Around June 26, 2026, I heard the news that Fun Spot America Atlanta would be closing permanently on August 2, 2026 from a few videos shared on YouTube.
- Face Ripped Off: https://youtu.be/uUFQvINv7Q0?si=2vH2NrQEzhxGDS-M
- Theme Park Brandon: https://youtu.be/AQD53cw_VtA?si=Nx0AlGbHfjF_6NN6
Like everyone else in the coaster community (Enthusiastas or “the Thusies”), our minds immediately went to one ride: ArieForce One — NOW!
At that point, I had never ridden it and that realization changed everything that my buddy Matt and I had planned two months earlier. We already had scheduled a trip up to the Bay Area that included Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and California’s Great America, but suddenly those plans felt less urgent. ArieForce One was (and still is at the time of writing this) facing a very uncertain future. There is and was no guarantee of another opportunity to come along to ride this world-class coaster.
We decided to pivot our plans and then rebook our trip to get to Atlanta, Georgia, making sure we experienced what could end up being both our first and last rides on one of the most talked-about and cherished roller coasters in the world.
As a coaster enthusiast, one often assumes great rides will always be there tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year… Sometimes they are and then sometimes they aren’t. This time, we didn’t want to find out the hard way, by not having a chance to live the experience of ArieForce One.
A Park That Felt Like It Was Already Gone
What struck us the most was how empty the park felt and yet how welcoming it was at the exact same time. We visited Fun Sport America, Atlanta on July 4 and managed to get 12 rides that day on ArieForce One. Then again, two days later, on July 6, we were preparing to fly back home and before we did, we were able to grab four more rides on the unbelievably smooth RMC I-box coaster.
Details From RMC about ArieForce One: https://rockymtnconstruction.com/roller-coaster/arieforce-one/
The remarkable thing wasn’t the number of rides we were able to lap back-to-back. It was how easy those rides were to get anywhere on the train. There was never a line longer than about one train full of guests and for a coaster that has generated so much interest among enthusiasts, the lack of waiting was surreal. Here was a ride that so many people rank(ed) among the best in the country, and the world, operating with virtually no queue and two train operations.
Yet despite the uncertainty surrounding the park, everyone we encountered was friendly, helpful, and kind, which makes it even more horrible because they are going to lose their jobs! The employees were so welcoming, and the atmosphere was nowhere near negative… It simply felt quiet, almost too quiet. Sometimes a queue tells the entire story but, in this case, the absence of one told a story as well.
Where it Ranks for Me (when writing this blog)
ArieForce One justified every mile of travel and hour of waiting to get there. I consider it firmly within my personal Top 5 roller coasters and will be posting my annual coaster ratings at the end of the year. Here is my last post regarding my top 100 coasters (https://www.lifecycle365.com/my-new-100-point-coaster-rating-system/).
Rank: 1
Total Score of 93 out of 100
- Floater Airtime: 7
- Ejector Airtime: 9
- Inversions / Laterals: 9
- Theming / Aesthetics : 7
- First Drop / Launches: 7
- Pacing, Speed, & Ride Time: 9
- Intensity / Forces: 8
- Smoothness & Flow: 9
- Trains / Seats / Restraints: 9
- Operations / Throughput: 9
- Reliability / Uptime: 9
Main Positive: Variety of Elements
Primary Negative: No supporting cast at the park
The Coaster Was Worth Rewriting the Trip
There are rides that receive endless hype and somehow fail to deliver. ArieForce One is not one of them and whether it was the relentless pacing, the aggressive ejector airtime, or the simple fact that the ride never seems to waste a moment or foot of track, it continually reminded me why coaster enthusiasts have been talking about it since opening day in 2023.
The best coasters leave riders wanting another ride before you’ve even reached the brake run and ArieForce One certainly hammers that into you. ArieForce One does not relent, our ability to ride repeatedly over two visits only reinforced my opinion of the ride. If anything, rides reconfirmed what the coaster community has been saying for years. This is not merely a good regional coaster; it is a destination attraction capable of standing alongside rides found at the industry’s biggest parks. Which only makes its uncertain future that much harder to accept.
What Happens Next?
The truth is that nobody seems to know with certainty. There is plenty of speculation among the Thusies. There are plenty of rumors online and plenty of people proposing future homes for the ride. What there isn’t is clarity and plenty of wanting more information.
