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/

 

[Zimmy]

This thread has quickly shifted from one I am intrigued by to Madrid levels of redditry

hold my beer

 

[Icer]

I think you mean your taco

 

[Drachenwolf]

Personally I think this all could/should have been resolved by making MMXX and the 2021 project a single, world-class coaster (that crosses the Rhine, utilizing both fields). I find the MMXX plan to be somewhat underwhelming in favor of "new", "different" & "first" and would have preferred an Expedition GeForce, instead- giga or not. Would have been worth waiting an extra year and doing without a new attraction in 2020, if need be. Just my opinion.

 

[madmax]

Dude the original version was literally Red Force, not a giga. Be glad we got what we have now.

 

[jonfin826]

Dude the original version was literally Red Force, not a giga. Be glad we got what we have now.

According to....?

 

[madmax]

According to....?

A blueprint/sources close to the park

 

[Zimmy]

so, unverifiable data with no shared documentation to verify the assertion. Tell me again why we should trust you as a source? Do you have anything you can point to that demonstrates a history of special knowledge?

Oh, truthiness is not a thing.

 

[madmax]

so, unverifiable data with no shared documentation to verify the assertion. Tell me again why we should trust you as a source? Do you have anything you can point to that demonstrates a history of special knowledge?

Oh, truthiness is not a thing.

It was shown on a blueprint. Stop getting so worked up.

If you want you can ask MadridBot about it anyways.

 

[BGWnut]

It was shown on a blueprint. Stop getting so worked up.

If you want you can ask MadridBot about it anyways.

When was it shown on a blueprint? B.mac is the one who said that what he heard was that was the original plan. I have never seen any blueprints

 

[GrandpaD]

At this juncture, no one gives a rat's butt what could have/would have been, verifiable or not. It didn't happen and we already know half of the equation.

Personally I think this all could/should have been resolved by making MMXX and the 2021 project a single, world-class coaster (that crosses the Rhine, utilizing both fields). I find the MMXX plan to be somewhat underwhelming in favor of "new", "different" & "first" and would have preferred an Expedition GeForce, instead- giga or not. Would have been worth waiting an extra year and doing without a new attraction in 2020, if need be. Just my opinion.

I'm not sure what we're resolving other than 30 pages on this thread ?. While I respect your opinion, I think MMXX is "world class". Further, I think if funds were available, building (assuming) two distinctly different coasters is a better marketing tactic than to put all the eggs in one basket.

Just assuming: Let's say you add an Intamin wing coaster (SkyRush/Flying Aces) to the DF area (Drachen Flier?) to complement the MMXX coaster and now you have two coasters that will appeal to two types of coaster aficionados. Throw in a Falcon's Fury in the DF area and you're probably at the same dollars as a single "crossing the Rhine" $40M giga.

With Finnegan's this year, MMXX next and whatever in 2021, BGW certainly is generating the type of excitement that truly is world class (jeez, that sounds way too fanboy coming from me).

 

[BGWnut]

Speculating here
How many parks in the chain are getting major investments these years? Where is the rest of this money going?
Let's just say 30m for each of these years... divide 150 by 30 and you get five. How many parks get major investments,...five? The two BGs and three SeaWorlds, kind of. So that's 30m each.. now adjust for what each park is spending on these new rides/events/etc... probably less than 30m at 3/5 of these parks. I think the money is there...

I'm curious what Williamsburg is going to do with that check...it's clear they have a plan of some sort

You're forgetting the water parks plus Sesame Place. That's 12 parks. Then you've got to analyze what each park should/could add to gain more bodies through the turnstiles. A new coaster? New flat? Dark ride? An off-off-off-off Broadway show "Elmo Meets Hamilton"? Sure, the money is there. It just depends on where to spend it for the best return.

Let's not forget that it can also be something like a new show or event. So WCUSA could do something like movie nights in the wave pool and it would technically qualify. Even if they break it down so that each market gets an even amount to distribute between their parks that comes to $25 million per market as there are 6 markets.

I don't think that is the case just laying out the math there. I think it's more likely that they are looking at what the parks are proposing/what they feel is needed and allocating money that way. A park like Sesame Place will never have a large investment because they don't have the space to do it. I can't find a cost but Oscar's Wacky Taxi is supposedly the largest investment ever in the park and it can't be more that 7 or 8 million.

Given the fact that every major park in SEAS is building a coaster in 2020 it seems unlikely that every park will take the year off from building a big roller coaster. So why wouldn't BGW get 2 back to back?

