Local roller coaster wins Best New Attraction award at Golden Ticket Awards

Atlanta’s newest roller coaster features a 154-foot climb, four zero-G inversions, the largest zero-G stall on a roller coaster in the United States and the world’s first Raven Truss Dive all at 60 miles per hour. Thanks to those features, the ride captured one of the industry’s top awards.

Fun Spot America Atlanta accepted the award for Best New Attraction Installation during the 2023 Golden Ticket Awards presented by Amusement Today. The annual awards show celebrates the best in the global attractions industry, and ArieForce One, Fun Spot America Atlanta’s newest roller coaster, earned the night’s top award.

The Golden Ticket Awards celebrate what’s new – and incredible – at amusement parks and facilities worldwide. Each year, more than 600 global ballots are sent to industry insiders, enthusiasts, and writers to vote in each category. The announcement of Best New Attraction Installation is eagerly anticipated as one of the top awards of the night. Earning the 2023 honor is an outstanding achievement for Fun Spot America.

John Arie Jr., Fun Spot America Theme Parks, CEO, noted, “I am overwhelmed and honored to accept this award on behalf of our team members at Fun Spot. When we began to discuss creating ArieForce One for our Atlanta park, we knew we were on to something special. We were proud to partner with Rocky Mountain Construction to bring our dream to reality. There’s only one way to describe how I feel right now - this is huge!”

ArieForce One opens at Fun Spot America Atlanta’s newest roller coaster features a 154-foot climb, four zero-G inversions, the largest zero-G stall on a roller coaster in the United States and the world’s first Raven Truss Dive all at 60 miles per hour. (Nelson Hicks)

ArieForce One opens at Fun Spot America This is ArieForce One at Fun Spot America. It opened on Friday, March 31. (Nelson Hicks)

ArieForce One opens at Fun Spot America Here are some more photos from ArieForce One that just opened at Fun Spot America in Fayetteville. (Nelson Hicks)

ArieForce One opens at Fun Spot America “The addition of Arie Force One is a huge milestone for our company and the first of many new marque rides and attractions yet to come to the Fayetteville park. As a one-of-a-kind roller coaster, custom designed to the topography and layout of Fun Spot Atlanta, no other roller coaster has this combination of elements. The Raven Truss Dive and the zero-G roll over the arcade are the first-of-their-kind in the world. In both ride elements the train travels through the center of a uniquely designed truss bridge while twisting at Zero-G,” said Fun Spot America CEO, John Arie Jr. (Nelson Hicks)

ArieForce One opens at Fun Spot America The Rocky Mountain Construction steel roller coaster soars over 3,400 feet of track, towering 15 stories and flying at speeds up to 64 miles per hour. (Nelson Hicks)

ArieForce One opens at Fun Spot America Here are some more photos from ArieForce One that just opened at Fun Spot America in Fayetteville. (Nelson Hicks)

ArieForce One opens at Fun Spot America “Arie Force One is a tribute to my father and his passion for flying. We will have you believing you’re traveling into space with all of the airtime moments and weightlessness this RMC coaster provides,” said Arie Jr. (Nelson Hicks)

ArieForce One opens at Fun Spot America Here are some more photos from ArieForce One that just opened at Fun Spot America in Fayetteville. (Nelson Hicks)

“ArieForce One had such a major impact on Fun Spot America Atlanta. As soon as it opened, guests began flying across the country to ride it,” said Tim Baldwin, Golden Ticket Awards Communications Coordinator, Amusement Today. “The park was considered a small property before, but this roller coaster has put it on the map. There are lots of factors that make panelists vote for Best New Attraction Installation, and I think the magnitude of Fun Spot’s investment really spoke to the importance of this ride. It put the property’s growth on a forward-moving trajectory.”

“Fun Spot America Atlanta won Breakout Family Entertainment Center in 2021. At that time, the mix of outdoor rides and indoor arcade activities and improvements began to make its mark for families in the Atlanta area,” Baldwin added. “With ArieForce One, it is a now bona-fide amusement park. Fun Spot America Atlanta made that leap — in a huge way. It is undeniably a transformation and an amazing ride.”

ArieForce One is the second Golden Ticket for Fun Spot America Atlanta, highlighting the company’s commitment to the continued improvement and growth of the Fayetteville park. The honor elevates the awareness of the park and attracts new visitors from far and wide. Coaster fans around the country celebrated the first “HUGEapalooza” event at the park earlier this year with attendees coming from 35 states.

“I wish to thank the Golden Ticket Awards, the voters and all of our fans and guests for their support of ArieForce One,” Arie concluded. “2023 is Fun Spot’s 25th anniversary and this award is one of the greatest gifts we could have received.”

The 2023 Golden Ticket Awards were held at Dollywood Parks and Resorts and were attended by professionals from theme parks, facilities, manufacturers, and suppliers from the global attractions industry.

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