Project 2021/Drachen Spire: Intamin Multi-Launch Shuttle Giga Coaster [Cancelled]

General Information:​

"Project Drachen Spire," is a community-generated identifier for the Intamin-made, multi-launch, shuttle giga coaster that was originally slated to open at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in 2021. The attraction is planned to utilize the currently-vacant land behind Verbolten, Festhaus Park—the former home of Drachen Fire.

The coaster's main layout—as leaked before the addition was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic—featured two launches, two spikes (one spiral, one vertical-ish), and a couple of banked turns. Drachen Spire was designed to run two trains by means of a pair of switch tracks connecting the primary, shuttle portion of the layout to the station platform.

Important Articles:​

• Most Up-To-Date Understanding of the Layout:
  
  

  Leaked Electrical Plan Depicts Busch Gardens Williamsburg's 2021 Roller Coaster in Detail – BGWFans

  If there’s a god, he’s up there laughing this afternoon. Why? Because BGWFans just had one of those classic sitcom moments. Yesterday, we published our painstakingly detailed analysis of the footer plan for what we believe is Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s 2021 roller coaster—seemingly a huge...

  bgwfans.com
• Most Recent Status Update:
  
  

  Drachen Spire Height Waiver Extension Details – BGWFans

  Just over a week ago, we reported on the renewal of the notorious 355 foot Festhaus Park height waiver that was originally requested for the controversial, Intamin-made, multi-launch, giga, shuttle coaster we’ve dubbed Drachen Spire. In last week’s article, we were very careful to leave the door...

  bgwfans.com

NoLimits Model of the Layout:​

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Direct Link to Embedded Media Source

Additional Coverage (Newest to Oldest):​

• https://bgwfans.com/2022/drachen-spire-height-waiver-extension-details/
• https://bgwfans.com/2022/drachen-spire-height-waiver-renewal/
• https://bgwfans.com/2021/drachen-spires-slumber/
• https://bgwfans.com/2020/leaked-ele...-williamsburgs-2021-roller-coaster-in-detail/
• https://bgwfans.com/2020/busch-gardens-williamsburg-2021-shuttle-giga-coaster/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/germany-expansion-site-plans/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/2021-rpa-impacts-plan/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/newly-leaked-document-depicts-project-2021s-station/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/project-2021-height-waiver-vote-happens-tomorrow/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/born-from-the-ashes/
• https://bgwfans.com/2019/bgw-project-2021/

Previous Thread:​

https://parkfans.net/threads/january-2019-festhaus-park-height-survey.5696/

 

[BGWnut]

@Zachary always has to tease us

 

[SLC Headache]

OMG. Can't. Believe. I'm. Writing. This.

I'm actually far more interested in KD 2021 than I am Project 2021.

I don't follow KD...since I don't like the park...at all...but I thought I heard a B&M Wing was rumored...

In such case, far more interested in that, and may have to actually have to... gulp... make a trip there. It's a B&M afterall.

What's going on??? What have you done to me SEAS???!!!

Agreed. This is a giant gimmick ride. Whether it will be worth it or not depends on whether those spikes have anything to offer beyond plain vertical.

My only worry for KD 2021 is if the layout is short.

 

[GrandpaD]

So this is like a...one and a half trick pony?

 

[PhantomJB93]

I mean the KD coaster is a straight up clone minus an extra helix or something. If a wing coaster is that much more up your alley than a launched shuttle fair enough, but dragging BGW for not doing enough with this 2021 layout and then turning around praising KD that much for throwing in a clone of a ride type that most coaster fans already seem to consider pretty vanilla seems weird to me.

 

[CoasterAuditor]

I’ll just be excited for the fact Virginia will have gotten 4 significant coasters, InvadR, and an S&S Screaming Swing from 2017-2021. No doubt in my mind Drachen Spire will be a hit with the GP they used to eat Hypersonic up.

 

[thopping]

So this is like a...one and a half trick pony?

It's a... really big Clydesdale that can do a trick and do it in reverse as well.

 

[CarterGee]

This is absolutely incredible. Even with Pantheon and Tempesto having "swing launches" (which people probably like a lot better than a chain lift...) there is nothing like this on the east coast except for Kingda Ka in NJ. A drop of over 300 feet is nothing to scoff at and I'm extremely grateful we're getting something more interesting than another Kingda Ka / TTD / Red Force model.

Assuming this is a package deal with Pantheon, it's incredible for this park, especially with a neutered King's Dominion down the road. Would you really want a ride that's similar to something else in the states? When I look at KD getting a (short) wing coaster, I feel absolutely nothing. I've ridden those. I've probably ridden better ones. Sure there isn't one nearby, but it isn't a one of kind. This also isn't an Orion - a ride with many siblings and one of the least exciting looking of all of them. I'm glad we're not getting that.