I reached out to the National Roller Coaster Museum about their thoughts and any options they were considering. Their response was encouraging, as they indicated that they are in contact with both the park and the Arie family regarding possibilities for the future of the ride or its parts.
That does not tell us where ArieForce One might end up after August 2, 2026. It does tell us that conversations are taking place and speculation is rampant. For now, that’s better than silence for myself and other Thusies.
Breaking Down ArieForce One
One reason ArieForce One has developed such a passionate following is that there is no obvious weak point or dull moments within the layout. Every major element feels like it belongs, and every element contributes something different to the overall ride experience.
The First Drop
The ride announces itself immediately with the first drop on display right along the highway and entrance to the park. The drop is steep, fast, and forceful, being the type of opening that instantly grabs a rider’s attention. The experience lets those onboard know the ride has no interest in easing into the glass smooth experience. There is a sense of being pulled over the crest faster than one ever expected, creating an aggressive beginning that sets the tone for everything that follows.
The Raven Truss Dive
A completely photogenic moment of the relentless experience is the dive through the steel structure just after the first drop. The element creates a powerful near-miss sensation and adds a visual component that is missing on most coasters. It is not just an airtime moment starting with a little kick to the right, it is a moment that gives the ride personality and identity to a normally basic turnaround.
The Stall
The stall is arguably the ride’s most recognizable element aligning its stature adjacent to the drop along the road. For more than a brief moment, riders are suspended upside down as the train gracefully rolls through the inversion. The hang time is long enough to be memorable but not so long that it impacts the ride’s momentum while racing through its course. It is the type of element that enthusiasts anticipate, and non-enthusiasts remember long after their ride ends.
The Outer-Banked Turn (my favorite moments on the coaster)
I cannot say enough about this element on ArieForce One, it rocks, smashes, bangs, and never let me down on any of the 16 rides I got. Many coasters use turns as basic transition moments to get the train turned around between other major elements. ArieForce One treats redirecting the train of the course as attractions of their own and major elements. This outer-banked turn delivers an unusual ejector-based sensation that feels disorienting, disconcerting, and exhilarating all at once. It provides a completely different force profile than the airtime-focused moments surrounding it and helps prevent the ride from becoming repetitive.
The Double-Up
The double-up just before the arcade roll hits is often one of the most underrated airtime moments on ArieForce One, but not by me. While many riders and enthusiasts have understandably focused on the inversion that follows, the double-up deserves attention in its own right. The element launches the train up and over two rapid elevation changes, creating violent bursts of ejector airtime that lift riders from their seats twice in rapid succession. There is almost no time to process the first hill before the second arrives, making the entire sequence feel like a perfectly timed setup for the chaos that follows.
The train rockets through the maneuver with tremendous speed and is nearly identical to the finale moment on Iron Rattler diving off of the quarry wall at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. It perfectly captures the personality of the coaster by being aggressive, fast-moving, and completely unwilling to give riders even a moment to take a breath. There is so much awesomeness here, leading into my third favorite moment on the coaster, the Arcade Roll.
The Arcade Roll
If there is one element that consistently caught me off guard with its grace and purity, it was the arcade roll. On paper, it looks like a relatively simple inversion, but experiencing it is something entirely different than others than even RMC has created. The train snaps through the maneuver with remarkable speed while simultaneously delivering a burst of ejector airtime that makes it feel as though the ride is trying to throw riders both upside down and out of their seats. It is a signature example of Rocky Mountain Construction taking a familiar concept and transforming it into something far more aggressive and memorable.
What makes the arcade roll especially effective is where it appears in the layout. By the time the train reaches it, halfway through the course, riders have already experienced several standouts, yet the element still manages to feel fresh and unexpected. The combination of inversion, airtime, and rapid directional change creates a sensation that is difficult to compare to anything else. Every ride through it reminded me that ArieForce One is not content with delivering individual highlights… it continually layers forces together in ways that keep even experienced coaster enthusiasts guessing.
The Wave Turn
The wave turn is one of the ride’s signature moments. Rather than simply changing direction, it combines a directional maneuver with powerful airtime. The sensation is unique because it feels like the train is simultaneously throwing you sideways and out of your seat. It is the first indication that ArieForce One is determined to do more than simply repeat familiar coaster tricks.
The Helix and Barrel Roll Turnaround
The helix and barrel roll turnaround serve as moment of high-g-forces that led me to almost gray-out. It was another reminder that ArieForce One refuses to use transitions merely as a way to move from one element to the next. The sprawling helix builds speed and anticipation while generating powerful positive forces at 3.75 Gs that pinned me into me seat and pulled my arms down every time. I do thank them, that they Gs were not raised to 4.5 or higher like some coasters that I personally despise.
