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

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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:
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    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...
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  • Most Recent Status Update:
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    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...
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If this is in the area that Drachen Fire was in, then I think they should make it a new hamlet that perhaps extends somewhat outside of the og area. I’m thinking it should be themed to Scandinavia or Russia.
Personally, I think that Russia would be a better pick bcuz the country pretty much is in the far corner of Europe irl, just like this area is in the far corner of the park. Also, there’s already a roller coaster in the park themed to vikings, which came from Scandinavia.

On a side note, if this is somehow an actual coaster, then they should probs theme it to either a Norse god (if they go for theming the area to Scandinavia) or perhaps smthg like a bear (if they go for theming the area to Russia).


Then again, maybe I’m being unrealistic again and not taking into account many important factors. Idk.
 
Serious question: why do some people fixate on the new hamlet idea so much? It's been a while since I've been down there but last I checked, BG can barely plan, program, and manage the hamlets they have now. In my eyes, this is very much a case of "be careful what you wish for."
 
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UncleDuncan said:
Serious question: why do some people fixate on the new hamlet idea so much? It's been a while since I've been down there but last I checked, BG can barely plan, program, and manage the hamlets they have now. In my eyes, this is very much a case of "be careful what you wish for."
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THIS. SO MUCH THIS.

The current Busch Gardens Williamsburg can't even manage to conform to the most rudimentary thematic standards set forth by the park's existing hamlets. The last thing I want is for the tapestry of BGW to have another Festa Italia-style stain splattered across it.

Until park management demonstrates the understanding, imagination, resolve, budget, and, frankly, the taste required to properly expand Busch Gardens Williamsburg, I'd much rather they stick to tossing half-assed, unthemed thrill rides in low-risk areas like Festa Italia and Oktoberfest.

PS: A great way for them to demonstrate that they know what they're doing would be to retheme Festa or New France instead. Lets clean up the messes we already have before we go off making new ones.
 
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Why does Oktoberfest get so much hate

It looks better now than it did before 2012 besides the little village in BBW
 
I don't hate Oktoberfest. It is an area that doesn't require much (if any) thematic rigor though. As long as the attractions are vaguely German, they will work plenty well enough.
 
make a dragon theme coaster and renovate the back of the castle to have the coaster start and go outside of the castle and make the entire castle the queue and make it immersive for the ride.?
 
madmax said:
I do think Festa Italia is...not good though. It needs a revamp and ditch the cheap carnival theme.

Also New France>Aquitaine. I like the kind of wooden feel it has
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New France is done well, with the possible exception of InvadR, which makes zero historical sense. My personal problem with it is that Quebec is simply not in Europe. There is no gray area here for me. They are on different continents.

I’m pretty sure they could have found a way to build a wooden hamlet themed to a European country, if that was the goal. It turns out that they used trees there, too.
 
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Nicole said:
New France is done well, with the possible exception of InvadR, which makes zero historical sense. My personal problem with it is that Quebec is simply not in Europe. There is no gray area here for me. They are on different continents.

I’m pretty sure they could have found a way to build a wooden hamlet themed to a European country, if that was the goal. It turns out that they used trees there, too.
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You know, it's about that time that Canada got invaded by the continental army in 1775...
 
Yes, I am well educated and studied history, too.

I don't understand what that possibly has to do with my post.
 
Despite "Viking invader" being one of the proposed names for invadr; I've always taken invadr to be a reference to the invasion of Quebec. Which would fit with the hamlet theming.
 
This is getting off topic, but I'll do my best to circle it back around.

IMO, when I first visited BGW (2003), it seems that's when they were on that line of starting to move away from being historically accurate to it's current mishmash. Taking it further, I think the issue comes from the general 'non-fan' (basically, not us) not being as interested in the historical context, and more in just the thrills. I think that part of the shift was BGW moving to have a few more thrills, it was becoming harder to but that to historical context.

And I blame part of it one Disney. Now you might be thinking "Disney to blame for BGW's problems? They aren't even closely related!!" Well, here's my take on it. Many of the legends and stories that can be used for 'historical context' to make thrill rides for BGW are fairy tales and stories of the Brothers Grimm. Well guess where most of the classic Disney movies/stories come from? European folk lore and Brothers Grimm.

Like a dive coaster themed to France could actually have an awesome Hunchback of Notre Dame or a Beauty and the Beast type theme, both or Franch Folk Lores before they were Disney movies. But if BGW did either of those, they would be ripped for copying Disney. Making New France based on the tales of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (writer of Beauty and the Beast), to look like a little French town with all kinds of folk lore going on. But again that would seem like a ripoff of Disney.

We can go through EVERY hamlet and a great go to historical thing would somehow come off as a 'Disney Ripoff'. So things end up becoming a little mismatched in terms of overall theme elements.

So, my suggestion has long been to make most the rides based on mythical beasts. Some of them are. Verbolten, Nessie, Griff, Alpie. Make them all do that. And IMO both BG's should go back to tags to both parks. BGW could be named IMO "Busch Gardens: European Legends". BGT could be named IMO "Busch Gardens: African Safari". Gives them free reign to be more modern at times, and be more historical.

Pulling around to the topic and the thread.....IMO that simple switch allows them to be more basic in the 'on the surface' theme elements. What do I mean by that? That walking into an area (like Aquatine) can be really basic, but the shows and the ride entrances get 'hidden' within that an act as a 'portal' to another area that a legend lives. Taking the idea to apply to Aquatine, do a 'front' around the entrance to Griff that looks like a cave, and as you walk in the completely enclosed area you keep hearing the screeching of a bird, the flapping of wings, and walk past an area that looks like a nest before boarding. Basically takes the concept of BfE to a park wide idea. Not just one ride with an unassuming entrance with a whole other thing going on.

So for this height waiver and topic...if they made this shift, it allows them to make a very basic hamlet off a new area (Spain? Poland? Greece? Scandinavia?), as long as going into the ride there's some type of mythical tie to the ride. To me this starts to make things a little easier. (FWIW I have concepted something similar, and part of the fix was Festa Italia becoming Greek themed).
 
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I was talking to a friend of mine from Design and Engineering last night and we were talking about all the exciting things happening at the parks. And they said yet it's going to be a really busy two years with two roller coasters coming and instantly had that look on their face like they let out a secret that they shouldn't have.

I didn't press for anymore details because they had already shared more than they had wanted to.

It's going to be a coaster guys. I'm really hoping that they use the majority of this height waiver unlike with MMXX.
 
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