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/

 

[CoasterAuditor]

You be quiet let me make my cynical quip in peace!

 

[GrandpaD]

I couldn't find the YouTube video with the plan mentioned above. But this AM I've stumbled into tweets showing the actual photo. While I agree with BGW's stance, others with zero park connections obviously don't give a shit.

Edit - the only difference is they've cropped the edges, cutting off the architect and other notations. Like that's gonna make a frickin difference. ?

 

[ControlsEE]

I couldn't find the YouTube video with the plan mentioned above.

It's not a video, but a post on their channel page

 

[Logang]

I will admit I've been a bad boy and looked at the youtube post at the plans. I don't know how people are telling this is an accelerator model? I may have missed something in previous posts. Top Thrill Dragster, Kingda Ka, and Xcelerator's trains all have 5 rows. Red Force has 3. Assuming every coaster except for Invadr has the bigger model trains from companies due to the park's high attendance, why would they make this coaster (that if over 300ft will be a massive crowd drawer) one row short? I can't say for sure what I think it looks like... but this is the only thing I can picture when I see that train.

 

[thopping]

why would they make this coaster (that if over 300ft will be a massive crowd drawer) one row short?

Why would they let a station built in 1992 dictate what type of coaster they can build at all? How much does a station really cost relative to everything else? Why would they build a one-trick pony Red Force-like ride with niche appeal in the back lot of Das Festhaus? Didn't they learn from the Drachen experience? You're assuming the design will be a massive crowd drawer... I don't know something like Red Force would be. Maybe it just fits perfectly with their plans and they can save a few bucks....

Or maybe it's a draft, an alternative, or as already speculated, aligns with an existing/future design (Maverick-like or whatever) that is something other a gimmicky accelerator top hat out and back.

I'm waiting for more information, hoping I'll be pleasantly surprised.

PS: can anyone read any dates on that thing?

 

[Logang]

PS: can anyone read any dates on that thing?

It says BGW 2021 at the bottom of the plans.

 

[Zachary]

PS: can anyone read any dates on that thing?

The plan is supposedly current as of late last month. I don't want to give the exact date listed on the document if there isn't a fully visible version out there just to be safe.

 

[GrandpaD]

Without being involved in concept and design meetings, I'm pretty confident @thopping they didn't tell Intamin (or whomever) "we need a multi-million dollar attraction, but it has to fit into the existing Drachen Fire queue building".

 

[mountaineers]

Was that electrical work permit filed earlier possibly to make sure it could be used for 2021?

 

[thopping]

Without being involved in concept and design meetings, I'm pretty confident @thopping they didn't tell Intamin (or whomever) "we need a multi-million dollar attraction, but it has to fit into the existing Drachen Fire queue building".

Yeah, I would imagine... but I could also imagine discussions around a subset of Intamin launchers that they wanted and/or Intamin proposed as part of a two-for deal, and the park asked Intamin (or Intamin suggested) to look the station to see if it could be resused to save some money. Maybe not a blocker if you can't use it, but in some form/fashion, it may have become a design constraint.

PS: On the date--that's what I was interested in @Zachary , thx. i.e. how current. I'd "imagine" it would "BGW 2021" or the like in larger font as a title, but curious whether there was a revision date or some other data that indicated how current it may be...

 

[Zachary]

Yep. The document was generated in late July.

 

[jonfin826]

So how close are we to becoming launch capital of the country? Of the world?

I'd be fine with a Red Force style 'launch into a top hat' style coaster but only if there's an actual layout after that. Busch Gardens is too good for just out-up-down-back.

 

[GrandpaD]

Looking at the Drachen Fire layout and the "leak" I have to wonder what they might have planned in the Teal area? I assume something is going on because why else would they force all traffic (enter/exit) to one side as the leak indicates.

The assumed high point from the balloon test is about the yellow X...maybe a bit further up out of the frame.

 

[Dylon]

Confirmed fake. Cubbies don't increase revenue.

Oh of course...it’s fake, we’ve solved it.

 

[Icer]

Busch Gardens is too good for just out-up-down-back.

I know a certain purple and yellow beastie who'd disagree

 

[ControlsEE]

I know a certain purple and yellow beastie who'd disagree

But that's an Out-up-down-up-down-up-down-up-down-up-down-turn-up-down-up-down-up-down-up-down-turn-back

 

[JohnD]

I'd be fine with a Red Force style 'launch into a top hat' style coaster but only if there's an actual layout after that. Busch Gardens is too good for just out-up-down-back.

Agree. What a waste of 300+ feet of kinetic energy (straight back to the station), when there’s the available space to do otherwise.

 

[FoozMuz]

Is BGW better than port aventura though? Their prior coasters were no jokes..

 

[b.mac]

Remember guys this plan could be from a very early design of the ride and both the station and the details of the train could be very different now. Just take away from this that a coaster is likely coming and smile until more details come out later.

We have no place for sensible discussion in this thread, sir. Please find another thread to call home.

 

[Conan233]

I really had my doubts that BGW / SEAS would have done back to back coasters...but with what was released, does really appear to be the case. I can't imagine this not being a legit document. Maybe in the initial phases of whatever was being planned, they may have had an attraction comparison analysis (I.E Coaster vs. Starflyer / thrill ride) but at this point in the game, looks like they've made their decision.

I thought that a coaster in that area might face similar attendance issues to what plagued Drachen Fire, but after thinking about it, and maybe it's just me, find that the Oktoberfest portion of the park, especially during their seasonal attractions, actually has a fair amount of traffic, and seems to be one of the busiest areas. Then again, if Drachen Fire wasn't so rough, maybe rider attendance wouldn't have been so low either...