Six Flags bought the award-winning Georgia coaster in September, and Ohio fans spent weeks lobbying for it. The answer came Oct. 29: Six Flags Magic Mountain, with track already arriving by truck.
Sorry, Kings Island fans. ArieForce One, the roller coaster Six Flags bought from the closed Fun Spot America Atlanta, is going to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif.
A Six Flags spokesperson confirmed the move to WCPO on Oct. 29, the same day the Orange County Register reported the first trucks of track and supports had pulled into the park. "Now, we can confirm the future addition of the fan-favorite ArieForce One," park president Brian Oerding said, FOX 11 reported.
That answers the question WKRC asked when Six Flags announced the purchase Sept. 8: could it end up at Kings Island? The Cincinnati station's story resurfaced in news feeds this weekend, but the ride has already picked a coast.
It's a long trip. Fayetteville, Ga., to Valencia is more than 2,000 miles by road. The trains are taking a detour, too, to Rocky Mountain Construction's shop in Idaho for a refurb, LaughingPlace.com reported.
Here's a ride on ArieForce One back in Georgia, from AmusementInsider:
What is ArieForce One?
A steel coaster from Rocky Mountain Construction, or RMC, the company behind Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point. It opened at Fun Spot America Atlanta on March 31, 2023, and won Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Award for best new coaster that year, WCPO reported.
Fun Spot America Atlanta closed this summer after 36 years, FOX 11 reported. ArieForce One gave its last rides there Aug. 2, 2026, according to Six Flags.
The stats, from Six Flags:
Height: 154 feet
First drop: 146 feet
Top speed: 64 mph
Track: about 3,400 feet
Inversions: 4, including what Six Flags calls the "world's largest zero-gravity stall"
Ride time: about 2 minutes
The name stays. It honors Fun Spot America founder John Arie Sr. "Its story isn't ending, it's beginning a new chapter," said Fun Spot CEO John Arie Jr.
Why didn't Kings Island get ArieForce One?
Six Flags hasn't said why it picked Magic Mountain. Kings Island was a finalist, WCPO reported.
On paper, Mason, Ohio, made sense. Kings Island hasn't opened a major new coaster since Orion in 2020, and it has an empty plot where Vortex stood until 2019. It also doesn't have an RMC ride. Neither does Carowinds, the other park fans kept naming.
Magic Mountain already has two RMC coasters, Twisted Colossus and Wonder Woman Flight of Courage, LaughingPlace.com noted. ArieForce One makes three.
WCPO pointed to a different need. Magic Mountain is expected to retire several rides, and Six Flags permanently closed X2, the park's signature coaster, after riders sued over injuries. We covered that closure Oct. 2.
When will ArieForce One open at Magic Mountain?
Six Flags' original window was the 2028 or 2029 season. The Register reported a 2028 opening, but Six Flags hasn't announced a date or picked a spot in the park, according to FOX 11 and LaughingPlace.com.
"Relocating and reconstructing a coaster of this scale is a significant undertaking," Oerding said. So hold off on booking that trip.
LaughingPlace.com suggested ArieForce One could take over X2's job as the first big coaster guests see. That's speculation, and the site noted it may not use the same spot.
What else is changing at Six Flags Magic Mountain?
Plenty, if Oerding is right. He said the park's future is "far bigger than what may be arriving on trucks this week," FOX 11 reported.
Thrill Glider: A Vekoma coaster where riders lie face-forward in "hovercycle" seats under the track, opening in 2027 on the old Golden Bear Theatre site.
Hurricane Harbor Los Angeles: The water park next door is being transformed, Oerding said.
Looney Tunes Land: It's getting reimagined, too.
Six Flags CEO John Reilly also told investors Nov. 5 that Magic Mountain "is going to be undergoing a major refurbishment," as we reported. Park leaders plan to share more details early in the new year.
Kings Island fans, meanwhile, keep waiting for their next big coaster. Orion turns 7 next season.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
WKRC (Sept. 8, 2026), the tip and the Kings Island speculation
Six Flags via PR Newswire (Sept. 8, 2026), the purchase, ride stats, opening window and the Arie quote
WCPO (Sept. 8, 2026), the Golden Ticket Award, RMC's other rides and the Kings Island case
WCPO (Oct. 29, 2026), the Six Flags spokesperson's confirmation, Kings Island as a finalist and the X2 context
FOX 11 Los Angeles (Oct. 29, 2026), Brian Oerding's quotes, Fun Spot's 36 years, the opening timeline and Magic Mountain's other projects
FOX 11 Los Angeles (Sept. 10, 2026), Thrill Glider details
LaughingPlace.com (Oct. 31, 2026), the Idaho train refurb, Magic Mountain's RMC coasters and the X2 speculation
Blooloop (Nov. 2, 2026), the Register's 2028 opening report and Oerding's construction quote
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