Closed Forever: Fun Spot America Atlanta: The Fixer‑Upper With A World-Class Coaster

Not a real ride but it could have been a Fun Junction creation

Unlike the Florida parks, the Atlanta location wasn’t a blank canvas. It was a secondhand project with rides that had mismatched parts, aging infrastructure and a layout that felt like rides were placed by someone spinning around and pointing at random spots on a map. The ferris wheel placement alone could’ve been used as a case study in “What were they thinking?” It was by the road, but just in an odd place.

The land was limited, though they did purchase a little bit more to the side and expanded to build ArieForce One. The utilities were old. The buildings were tired. And every time Fun Spot wanted to add something new, something else had to be removed. Not because they wanted to, but because there simply wasn’t room or the infrastructure to support it.

Fun Junction had already been struggling long before Fun Spot arrived. What Fun Spot knew they were buying was:

• outdated rides
• awkward layout
• limited land
• a local-only market

What they didn’t know they were buying was a laundry list of hidden nightmares:

• rides needing major repairs
• attractions being dismantled so parts could be scavenged and rigged to fit other rides
• plumbing failures
• drainage issues
• an electrical grid that couldn’t support modern rides
• “grandfathered” code violations
• equipment that had been patched together instead of properly repaired

Fun Spot didn’t just inherit a fixer-upper, they inherited a fixer-upper with the walls hiding problems that only revealed themselves once they started digging. Literally.

And then there were the county restrictions: strict zoning, noise limits, height caps and environmental rules. In Florida, Fun Spot could expand freely within their property. In Fayette County, they were boxed in before they even started.

Here’s something locals know but outsiders don’t: Fun Junction had a bad reputation. Customer service was rough. Everything looked dated, shockingly dated. Considering the park was built in the 1990s, it was far too young to look the way it did. I realize they were buying rides secondhand but even carnivals with the same rides take a little pride in keeping things in good repair and looking presentable.  Most of us didn’t even realize Fun Spot had taken over until the Samson Go-Kart track opened almost a year later.

Fun Spot had to earn trust and that took time. But even once they did, the park still wasn’t a full-day destination. Midday meant standing or walking around in the blazing sun with almost no shade. Six Flags, for all its flaws, at least gives you trees and places to escape the heat.

When Fun Spot announced a brand-new RMC coaster, ArieForce One, it felt like the turning point. A world-class ride in our backyard? Finally, something big. What’s next?

Not a Fun Spot coaster but it totally could have worked.

I was able to catch a few rides on it a few years ago and it was incredible. But ironically, it highlighted one of the park’s biggest problem: people came, rode the coaster and left. It wasn’t enough to transform the park into a full-day experience. Why? Their other coaster, a 38-foot Hi-Miler portable coaster called Hurricane, couldn't hold a flame to it. Furthermore, the other attractions, mostly carnival flat rides like the Paratrooper, Scrambler, Spider and the Bertazzon Matterhorn ride known as Riptide—aren't exactly the sort of rides a coaster enthusiast is looking for when it comes to racking up credits.

To build it, Fun Spot had to demolish the mini-golf courses, which, believe it or not, were one of their most reliable money-makers for a while. Terry and I as well as my friend Ernie, found ourselves playing mini-golf there several times. As bad as I am at it, I still had a great time losing. With the courses gone, it left our area without a good place for mini-golf, you don’t know what you got until it’s gone. After the coaster opened, the ferris wheel hung out for a little while and then one day disappeared and a few other rides followed. The replacements, a Larson Flying Scooters ride called Screaming Eagles, a Larson built Tilt-A-Whirl and a Trabant like ride built by SBF-Visa called Hook & Slice which all felt like some one thought “something is better than nothing” rather than strategic additions. Three of the rides at Fun Spot, Scrambler, Flying Scooters and Tilt-A-Whirl, are also rides that are at Six Flags. Speaking of Six Flags, many of us Six Flags fans were always hoping that our beloved Wheelie, which Fun Spot bought and relocated to Orlando when Sky Screamer was built, would be brought back to Georgia...when it closed in Atlanta, we all had hopes it would come to Fun Spot Atlanta but sadly, it didn't.

Staffing was another ongoing issue. Employees often work two or three rides at once. Management turnover was constant. Operating seasons changed unpredictably. Season passes cost Florida prices but delivered Georgia uncertainty. Some seasons they ran all year long, others they ran with just the arcade and bumper cars open.

Fun Spot wasn’t competing with Six Flags, but the locals absolutely saw it that way.

With the park closed, the big question is: what becomes of the land? The rides? ArieForce One? Will a new owner step in? Will the park sit abandoned? Will the rides be sold off piece by piece? Will they be moved to Florida or the planned Biloxi location or will they build it from the ground up without these rides?

