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/

 

[Jahrules]

I would welcome their input....

...provided they know how to use a web browser.

They'll just have their servants post for them

 

[Ghost of Pretzel Kaiser]

Their grandkids will be too busy enjoying the new coasters at BGW.

 

[b.mac]

Their grandkids will be too busy enjoying the new coasters at BGW.

"What do you mean Grandma that sounds awesome"

 

[Ghost of Pretzel Kaiser]

"Billy, you're too young to understand property value."

 

[Thomas]

I'll make it a point to scream as loudly as I can in the direction of kingsmill every time I ride it.

 

[Dylon]

Happy for the approval! To me the way they described it could be in terms of which direction you view this attraction. In this case, the park could have placed the lift hill facing away from kingsmill, which results in a “straight-ish” spire like shape. A lift hill, track and catwalks included, very well could be around 10ft wide. That would also abide to the “lattice” type structure (track and catwalks have “holes”). To me that’s what it felt like, this could definitely be a way the park “hides” exactly what this is, if it’s a coaster after all. All the speculation in this thread is overwhelming, I just can’t see a star flyer coming to a location where literally nothing is. Anyway, I’ll stop now.?

 

[Unagi]

i wonder if the elderly at kingsmill will come raid the forums and spout hate for losing the battle?

 

[BGWnut]

The fact that despite some citizen opposition the board unanimously voted to approve should show how little influence Kingsmill actually has over BGW.

 

[GrandpaD]

Soon to follow, I'd assume, we'll see the FAA request. This should provide a more accurate location of the high point(s) for this project.

 

[BGWnut]

Happy for the approval! To me the way they described it could be in terms of which direction you view this attraction. In this case, the park could have placed the lift hill facing away from kingsmill, which results in a “straight-ish” spire like shape. A lift hill, track and catwalks included, very well could be around 10ft wide. That would also abide to the “lattice” type structure (track and catwalks have “holes”). To me that’s what it felt like, this could definitely be a way the park “hides” exactly what this is, if it’s a coaster after all. All the speculation in this thread is overwhelming, I just can’t see a star flyer coming to a location where literally nothing is. Anyway, I’ll stop now.?

At one point one of them said something about how the structure is viewed from kingsmill it being like a knife's edge. Interesting that they only said how it would look when viewed from there

 

[Diamond Dave]

It seems obvious to me what it is at this point, actually, it was obvious months ago. But still, come on

 

[Jahrules]

It seems obvious to me what it is at this point, actually, it was obvious months ago. But still, come on

Care to enlighten us as to what is so obvious?

 

[William545]

10 feet wide could easily also be a giga with a lift hill. Given that Intamin can make 45° lift hills and the track including catwalks would be about 10-15 feet wide, this sounds like a possibility. They might be saying that it'll look like a spire to the kingsmill location but from other angles it would just look like the lift hill of a giga.

 

[William545]

Now it most likely isn't an Intamin accelerator because the top hats of the 3 tallest Intamin accelerators are all 95 ft wide from some measuring that I did on Google earth.

 

[GrandpaD]

Now it most likely isn't an Intamin accelerator because the top hats of the 3 tallest Intamin accelerators are all 95 ft wide from some measuring that I did on Google earth.

But looking at it sideways.....

 

[PhantomJB93]

But looking at it sideways.....

An accelerator tophat would be well over 10’ wide from any angle with the support structure.

 

[William545]

An accelerator tophat would be well over 10’ wide from any angle with the support structure.

Hold on let me do a side ways measurement on red force

 

[Zachary]

http://www.funtime.com.au/data/pdf/flyer.pdf

Here is a direct .pdf link to a 200 foot tall Star Flyer model. The approximate width of its tower is about 10 feet, per what the meeting stated. The 400 foot tall models are slightly thicker, approximately 15-17 feet wide.

It's my understanding that any StarFlyer that is over 223 feet uses the thicker tower, no?

Assuming I'm correct there, a 350-ish foot StarFlyer would require the too-thick-to-qualify tower, yes?

 

[warfelg]

Random thoughts going on here:
~Good neighbor policy is being overused here.
~Saying to expect going higher is silly IMO.
~ ?Degradation of John Smith’s land. Your house ruined it just as much as BGW.
~Comparing BGW to a vandalizing person is absurd. I’m glad I’m not there because I would have said her house shouldn’t be there if that’s the way she felt.
~ ?The hotels and other business banding together to support BGW is awesome.
~ Id love for BGW/JCC to do an economic study of what losing BGW’s taxes would do to their Property taxes. I do now JCC has some of the lowest property taxes in Virginia. They only enjoy that because of BGW.
~I’m always amazed at how Suzy Cheely carries herself in these meetings. It’s not easy to remain calm in these statements. She’s also very clear and concise with her words.
~Bringing in the outside help to assess the noise was awesome. It’s like smacking KCSA in the face with their own complaint.
~Kevin Lamkie (eek sp?) is also very well spoken and he’s a great park president.
~Kevin saying it’s been redesigned many times isn’t something you would say about a tower ride. Not much redesign to be done.

Some outside personal notes:
~Hersheypark, Dorney Park, and Kennywood are right by neighborhoods, and not a single one meet with those homeowners.
~ BGW does more in that regards than any other park I know. So to say they are breaking a “good neighbor in faith” is absurd.

 

[William545]

easily over 10 feet