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/

 

[Jonesta6]

My expectation is still that this thing is will remain inside the railroad loop. If they're going to build outside the area highlighted on this page, we'll need to see a lot more preliminary site work occur (read: soil testing).

Assuming a 2023 debut, when should we expect any further site/soil testing work to be completed by?

 

[Zachary]

Assuming a 2023 debut, when should we expect any further site/soil testing work to be completed by?

We saw soil testing done in May of 2019 for the planned 2021 opening of Drachen Spire.

I'd caution against relying too much on precedent right now though. It's likely that lead time wouldn't need to be that long given the current environment.

 

[kulthus]

Yeah I think you're both probably right. I wouldn't be surprised to see it use most of FHP and maybe some additional space like that image depicts.

Would be neat having a Rhine crossing ride though IMO.

 

[FoozMuz]

I'd imagine building on the undeveloped land, especially along the banks of the lake, would raise the costs significantly enough for the park to avoid if possible.

 

[kulthus]

I'd imagine building on the undeveloped land, especially along the banks of the lake, would raise the costs significantly enough for the park to avoid if possible.

Yes, that's true. Will be interesting to see what, if anything, they wind up doing.

 

[Griffbolten]

That’s a small blueprint for a full circuit giga

 

[Zachary]

That’s a small blueprint for a full circuit giga

Correct—which is why people should be keeping their expectations in check.

Anything is possible at this point, but I do think some things are a lot more or less likely than others. It’s possible they expand beyond well beyond the Drachen Spire area... but I don’t count it as very likely.

 

[panopticon31]

Correct—which is why people should be keeping their expectations in check.

Anything is possible at this point, but I do think some things are a lot more or less likely than others. It’s possible they expand beyond well beyond the Drachen Spire area... but I don’t count it as very likely.

How dare you come and rain on my dreams of the worlds first giga coaster with a twisted drop and/or inversions!?!?!?!?

 

[rswashdc]

That’s a small blueprint for a full circuit giga

This is the crux of the issue, and the taller they go, the harder it is to fit something in without seriously scrubbing speed somewhere.

 

[Twisted_Airtime]

This is the crux of the issue, and the taller they go, the harder it is to fit something in without seriously scrubbing speed somewhere.

They definitely could still do it, but they may have to use more land or remove the Graveyard

 

[Griffbolten]

This is the crux of the issue, and the taller they go, the harder it is to fit something in without seriously scrubbing speed somewhere.

Which is why I’m thinking either they’re not going to use the full waiver height or they’d have to go towards the boneyard. Don’t want to make any guarantees since we haven’t seen anything official yet

 

[Jonesta6]

Which is why I’m thinking either they’re not going to use the full waiver height or they’d have to go towards the boneyard. Don’t want to make any guarantees since we haven’t seen anything official yet

That's still assuming a full circuit design and not a different shuttle coaster concept. I'd still like to see them figure out a fast switch concept on a tower so that it goes down to a different track for the return.

 

[ControlsEE]

What I want to know is how everyone got it in their head that a very tall, but very short, shuttle coaster (and relatively cheap too) became a large complete circuit, millennium force esk ride, especially in an uncertain time for large amusement facilities. It would make sense if they were planning an even more expensive project a few years down the road, cancelled it, then diverted funds to this attraction as a cheaper option. Diverting 10-15 mil from a say 40-50 mil cancelled project for the late 2020's definitely makes sense. We already had Madrid split in two during a great time economically. What makes you think they would go back to a ride that size in an uncertain time for the park? Sure, a redesign may make sense, but how do we know the ride is getting that big of an upgrade? Just seems like a lot of wishful thinking that will be sorely disappointed when the attraction is announced.

 

[Nicole]

Just seems like a lot of wishful thinking that will be sorely disappointed when the attraction is announced.

You've just described every Rumors thread on the Forum ever.

 

[Memles]

Admittedly, there's some extra inscrutability in this situation, from what I gather: the sunk cost means they're not cancelling the project outright, but they're also not just going ahead with the existing plan, which would have been the path of least resistance and lowest costs. That's creating a situation where we understand what they were doing, and wonder what would have justified them going back to the drawing board, and how their thinking about the coaster—and, heck, some of the response to the coaster publicly—is evolving. It's fertile ground for wild speculation, so I'm not shocked that the sky is the limit (well, the limit is 355 feet, but you know what I mean).

 

[madmax]

If it’s a giga it’ll be Orion sized or smaller

 

[CoasterMac]

^So... not a Giga.

 

[Twisted_Airtime]

^So... not a Giga.

Your literally on a page were the parks hyper is less than 200ft and your saying Orion is not a giga, let's not bring this back please ?

 

[Dombot]

^So... not a Giga.

 

[horsesboy]

Personally I want the world's first Giga Wild Mouse coaster.