A friend and I have tossed around our own ideas and one of the most interesting possibilities is this: a carnival company could buy the property and use the back end of the 15 acre property as winter quarters. They could store equipment, operate the park and use their own surplus rides that have been outmoded by newer and easier to move rides within the park while keeping the land functional as a “fun spot” rather than letting it overgrow and become a relic of the past.

It’s not impossible. In fact, it might be the most realistic “happy ending” the park could get. Of course the fact that Fayette County is so good at stalling or making permits difficult to obtain might make this impossible.

Not the actual Fun Spot but it gives the vibe

There’s an old saying: You never really know what’s behind the walls until you start tearing them down. Sometimes you find treasure. Sometimes you find a disaster, which is what Fun Spot found when they started tearing down the walls.

Fun Spot Atlanta was both a place full of memories, potential and charm, wrapped around problems no one saw until it was too late. BTW, they had the ABSOLUTE BEST corndogs, no joke.

I’ve shared my story, but I know I’m not the only one with memories tied to this place.

Did you grow up going to Dixieland/Fun Junction? Did you have a season pass? Did you only ever stop by for one ride and leave? Did ArieForce One bring you out for a visit?

I’d genuinely love to hear your experiences. Drop your stories, thoughts or even your frustrations in the comments — the conversation is half the fun.

And if you enjoy these deep dives into pop culture, retro history and whatever else is swimming around in my brain and want to help me keep researching, writing and preserving these little pieces of the past, you’re always welcome to toss a small “thank you” my way through the link in my bio. Never expected — always appreciated.

Thanks for being part of this community and for keeping these memories alive.

My O'Charley's Experience-No Holds Barred

Last year, I moved from working at Chuy's in Dunwoody, where my income was inconsistent, to O'Charley's in Fayetteville, Georgia, where the earnings seemed more stable. Given that Terry works just two doors down from O'Charley's and earns great money, I assumed it would be the same for me. Boy, was I wrong.

Have you ever worked a job that made you want to call in sick every shift or pop a Xanax on the way to work? That was my experience at O'Charley's. The business was booming, but the customers were the most demanding and ignorant people I've ever encountered. It seemed no one read the menu, which clearly described everything in detail. After a few weeks, my earnings started to decline, especially after the restaurant closed for a week for a modern remodel. Unfortunately, the new look attracted a clientele more suited to McDonald's or KFC rather than a sit-down restaurant. I hoped the decline was temporary because I was not going back to Chuy's.

When I started at O'Charley's, I was excited because my friend Casey was a manager there, and I remembered him as an awesome manager at Rio Bravo. Throughout my time at O'Charley's, I saw Casey working tirelessly in a thankless and unappreciated environment. He dealt with difficult customers, bad employees, and even the other three managers, who were not easy to work with. Working as a server at O'Charley's was like chewing on a stalk of celery—no enjoyment, but at least you could say you ate something. Our GM constantly threatened everyone's job. I saw him scream at someone for scraping a bread plate with their fingernail, then take it to a table, which we all did because our dishwasher was less than marginal in his work. I was determined that if I got reprimanded for anything, I would walk out of a shift in style—full section needing refills and all orders completely wrong. It never happened, but I was tempted on that last day when I walked with less than $13 for the fourth shift in a row.

So, what sucked about this place? The customers. Many people refer to restaurant customers as guests, but I don't. A guest is someone you invite and take care of their meal; a customer pays you. Many O'Charley's customers figured out how to eat without leaving a dime for their food or service. Coupons seriously dragged the clientele down to another level as well.

Here are some of the situations I've encountered... Being assigned tables in the bar isn't fun in any restaurant, especially if you're not a woman. Most managers don't understand, but bad customers usually expect service from a Cocktail Waitress, not a guy. Many times, people assume they'll get special prices or faster service—only during happy hours and not true. That 20-minute ticket time is the same all over the restaurant, and ordering a well-done steak adds more time.

Food allergies... I know the difference between being allergic and not liking something. I hate tomatoes but eat things with ketchup. I don't claim I'm allergic; I just explain I don't enjoy the flavor of raw tomatoes. Don't tell me you're allergic to tomatoes and then ask for ketchup for your fries. Also, don't come in on a busy Friday night and tell me to cook something in a different fryer because of an allergy. Our cooks are basically pot and crack heads who don't care and will nod their heads and do everything the easier way. Everything in the kitchen comes into contact with everything. I'd not be surprised if someone finds a bit of weed in their salad. Also, if you have food allergies, why are you grazing and eating off other people's plates? Someone with a seafood allergy did this, and we had to call 911. The paramedics took her to the hospital. That's on her, not her server or the restaurant.