Rather than allowing the experience to settle into a predictable rhythm, the ride immediately follows with the barrel roll to complete the turnaround. It created an abrupt contrast that completely changes the force profile in an instant along with a time to take a breath before relenting further…
I particularly enjoyed how this sequence felt as it was two distinct experiences blended into one continuous flowing movement. The helix compresses riders with sustained nearly high-G intensity, then the barrel roll turn suddenly introduces a sense of weightlessness and disorientation as the train rotates through the inversion. It is a clever combination that demonstrates the creativity behind the layout.
The Quad Down Finale
If there is one element that best summarizes and literally concludes ArieForce One, it is the quad down finale. The train constantly and persistently dives and climbs through a series of airtime hills that produce wave after wave of ejector airtime. There is very little opportunity to recover between each of these moments instead, each hill immediately sets up the next one causing literal bruises on my thighs that I will never regret!
By the end of the sequence, riders often find themselves giggling purely because the ride has become almost absurd in how much ejector airtime it can deliver in such a short span of track.
My Wish List for the Ride!
If ArieForce One is relocated (please please please please please), I think several parks could benefit tremendously from acquiring it while also being a great fit for its type and size.
My preferred destinations in order would be:
- Six Flags Great Adventure
- Carowinds
- SeaWorld San Antonio
- Dorney Park
- Kings Island
- Holiday World
Any of these parks would gain an elite attraction and my personal favorite is Six Flags Great Adventure. The park is entering a new chapter, and ArieForce One feels like the kind of coaster that could immediately become another of its signature attractions. They do not have an RMC I-Box, and it could be kept the same color renaming it to any of the following.
- AeroForce One
- AirTime One
- AirForce Fun
- The Great American Scream Machine
- The Great American Airtime Machine
Carowinds would also be a natural fit, while the SeaWorld San Antonio or Kings Island having demonstrated a willingness to invest heavily in major thrill rides. The important thing is not which park wins, it is that the ride survives.
More Than Just a Coaster
When enthusiasts talk about ride closures, they often focus on nostalgia. Sometimes that nostalgia is justified and other times, it can cloud reality. This situation feels different as ArieForce One isn’t a long beloved classic from the 1980s that is nearing the end of its service life. It isn’t a ride that has long since delivered everything it can, ending up rough and just garbage. It is a modern-steel world-class coaster that still feels like it should have decades rides and enjoyment ahead of it. That’s what makes this situation so unusual as we changed our travel plans because we were worried the opportunity would disappear.
Looking back
It was absolutely the right decision to change our plans and lap ArieForce One. If it finds a new second-home or not, I’ll always be glad we made the trip without hesitation. We got our first rides on the coaster, and we got what may be our last rides. Most importantly, we experienced one of the most talked-about roller coasters in the world while it was still standing in the place it was originally designed and built for.
Sometimes that’s all you can do in this hobby is appreciate what we get to experience. When uncertainty arrives, change the itinerary, get on the plane, and lap the ride until they tell you that you cannot.
Many rides have noted a standout first half and a forgettable second half on most coasters. ArieForce One continues delivering meaningful forces and memorable moments all the way back to the station, starting the moment the train leaves the station. Even after twelve rides on July 4 and additional four rides on July 6, I never felt like I was waiting for the ride to end. ArieForce One uses every inch and ounce of its course to deliver something meaningful and memorable for its riders. What impressed me most after multiple rides was how little the coaster lets up and gave me time to take a breath.
Consider that I am yet to ride the following which may rival this after getting on them.
- Steel Vengeance
- Iron Gwazi
- Wildcat’s Revenge
- Twisted Timbers
- Maverick
- Siren’s Curse
- Mako
- Hyperia
- Hyperian
- Iron Rattler (the one that never should have been named this)
- Spitfire
- Falcon’s Flight
- Untamed
- Goliath (the Intamin one in the EU)
- DC Rivals
- Fury 325
- Ride to Happiness
- Time Traveler
- Storm Chaser
- Lightning Rod
- Diamondback
- Top Thrill 2
- Orion
- Sky Rush
- Goldstriker
- Thunder Stryker
- Phantom’s Revenge
- Red Force
- Pantheon
- Apollo’s Chariot
- Tormenta