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:
    bgwfans.com

    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...
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  • Most Recent Status Update:
    bgwfans.com

    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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Previous Thread:​

 
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Festhaus field doesn't really go downhill until the northern edge of it, are they taking about putting this wayyy towards the Rhine there? Hard to imagine how to get guests all the way that way.
 
FoozMuz said:
Festhaus field doesn't really go downhill until the northern edge of it, are they taking about putting this wayyy towards the Rhine there? Hard to imagine how to get guests all the way that way.
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Good question yet to be answered.

WDWRLD said:
So did they anounce Spain....oops did I say that?
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Nope. They'll probably wait until after the taco buffet opens.
 
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GrandpaD said:
So, now that we all know about our "neighbors"... Let's get back to Festhaus Park. What are the guesses now that we know it's a thin, lattice structure.

  1. Tower with smaller coaster?
  2. Tower alone?
  3. Red Force type coaster?
  4. ?l??
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Thomas said:
A lift hill can be slender when viewed from certain angles. ;)
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This. It will be slender when viewed from the direction that KM would be looking at the attraction from. It doesn't have to be slender from every point of view. I still think this is a Giga coaster. Especially with the information that the position of the height waiver is closer to the drop on Verbolten. That gives a fair amount of room for a lift hill and drop.

The one quote from Kevin though about it being a critical piece of decision going forward and that the delay is not ideal really makes me think that there are larger plans involved. Perhaps a multi year plan for that area and any lengthy delays could push other projects back. I will say that if this attraction were to come with a new country then it would be possible for it to be a starflyer. I still think that it's a Giga though.
 
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FoozMuz said:
Festhaus field doesn't really go downhill until the northern edge of it, are they taking about putting this wayyy towards the Rhine there? Hard to imagine how to get guests all the way that way.
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FH field does have a slight elevation change as you go towards the river away from the festhaus and then out gets much more dramatic closer to the water.
 
All this arguing just because they dont want a red light on top.......so they moved it down the hill closer to the water....lol
 
Yes, @Thomas and @BGWnut I'll give ya that..a lift hill is slender. Then again, at the right angle, so is a Red Force-type top hat.

Looking at an aerial, I'd have to say a tower that far away from a logical guest access is pretty inconceivable. But I could see a Red Force...There's nothing like it relatively close by so it makes it unique. And, judging by the time frame, probably doesn't take long to build.
 
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My current best guess for the highest point of this thing is somewhere in this area:

15558

@kingadam has done some actual analysis and put together a much better, far more informative map than this. If he gets time, hopefully he can share it and explain his process.

In the meantime, I wanted to get my guestimate map out to give people an idea of where we're currently looking though.
 
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The BGW / Kingsmill battle is beginning to sound like the VA Beach / Oceana battle.... Developers build these neighborhoods close to Oceana then the residents that move there complain about the jets flying and the jet noise. If you don't want to hear jets, don't move to a neighborhood that is built a half a mile off the runway!!!
 
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Considering it was the Anheuser Busch beer company that essentially created Busch Gardens AND the Kingsmill community & resort (possibly at the same time?), they should be more supportive of one another and drink lots of beer together and come to easy agreements. Instead, Kingsmill is a golf community that went from being a course on the PGA tour to being a course only on the women's PGA tour and they're sour about it.
 
Drachenwolf said:
Considering it was the Anheuser Busch beer company that essentially created Busch Gardens AND the Kingsmill community & resort (possibly at the same time?), they should be more supportive of one another and drink lots of beer together and come to easy agreements. Instead, Kingsmill is a golf community that went from being a course on the PGA tour to being a course only on the women's PGA tour and they're sour about it.
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Sorry to pick on your post, but as a golf professional, it bugs the crap out of me when people say things like this. They are not sour about hosting an LPGA stop. Only 60 courses a year get to host events for the 2 best collections of players in the world.

And to give the golfer side of what happened there: AB was the sponsor behind the PGA tour event. When AB golf Kingsmill, AB dropped out as a sponsor. Buick jumped in for a few years. But then 3 things happened at the same time: (1) The even was moved before a major so less big names, (2) Tiger had his troubles and Buick dropped him as a spokesman, (3) length of tour players started to overwhelm the course.

In order to stay as a tour event they decided to sponsor themselves, and since they couldn't get the minimum purse for PGA and the reasons above, they decided to shift onto the LPGA tour. No one there is sour about it. They were all happy to have the opportunity to stay on a major tour. 4 days of free advertising for a resort.

Tying this to the matter at hand:
As I alluded to, Kingsmill brought this on themselves some. There's plenty of space and lots that they could sell and build more houses on, but they chose to move closer to BGW, then complain when something that was already there. That's what bothered me so much about this last night. The insinuation of saying "well they should find other ways of being world class without making something tall and loud." This is my personality, but I would have fired back "You can make great communities without building close to our shared property line."

I'm hoping in the end the board 'sides' with BGW if there's any more attempts to delay this or complaints. If BGW does the required height tests and the board approves it, does the sound tests and its within the JCC limits, lighting is within JCC limits; there should be little that Kingsmill can do about it.
 
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I can't really fault Kingsmill. As @Zachary said, there were scheduling conflicts that delayed a meeting between the community and BGW. How much of a delay, I'm not certain. But community outreach/relations, especially with a more affluent neighbor, is essential. I'm not saying BGW "roll over" to them but, instead, make them feel they are a part of the process. A last minute (assuming, as I've no idea when the KM/BGW meeting was held) meeting just prior to the JCC meeting comes across to residents as they're an afterthought; that BGW was trying to force it through without consideration to their neighbors.

I don't foresee this not passing. I do foresee BGW strength it's community outreach efforts to appear to be "a better neighbor".
 
GrandpaD said:
I can't really fault Kingsmill. As @Zachary said, there were scheduling conflicts that delayed a meeting between the community and BGW. How much of a delay, I'm not certain. But community outreach/relations, especially with a more affluent neighbor, is essential. I'm not saying BGW "roll over" to them but, instead, make them feel they are a part of the process. A last minute (assuming, as I've no idea when the KM/BGW meeting was held) meeting just prior to the JCC meeting comes across to residents as they're an afterthought; that BGW was trying to force it through without consideration to their neighbors.

I don't foresee this not passing. I do foresee BGW strength it's community outreach efforts to appear to be "a better neighbor".
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And I respect that take, but then they should make it clear through the reporter that their issue was the lack of time to notify their residents.

Like I’ve said, that statement on “other ways to be world class without being taller” is what chaps me hard. That comes off to me very poorly. And it’s why I think this is going to be a bit of a testy hearing when they get to it.
 
warfelg said:
And I respect that take, but then they should make it clear through the reporter that their issue was the lack of time to notify their residents.

Like I’ve said, that statement on “other ways to be world class without being taller” is what chaps me hard. That comes off to me very poorly. And it’s why I think this is going to be a bit of a testy hearing when they get to it.
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As I said, I don't know how much time transpired between whatever KM/BGW meeting and the JCC hearing. It sounds like a short timeframe.

I agree that comment was way out of line. The same guy probably says "why do so many people clog my streets for this golf tournament! Can't they watch on TV?". Again, I think it's "educating" the community thru better relations. Had they had time to meet, discuss and get into some "whys", they might have curtailed such an attitude.
 
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