This ride is a one of a kind and it's going to attract people, including myself, from all over the world.

While I hope the spoke does something special, it doesn't have to for me given everything else it has. I am so amped for something so weird, so different, and so unexpected. Oh, and for something so marketable. Whoever did this supposed deal with Intamin better have gotten a promotion.

 

[UncleDuncan]

Great article, @Zachary, @Nicole and team. Since I don't give 2 fucks about speculating on theme, colors, queue decorations or any other frivolous crap that doesn't amount to jack shit in the long run, I'll stay out of this thread until closer to completion. But I feel like an informed user after reading the article and I commend the team for providing such insight.


Also, "thoughrowly" isn't a word. I mean, unless it is now.

 

[Jahrules]

Whoever did this supposed deal with Intamin better have gotten a promotion.

My guess is it was Mz Suzy Cheely

 

[Luke]

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Behind The Thrills | Busch Gardens Williamsburg Plans for MASSIVE Giga-Coaster in 2021 Behind The Thrills

behindthethrills.com

 

[Zachary]

Also, "thoughrowly" isn't a word. I mean, unless it is now.

This is what happens when half of an article is written at 3am and half of it is written with moments to spare at the last minute. ?

 

[Jahrules]

I thought @Zachary would get a kick out of this..

Basically, this person thinks they filed a fake set of blueprints to throw everyone off.

Wouldn't that also get them into potential trouble with JCC over the height waiver?

 

[halfabee]

By any chance, does that person still insist this will probably be a Star Flyer? ?

 

[Thomas]

Who’s to say a star flyer isn’t being built on top of the spike.

 

[halfabee]

Maybe the cars reach the very top of the spike and suddenly fast-switch laterally over to a different track that makes them turn into Star Flyer swings on cables, whereupon they circle the spire a few times like an enraged dragon, then self-jettison from the Star Flyer and line back up on a 355-foot drop track that pivots them downward as they fall, precision-plummeting ballistically with the help of grid fins to a perfect rolling landing on the return track, and then the entire crowd in the queue gives you an ovation when you return to the station because they know you figured all of this out in advance when other people were just talking about boring stuff like footers and spikes and submitted diagrams and physics.

 

[madmax]

I love how people are already saying it won’t be good when Pantheon hasn’t even tested yet.

 

[CarterGee]

Can we get some stats from the No Limits creations? G forces, speed, length, etc?

 

[GrandpaD]

I love how people are already saying it won’t be good when Pantheon hasn’t even tested yet.

I don't like shuttle coasters. And I still won't like shuttle coasters after they test Pantheon. But, if it'll make you happy, I'll be put my dislike of that style coaster in abeyance until the Pantheon tests are complete.

 

[Zimmy]

First of all, it was worth the wait. I am shocked by how far out of the park yall knocked this one. Collaboration at its best.

Now the unpopular opinion.

I think I like it. If done right this could be an epic drop. By "right" I mean no twist and tuns on the way down and at least some hang time at the top. I know several of you are rolling your eyes and hate the idea, and I get it. Some people do not the hang. I look forward to a good gut drop myself. As most of you know, the drop is everything for me.

Now the agreement
Several of yall have commented that you wish the gig drop could be forward facing. I happen to agree, because I want to be in the back seat to experience it. In fact as I was watching the first video I kept saying to myself, "it would be rad if those cars had seating both directions."
Do I think it is likely to happen, hell no. Do I think it is a missed opportunity, fuck yes I do. If one thing Hagrid has taught us is that dissimilar ride experiences bring back riders.
Okay let me clarify. I have NO EARTHLY IDEA what the actual metrics are on joe public re-riding Hagrid to see what the other seats are like. So I have no idea if there is missed rev here. I have also not ridden it. But I have read what yall and others have said, and the one thing that seems to be a common thread is that the rides are different and it is worth while to try both.
I also know that front and back cars have different rides. (that is just physics and not in dispute) I also know from having experience Racer 75 backwards that the change in seating changes the ride. So I am willing to go out on a limb and say that I expect that there would be 4 very different ride experiences if they had alternating seating positions or trains.

Let me also say I have no idea how much it would cost to make this happen. I believe there are other trains out there that do this, I am not certain Intimin makes one, so maybe it is new engineering and therefor costs 50 bazillion credits. I do not begin to speculate on cost or currency for that matter. I just know I want it.

Anyhow, I think I may like this beast.

 

[madmax]

I don't like shuttle coasters. And I still won't like shuttle coasters after they test Pantheon. But, if it'll make you happy, I'll be put my dislike of that style coaster in abeyance until the Pantheon tests are complete.

What I mean is that nobody knows how Intamin is going to make it work, especially when we don’t have a feel for their newer style. If Pantheon’s spike and hill launches turn out to be great then that bodes well for a way larger scaled version of those elements.