High chairs or chairs at the end of a booth... We have tables, people. Booths were not designed to have a baby at the end of them. It's a fire hazard and a danger to your child when they grab for the hot plates our food runner is delivering to your table. Also, I don't want your slobbering child's DNA on my arms or hands as they grab for me.

Happy Birthday... We don't sing, and though I'm a good singer, I'm not singing for you. I don't care that it's your birthday. I don't know you. Also, why are you at a place like O'Charley's for your birthday? The party sections at the more elegant Olive Garden or Red Lobster booked up?

Handing me a check presenter and proclaiming that you left my tip in it is like announcing that you left the equivalent of what it costs to do a load of laundry at your apartment complex. We had a tip guide on the receipt showing 20%, 18%, and 15%. When you leave less than 10%, I feel my butt start to bleed. I am an OCD server. I have a script that I follow, and I touch every facet of the serving manual. When I hear you say, "Thank you so much, you did a wonderful job!" I know that was my tip, and I will give you no service next time.

Drinks for kids are clearly marked on the kids' menus. They offer no juice for kids for free, and if you order it, you are charged. If your kid sucks that juice down and wants another, you get charged for a second, third, fourth, and so on. It wasn't my policy or rule, so don't blame me.

Ordering... When you say, "I guess I'm ready," then proceed to ask, "Is this Prime Rib Pasta in horseradish sauce spicy?" or "Do you have any other sides besides the 12 listed here?" I know you're going to be difficult and not compensate me. Also, when you order a well-done steak, it's going to be dry.

Impossible orders... Knowing what you're talking about helps when ordering. When you tell me, "I want my steak medium but don't want any pink or red in it," that tells me you're confused. Medium is warm and red on the inside.

Being picky... I had a woman order "Cajun Chicken Pasta," then complain about too many peppers and onions, pick them all out, eat the chicken, and leave the rest. She then claimed she was still hungry. Lady, you ate all the chicken and left the rest. No wonder you're still hungry. You should've ordered Chicken Tenders if you just wanted chicken. She also complained that a margarita was too sweet, drank both the original and the remake, and was upset about being charged for both. She didn't tip me and shorted the bartender 50 cents. Her friend ordered a well-done steak but didn't want it dry, so she wanted it cooked in "Barbara-que" sauce. We don't cook steak in frying pans; it's grilled. Barbecue sauce will just burn and make the steak drier. Enjoy your shoe leather, Miss Well Done.

Yeast rolls or bread... NOT biscuits. They are free. We bring one per customer at the table plus one extra. That's the rule per our kitchen manager. Your refill is one per customer. They are free. Don't complain they are too light, dark, or taking too long. They are free. Furthermore, I'm allergic to the yeast in them. I don't touch them, put them in, or take them out of the oven. They are free.

Sitting in the bar and ordering water, water with lots of lemon for your nasty free lemonade, or ordering non-alcoholic beverages for everyone at the table is not acceptable. Also, bringing your kids to sit in the bar is inappropriate. Just saying.

To-go cups, plastic ware for the germophobic... Guess what? The silverware and glasses go through the same dishwasher as the plates you are eating on. Remember the pothead cook statement? They don't take the time to scrape off the stuck-on food from the plates like we do with the bread plates. You might be enjoying someone else's food on your plate along with yours as you enjoy your beverages from Styrofoam cups and eat with plastic ware like you're at a barbecue.

Regulars, friends of a manager... I don't care who you are. Just because you feel a sense of entitlement through a personal connection does not excuse you from tipping or acting like you have no manners. Within this location, I found an extreme "us against them" stance. I witnessed many servers, even the ones of color, referring to customers as ratchet or using the "N" word. As one of the few white servers, I found that many customers didn't appreciate me or any other servers who weren't black. I never understood the race card, even though I was raised in the deep south. Many black servers understood the struggles I and other servers of different races were dealing with. However, a few couldn't wrap their heads around the concept and claimed we were incompetent as servers. One server, who threw this in my face, was a full-time server with an associate degree as a dental hygienist. She got fired for sleeping with the married doctor, told me she has herpes, and gave me the rundown on who she's slept with at work and every place she's been fired from. I know how to follow steps of service and conduct myself in front of customers. I don't need a sex-crazed person giving me career advice.

After nine months of O'Charley's "Passion to Serve" BS, I had to get out. I realized why one of their values for employees is "Passion to Serve." If you had no passion to serve, you'd not last a day after making marginal money. The day I walked out, I added O'Charley's to my list of places to never go back to, and so far, I've kept my promise. If I want a cheap steak, I'll go to the grocery store.