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:​

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

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/

 

[BGWnut]

Is it possible that they asked for 355 as more a publicity stunt, though they'll still be around 300?

Thinking that it's a big number that captures attention on its own, but by going a little lower it'll be less visible to KM residents whom will likely be involved with any and every new park request to JCC zoning for the foreseeable future...

That seems unlikely given how much Kingsmill fought them on the waiver. It would harm their relationship with the board of supervisors if they then dropped that much off the height waiver after fighting hard to get it approved.

 

[CoasterAuditor]

If you told me the next TTD/KK-like attraction in the US would be going up at Busch Gardens Wlliamsburg a year ago...….

 

[horsesboy]

I really want to try and figure out SEAS strategy here. This type of extensive mass capital investment is unprecedented. I'm not complaining but it's like they were like "hey lets spend like $250 million over the next 2-3 years on new coasters at our parks."

Actually after all the bad PR from black fish building large new attractions that associate the company with something over then animals in the public's mind seems like a wise and nessary if sad step to take.

 

[PretzeLoop]

In my dream of dreams it would be a B&M Giga, but I know there’s slim chances there. In all reality I’m going to ride it no matter what, but if they put in a red “Red Force” clone and name it Big Bad Wolf, I wouldn’t be sad...#pipedreams

 

[horsesboy]

That seems unlikely given how much Kingsmill fought them on the waiver. It would harm their relationship with the board of supervisors if they then dropped that much off the height waiver after fighting hard to get it approved.

There appeared to be some backlash from the change to Madrid's height to Pantheon I can only imagine that repeating this with prodject 2021 would create further hard feelings in the future.

 

[Zimmy]

Deep down I really want this leak to turn out to have been a, "leak." (huh?) Hear me out...
What I mean, I really hope this leak turns out to be a VERY clever ruse by BGW. I REALLY want to believe that this was done to throw us (the RC enthusiast community) off, create chaos, and refocus us on Pantheon.

Do I think this is the case? No not for one minute. I have trouble believing that BGW has that much creativity.

Still a guy can dream.

 

[James]

Honestly that would just be a waste of time. If it were a fake, it'd be to point out the source of a leak. Not to tease with the coaster enthusiast community.

 

[horsesboy]

Yeah throw out a fake to tease the comunity snd get them focused on talking about 2021 less then a week after making the major announcement of Pantheon. That would seem stupid to me but hey when BGW's marketing team is on the job stupid isn't necessarily the wrong guess.

 

[JohnD]

Re-ridability scores - how do the Red Force, Kingda Ka type layouts compare to other layouts? Speaking personally, once I had ridden Kingda Ka, I had no interest in doing it again. My biggest takeaway was how, at the top, a full-size RV in the parking lot appeared the size of my thumbnail.

 

[Coaster Takes]

Re-ridability scores - how do the Red Force, Kingda Ka type layouts compare to other layouts? Speaking personally, once I had ridden Kingda Ka, I had no interest in doing it again. My biggest takeaway was how, at the top, a full-size RV in the parking lot appeared the size of my thumbnail.

The main reason people re-ride accelerators such as KK and TTD is for the crazy experience of such a fast acceleration. I can’t speak for the LSM’s on Red Force cause traveling to Spain isn’t really at the top of my priority list, but if I were able to marathon TTD, I would take the opportunity to in a heartbeat.

 

[enaosaka]

Do we rly need 4 launched coasters, tho? I honestly would’ve liked some sorta alpine-themed B&M Giga or smthg (granted, Alpengeist already exists).

 

[Jonesta6]

Cable lift could work back there, bigger question is of the course since that's a lot of energy to have to burn off... And I'm guessing they aren't going to want a TTD brake run after the hill.

 

[CoasterAuditor]

I would love to ride Kingda Ka again. The launch is absolutely insane.

 

[b.mac]

A 16-seater giga coaster is not what I wpuld have in mind for an addition to any amusement park.

Considering the size of the available plot for any potential ride it's easier (and cheaper) to slap a launch on it and call it a ride.

Tallest, fastest coaster in the South has a pretty good ring to it when you consider the closest competition pieces on the entire eastern seaboard are Fury 325 and Kingda Ka.

 

[madmax]

Is there any chance this would be a hydraulic or has Intamin completely retired that?

 

[Icer]

Personally, I'm not someone who lets launch or chain lift define a coaster. They hold equal weight to me. All this "do we need another launch" stuff doesn't make sense to me, because by the same logic do we need another chain lift? We've got 5.

I don't want to discredit a ride because of its means of obtaining energy. A good ride is a good ride.

 

[madmax]

Pantheon makes a Red Force type ride more palatable tbh. We still got our balls to the wall blitz.

 

[b.mac]

Is there any chance this would be a hydraulic or has Intamin completely retired that?

Intamin still produces parts for the extant hydraulic rides so I would assume if a park was crazy enough Intamin would build one more.

I just imagine this latest version of BGW has the same supplier as Intamin and they've been snorting the same shit for the past 4 years in a room together. It really is the only way I can explain 2020, 2021, and that retheme proposal for Darkastle that got canned.

 

[Conan233]

Do we rly need 4 launched coasters, tho? I honestly would’ve liked some sorta alpine-themed B&M Giga or smthg (granted, Alpengeist already exists).

I remember when we had none and was telling myself, "man, I wish we had some launched coasters and how excited I was when we got Verbolten..." I never thought we'd have or get so many more....

On a side note, I don't know if anyone has said something about this, but couldn't getting two coasters in two years could also be a sign that one coaster could soon be reaching the end of it's lifespan?

 

[CoasterAuditor]

I don't have any issues with another launch coaster. Like @b.mac said you can have some launch coasters be wildly different rides it's just a method of obtaining energy different from a drop. If you want that specifically I mean there's Nessie, Alpie, AC, Griffon, and InvadR.