I will say that adding two big time coasters in back to back could really make a lot of sense if the we're building a SPW and they really wanted to push it to be even more of a destination. Which is 100% pure speculation at this point.

 

[warfelg]

I had an interesting random thought.

Intamin prefab woodie that breaks pure wooden roller coaster records.

 

[BGWnut]

I had an interesting random thought.

Intamin prefab woodie that breaks pure wooden roller coaster records.

As much as I would love a Giga that would be pretty sweet too.

 

[warfelg]

As much as I would love a Giga that would be pretty sweet too.

I think I rather have this than a giga. El Toro is one of my favorite woodies, along with Boulder Dash. BGW is one of the few places that could combine both.

 

[GotsFancyPants]

A coaster does not automatically make a park "world class". A theme park may opt to never build a roller coaster, yet it may still be considered a "world class" park because of its devotion to service, theming, events, shows, beauty, accomodations, etc. Just because a park has world class rides doesn't automatically make the park world class.

Yes, but for most people rides are the most important factor in a amusement park, and since Busch Gardens is slowly dropping their theme aspect, five star attractions are all the more essential.

Also, I think MMXX may end up being the flagship coaster, but Im leaving it out for now since it hasnt even been announced yet.

 

[b.mac]

Is Busch really dropping their theme aspect? It has barely been present since the park first opened.

Also if Steel Vengeance and Twisted Timbers are any indication, big attractions and even attractions after long periods of stagnation aren't guaranteed to bring people in.

 

[GrandpaD]

Also if Steel Vengeance and Twisted Timbers are any indication, big attractions and even attractions after long periods of stagnation aren't guaranteed to bring people in.

I recall reading an old Daily Press article, back when AB announced annual attendance figures, that for the season BBW opened they saw less than a 10K increase.

 

[Applesauce]

Yes, but for most people rides are the most important factor in a amusement park, and since Busch Gardens is slowly dropping their theme aspect, five star attractions are all the more essential.

I don't think this is entirely true. Rides may have something to do with it, but honestly I'm willing to bet it has more to do with the over all experience and how close the park is.

A lot of people are willing to travel to places like Disney and Universal (both of which I would say don't have this 5 star attraction you're seeking), just because of the experience that they get there. There are people who one and done both of them, and there are people who prefer one over the other. I personally will take Disney over Universal any day of the week, despite Universal having "more thrilling" rides. I just don't particularly care for the atmosphere Universal provides over Disney.

When it gets to regional parks like BGW and KD you have to take into the fact that most of it's park visitors are locals. While there's a bunch more rides I prefer at KD, KD is still a 2 hour drive, versus the 45 minutes to BGW. If I want to go to KD, I am there as close to opening as possible and I'm likely to stay as late as I can, as it's a park I don't frequent. It takes extra time to plan a trip to KD than say BGW. And if I lived closer to KD versus BGW, it would be the same way. I would frequent KD more just because it's closer to me than BGW.

So while, yes rides may have something to do with it, it's not always the most important thing. There are a lot of people who will see ads for 2021 as a new ride, and it will encourage some to come up to the park. But, there's a lot who will just be like "oh neat the park has a new ride" and keep on driving and won't visit.

Also what is a 5 star attraction anyways. That's highly subjective. Restaurants and hotels have very specific qualifications they have to hit to be 5 star. I don't think there's such a thing for any rides - outside of a few communities who want to rate rides. But those ratings are only gonna matter to those specific communities.

 

[Jahrules]

Well we have an update.

Does anyone have access to a non-paywalled version of this article?

 

[Jahrules]

I found one. Interesting info in here.

“It will be a tall, slender structure,” said Suzy Cheely, Busch Gardens senior leader for design and engineering. She said the attraction will be near the center of the park.

Supervisors table height limitation waiver for Busch Gardens attraction

Due to an outpouring of public criticism, the James City County Board of Supervisors decided to hold off on a decision regarding a height wavier for new ride.

www.vagazette.com

So, tower confirmed?

But to add further confusion:

"Kevin Lembke, president of Busch Gardens, cast the new attraction as a critical need for the park, which has to innovate to keep up with competing amusement parks.

“This is a very critical decision going forward for our park,” he said. “This is the first major step to realize that development in future years.”"


I can't see a tower as a "critical need" that the park views as necessary to compete in the theme park market. He must be taking about the overall project rather than one specific part or aspect perhaps?


Vote is delayed until 11 June by the way. So nearly a month delay.