Archives: Team
John Arie, Jr.
The face of FUN SPOT! John is our media spokesperson as well as our Chief Executive Officer. John has played an active role in the go-kart amusement industry since he was a young man, and he has worked in every aspect of the family-owned business. John graduated high school in 1996 and with each stride in his career, he has remained educated with the current operational and management courses to keep him on the cutting edge of the industry, and prepare himself for his current position as second in command of this multi-level, multi-million dollar family-owned attraction.John has been voted and selected by the Orlando Business Journal as the “Top 40 under 40” for 2007, and he was voted as one of the “Top 10 Men to Watch” in 2009. John is also active in his community and serves as a sports coach at his local YMCA. However, John’s pride and joy in his life is his wife and best friend, Tracy and his children TJ and Alexis.
John Arie, Sr.
John Arie first started in the industry in 1969 and quickly realized he had a passion for the business and wanted to own and operate his own attraction. In 1975 John opened his first operation in Ocean City Maryland which featured two tracks in the heart of the tourist district. This was the start of a long and successful career as John used his creative spirit and drive to push the limits of the traditional track and park designs that were common at the time. John owned and operated several action parks through the years until he felt the challenge to really go HUGE and develop multi-level tracks. John’s designs were US Patented and they became a reality in June of 1998 when Fun Spot Action Park officially opened in Orlando Florida. After several years of success, John opened the second location in Kissimmee Florida which featured just one SkyCoaster attraction but over the years he developed it to a 10-acre multiple ride and go-kart track theme park. In 2013 John expanded the Orlando property from 5 acres to 15 acres and added Orlando’s only wooden roller coaster along with other thrill/ family rides and a new brand name emerged FUN SPOT AMERICA THEME PARKS. With 12 acres to still expand on, John is committed to making it HUGE-ER!!!
Tracy Arie
Tracy Arie has played an active part in the Amusement industry for over 25 years. Tracy has been a key player at Fun Spot since day one. Tracy has worked in almost every department, from Operations, Accounting, HR to communications and business relations. She is dedicated to the continued success of Fun Spot, and to her husband, John as he leads the company, as the CEO. Tracy and John have been married since 1998 and are proud parents of their 2 children, TJ, and Alexis Arie. Tracy is a certified personal trainer and sports nutrition specialist. She spent many years helping and coaching the Fun Spot team to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Andre Corbin
Andre brings a lot of enthusiasm to Fun Spot Attractions. He started in the industry at John Arie’s Fun ‘N Wheels Amusement Park in 1988; when John Arie opened Fun Spot Action Park in 1997, Andre came on board shortly thereafter. In 2006, Andre moved into the Track Department’s Sr. Lead position and again in 2008, Andre excelled into the role of Manager on Duty for Orlando’s Fun Spot Action Park. In 2013, as our park expanded from five-acres to 15-acres Andre accepted yet another challenge to become Fun Spot America’s, Director of Operations. As of 2019 he is now the Regional General Manager of Fun Spot America Theme Parks.
Tim Eggers
Tim Eggers began his Fun Spot journey in 2009 when he was only 19 years old. He imagined Fun Spot would only be a second job to pay for his car insurance. Tim quickly realized that Fun Spot is more than just a job, but a career path. He began his career at our Kissimmee location where he took his first step into a leadership role in the Rides department. It was not long after his first promotion that his talents were requested at the Orlando location in which he eagerly stepped into with the intention to make the biggest difference possible. Tim continued learning and growing as a leader and manager until stepping into his current role as the Director of Operations at the Orlando park in December 2020. Tim’s passion is helping others develop and achieve their full potential. He believes there is no greater pleasure in life than to give and to serve. Tim is grateful and thankful to work for a company that honors God in all practices and is excited to see the blessings that await Fun Spot America’s future.
Scott Stewart
Scott has been a member of the Fun Spot America family since 1997, where he was on the construction team for our Orlando park. Scott then worked as a Manager on Duty and Director of Operations in our Orlando location until 2012, where he developed his passion for guest service and people. Scott also served in the US Navy for four years, and while working at Fun Spot America he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. In 2012, he left Fun Spot America for a new adventure in Alaska, but couldn’t stay away and returned in 2019 as Manager on Duty for our Orlando location. Later in 2019, he was transferred to Kissimmee where he is the current Director of Operations.
Eric Bitler
Eric started his journey with Fun Spot back in 2012. After one year working with Benner’s Amusements at the Kissimmee location, he came on board with Fun Spot as a Food and Beverage Lead. His energy and passion for the department earned him the role of Food and Beverage Department Manager in 2015. After winning the Employee of the Year award in 2016, Eric looked to play a bigger role for the company by accepting the position of Manager on Duty in Kissimmee in 2017. As Fun Spot’s newest location in Georgia continued to grow and new opportunities arose, Eric packed his bags and moved to Georgia in 2018 to become Director of Operations for Fun Spot Atlanta.
Michael Benner
Michael Benner is our Chief Financial Officer for Fun Spot America – Orlando, and Kissimmee Florida. He started his career in 1991 with the purchase of his first concession stand. From 1991 through 2007, he ran his own Food and Beverage business traveling to Fairs and Festivals across Pennsylvania. After 16-years of running his own business, Mike decided it was time for a change of scenery (and weather) and moved to the Sunshine State, where he was offered a vendor location in Fun Spot Kissimmee. In addition to operating Food and Beverage locations in the park, Mike was always looking for ways to expand and grow the Food and Beverage Department and regularly contributed to Fun Spot in any way possible. In 2012, Mike was offered the position of Director of Food and Beverage, and was tasked with the expansion of the Food and Beverage Department of Fun Spot America, Orlando, in 2018 Mike was promoted to Chief Revenue Officer and in 2019 was elevated to our Chief Financial Officer.
Renee Patterson
As Senior Vice President of Sales, Renee is in charge of all sales operations. Renee also directs the Fun Spot Hospitality Team, who liaise with all guest services representatives, hotel concierges and front desk personnel, ticket brokers, time-share representatives, and any other authorized ticket vendor. Renee and the Hospitality Team provide brochures, marketing materials, and information about Fun Spot’s two locations to everyone working in the field of hospitality and guest services.