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...
    bgwfans.com bgwfans.com
  • 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...
    bgwfans.com bgwfans.com

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Jpineda96 said:
Weren’t they building a bridge already??
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There were some plans that showed four structures crossing the Rhine River. One guess was footers for a new bridge, but that didn't seem likely based on the location. It could be something else, or Madrid related and therefore no longer happening.
 
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I apologize. Reading over these last pages I think I worded my thoughts wrong. What I mean by gigas is that there isn't much you can do (at least that's been done as of now) in terms of uniqueness in the layout. Say what you want about BGW, but each of their coasters has something different than similar models. I just don't think an almost copy/paste layout with similar elements from intamin or B&M fits the park. If they can make it unique like AC was to hypers, by all means, go for it. I think the park could do better with an airtime demon or another sit-down looper if we're talking thrill rides.
 
DangerRaide said:
I apologize. Reading over these last pages I think I worded my thoughts wrong. What I mean by gigas is that there isn't much you can do (at least that's been done as of now) in terms of uniqueness in the layout. Say what you want about BGW, but each of their coasters has something different than similar models. I just don't think an almost copy/paste layout with similar elements from intamin or B&M fits the park. If they can make it unique like AC was to hypers, by all means, go for it. I think the park could do better with an airtime demon or another sit-down looper if we're talking thrill rides.
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I can't think of two gigas that are alike spare maybe leviathan and fury, but even those are quite different in ride experience.
 
Elements. I said similar elements. I know they all ride different but none of them do anything crazy from another (besides maybe fury's horseshoe turn). There is only so much that's been done with this type of coaster right now. Not saying they're bad rides.
 
I would suspect a starflyer, but they likely would have had to disclose the visual impact of the swings at the top to the board I'd think.
 
In thinking about what what said (and not) at the county meeting, I pondered one part where BGW said something about moving the high point 3 times to lessen the the whatever for Kingmill.

I know a small bit about coaster design (I played RCT2) and just "moving" would seem to me to be rather expensive CAD design time. It's not like they can say "ok, slide the lift hill over there" without spending a hell of a lot of time rearranging the entire layout. A lot goes into this because of topography, utilities (you'd assume the station would have to move, too) etc.

Now unless she was blowing smoke up Kingsmill's tush to appease them, I wonder just what the heck we're dealing with. This ain't RCT2 dropping a prebuilt coaster and building an entrance and exit.

Or it could all be because my sleeping pill kicked in.
 
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@GrandpaD: We really don't know when BGW made that decision. It could have been before or during the attraction design process for all we know.

I have a really hard time believing that BGW drafted plans for one location and THEN decided to move it. It seems more likely that they just moved the peak in their concept further away from Kingsmill a few times and then designed around that final decision.
 
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DangerRaide said:
I apologize. Reading over these last pages I think I worded my thoughts wrong. What I mean by gigas is that there isn't much you can do (at least that's been done as of now) in terms of uniqueness in the layout. Say what you want about BGW, but each of their coasters has something different than similar models. I just don't think an almost copy/paste layout with similar elements from intamin or B&M fits the park. If they can make it unique like AC was to hypers, by all means, go for it. I think the park could do better with an airtime demon or another sit-down looper if we're talking thrill rides.
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AC was unique because it was literally the first B&M hyper. If it was built today it would have a lot it rides that share similarities to it that still feel like very different rides. Take Mako at SeaWorld Orlando. It has some very similar elements yet to me they feel like very different rides.
 
Could you really call it unique when there was another B&M Hyper that was built at the same time and opened only 36 days later?
 
Yes, you definitely can. Have you ridden Raging Bull? Very different experience from AC. Good ride in its own right, but it really doesn’t take away from AC’s uniqueness circa 1999.
 
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b.mac said:
Could you really call it unique when there was another B&M Hyper that was built at the same time and opened only 36 days later?
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You could argue that AC and Raging Bull are pretty different roller coasters.

But my point was that AC seemed a lot more unique when it was built because it was the first than it would today compared to other B&M Hypers.
 
sunchild said:
Wild eagle
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b.mac said:
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Technically a hyper, it just does the opposite and has a 210ft lift with a 135ft drop. The more I think about that the more lame it gets.

EDIT: after looking at the lift again, there's no way that's 210ft, Dollywood is trippin. They advertise it as 210ft tall though ?.
 
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