestly promising.

[@SmoakinThrills]

To be fair, I have seen several billboards for the coaster on I 75 around Atlanta

[@zesolodar]

where? i live in atlanta drive 75 almost every day and have never seen one

[@JSXSProductions]

Barely related, but this park reminds me a lot like Arizona's biggest park (somehow) Castles and Coasters, which I know you're a HUGE fan of ;) Now that Metrocenter Mall (C&C is in the parking lot of that mall ) is officially dead, I unrealistically dream of C&C taking over the property and turning it into a real park. It's right off the I-17 in the middle of town. We're one of the largest metro areas in the country and (until Barbie Land finally opens) Desert Storm is still our biggesst, best coaster. So basically, we need our own AZ version of ArieForce One. A random, world-class RMC next to a tiny family fun center.

[@TheArake07]

This used to be called Dixieland Fun Park and had about what you would expect at your local fair

[@jordanberndt4157]

Funspot Atlanta owns about 100 acres of buildable land, (that's about the same size as Six Flags New England). It's totally understandable that the Aries would want to expand and build out this park into full-sized theme park, the two big questions are: 1. Can the Atlanta area support 2 major theme parks? 2. How will FSA make itself stand out from SFoG?

[@boom3615no]

Hoping to ride it over the summer when I finally go to over Georgia with my family!

[@crooked-halo]

I've ridden Switchback at ZDTs hundreds of times. It's a fabulous coaster at a super-friendly, well-run park whose owners are coaster enthusiasts. But, it's out in the middle of nowhere, 30 miles east of San Antonio, well off of I-10, in Seguin, Texas. Ever since Switchback was announced I've wondered about, and feared for, this park & coaster, which is usually a 1 train wait to a walk-on. ZDTs doesn't have much else. So, Fun Spot and ZDTs look similar in wisdom in finances, building landmark roller coasters. Great video! Perhaps a similar one on ZDTs would be a good idea? The owners are super-friendly & approachable.

[@clarkyoung6970]

Atlanta resident here. I have not seen a single advertisement for this coaster. In fact, none of my friends/classmates have heard of it, either. Its concerning! I know we are all rooting for Fun Spot Atlanta, but theres no point in building an RMC if the GP will never know about it

[@tc6818]

Fun Fact: The miniature golf and amusement park scenes of Cobra Kai were filmed at FunSpot Atlanta.

[@Pauls_Adventures]

Was great meeting and talking with you outside mythos!

[@keziah5647]

They should focus on prettying up the place first tbh. Those faded western style buildings look bad. You have some good suggestions though, I hope they share the same concerns.

[@porcelainthunder2213]

Probably add more flats and next thing you know, they are competing with 3 Flags. This one ride puts them on the map. Big time.

[@KrimsonStorm]

"3 Flags" 🤣😂🤣😂 ... But Facts.

[@extendedtour]

We have been thinking the same thing since opening day, it was so quiet and again when we returned on the Sunday night. Would love to see it pay off.

[@alexatl89]

The only billboard I saw for ArieForce One was ironically about 5 minutes away from Six Flags Over Georgia.

[@DLXRY2]

Im most curious about maitenance. I just rode Mineblower a few days ago and man oh man...that thing was ROUGH. Like just straight up jack hammering on every turn. With how new it is, clearly Fun Spot does not care for it at all.

[@me-myself-i787]

Fortunately, ArieForce One is a steel rollercoaster, so it won't have that issue.

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

It's not that they don't care it's that Florida Humidity is BRUTAL. There is a reason why the only major park in Florida to have a woodie closed it down in less than a decade and turned it into Iron Gwazi. Plus taking your marquis ride offline for a retrack isn't just about the cost of the retracking when you are in a 364 day a year park it's also about the lost revenue while the ride is down.

[@Brandon-qd2lb]

Damn still. They just retracked white lightning

[@brianfoss571]

The leap from FEC to small thrill park is a pretty huge one, and that ultimately comes down to flat rides more than coasters. I'm sure that'll be the park's focus in the coming years, along with improving the general appearance. But it's hard to argue that a small Vekoma Tilt coaster wouldn't have the same effect on attendance and spending - at about 2/3 the cost. No doubt Herschend's paying attention to how this plays out. If FSA's struggling to pay off debts in 5-7 years, they'd probably be interested in buying those parks.

[@xtremeadventures7270]

I live not quite half way between Six Flags Over GA and Carowinds so I'm a couple hours away from Fun Spot. A friend and I stopped by on Sunday as part of a road trip so I didn't have a lot of time. My friend isn't a coaster enthusiast like I am but she did ride a couple of time. We also did several of the other rides while there that I probably would not have if I were by myself. I'm planning on going back several more times and next trip I will be getting a season pass. While we were there, the crowd was mostly enthusiasts for AF1 but we there before the crowd started rolling in. I for one hope AF1 puts them on the map and the gamble pays off. My understanding is they have way more undeveloped land than what they are using and they have big plans for the park.

[@coasteringkid]

It's like roller coaster tycoon where all you want to build first is a massive coaster.

[@mobetterent.gamerzunited2529]

It will be fine give the ride time us Atlanta folks will go ppl already know about the ride the park has decent attendance in the summer