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

NoLimits Model of the Layout:​

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Previous Thread:​

 
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Joe said:
Oh don't get me wrong, I think Wicked Twister is tons of fun - it just kills me to think of it as a hyper coaster, even though it is one. I'd love for KD to get Dorney's if it wouldn't be seen as a smaller, shorter version of Volcano.
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Is it because it's a launched invert that it gets that comparison? Seems totally unfair.

Curious how people will take the location of the FP coaster and be convinced it's the true sequel to DF instead of something brand new.
 
Wicked Twister is in the same boat as Tempesto for me... honestly even less of a coaster since it doesn’t complete a full circuit.
 
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Joe said:
Oh don't get me wrong, I think Wicked Twister is tons of fun - it just kills me to think of it as a hyper coaster, even though it is one. I'd love for KD to get Dorney's if it wouldn't be seen as a smaller, shorter version of Volcano.
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Wicked Twister is a good ride, but shouldn't be classified as a hyper unless all of the riders actually go over 200ft. It's disingenuous to build a ride where someone in the middle is only going up 160ft (guessing) and classify it the same as other tall rides.
 
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I'm not mad about this ride at all. There isn't anything like it in the area - or the world. This is a ridiculous ride and, tbh, more thrilling/complete than something like KingdaKa despite it not being full circuit. If we're at over 300ft - and possibly pushing / over 400 - then I don't see why people are complaining. That said, I would complain if this was some sort of clone (Wicked Twister, Red Force, etc) then I would. But this is a unique launcher. It's also a terrain launcher. I mean... come on y'all. Love this!
 
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CarterGee said:
I'm not mad about this ride at all. There isn't anything like it in the area - or the world. This is a ridiculous ride and, tbh, more thrilling/complete than something like KingdaKa despite it not being full circuit. If we're at over 300ft - and possibly pushing / over 400 - then I don't see why people are complaining. That said, I would complain if this was some sort of clone (Wicked Twister, Red Force, etc) then I would. But this is a unique launcher. It's also a terrain launcher. I mean... come on y'all. Love this!
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Can’t wait !
 
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For me personally I’m excited because I reached a point a few years ago where I stopped caring as much about other coasters at all outside of the park I’m at. I think the concept looks like it will definitely be a unique fun adrenaline rush and for what it lacks I mean we have Pantheon right before it and I think this will be a fun thing to go hop on when I’m visiting. Them I’ll go to Festa Italia and ride Apollo and Pantheon until I pass out. Maybe look at Tempesto while I’m at it maybe.
 
Should we expect this coaster to use the double spine track like in Orlando or the same single spine track like on Pantheon?
 
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I assume this is the right place for this:
Just stumbled across this video:
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Not really interested in his thoughts on it, but it's what's later in the video that made me raise an eyebrow... 1594263731258.png
A supposed blueprint of THE river-crossing Giga. First time I've ever seen this, so not really sure what to take it for. Think there's any validity to it?
 
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That looks like the layout I saw a long while back. It—or something very similar—has been circulating a few private groups for a while now. I’ve never received a copy I was allowed to speak on or share though.

I’ve never been able to confirm the layout’s legitimacy myself, but I have no real reason to think it’s fake either. It seems to fit perfectly with everything I knew about the original Project Madrid back in the day—even down to the Rhine footer locations.

I hope whoever this guy got this from knows and has accounted for the risks involved in letting this get out at this point. Playing fast and loose with this document is playing with fire—not many people had first-hand access to this thing.
 
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Drachenwolf said:
Doesn't seem like 'playing with fire'... No longer relevant if it was real.
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... uhh ...

If you think BGW just stops caring about document security the moment a project evolves into something else, I’ve got some really bad news for ya...

Even someone with no specific understanding of the actual internal procedures for handling confidential documents in the park’s offices can surely see why paper copies of plans with such a severely limited distribution being leaked in photographs is damn risky, right...?
 
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I'll be honest that I am so on the fence about stuff like that.

On one hand @Zachary you are 100% right in that it's internal documents that very few even saw, and putting them out there could be bad for the people that saw the document.

Where I'm on the fence with this, is it could be from an employee no longer with the company who might not have an NDA (we have no clue to know this). It's also a project with a 100% chance of not happening, and about the 'only' backlash they would get is from enthusiasts that see it online.

Basically I wish there was a way to know more, but I get why we won't. I feel this will go down in the lore of BGW history like the B&M version of Drachen Fire where all we know is Arrow tried their support design and keys in layout. We can dream what that would have looked like as a B&M. We may see leaks of this proposal every few years surface and the dream of what the full circuit giga at BGW would have looked like.

As for the Festhaus Park Giga Coaster itself, my concern lies slightly somewhere else:
Most people bring up the comments of the money aspect, but I'm interested in the impact with the JCC Board and Kingsmill if the Coronavirus Pandemic alters those plans. Some in the board were very clear after the Project Madrid height waiver then not using all of it, that they (BGW) won't be afforded the same leeway in the future if they keep doing this. Basically my concern is if they can't use this will they start to see some resistance with JCC on future projects.

I'm curious as to what this giga was planned to cost BGW/SEAS and maybe they make a shift in plans, and do a Star Flyer at the peak height location, and search their catalog for a family coaster that you can get from Intamin a year or two later (to uphold the contract) to put in the area as well (to keep foot traffic going there), along with a future plan of some flats and other shops and basically have a 10 year plan to build out this area with a bunch of "small" projects rather than one big one.
 
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warfelg said:
Where I'm on the fence with this, is it could be from an employee no longer with the company who might not have an NDA (we have no clue to know this).
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Yep, this is what I mean by...

Zachary said:
I hope whoever this guy got this from knows and has accounted for the risks involved in letting this get out at this point.
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It shouldn’t be hard at all to narrow the leak down to just a couple possible suspects. I hope whoever actually did this knows the gravity of what they’re dealing with, consented to this publication of their leak in this form, and/or is out of harm’s way. The slightest slip-up with something like this could mean job loss... or worse.
 
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