Project Drachen Spire: Multi-Launch Shuttle Giga (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:
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  • Most Recent Status Update:
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    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...
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as my name implies, I really don't want this to be BGW's giga. Although a giga's a giga, I just feel like DS is just incomplete. Let's imagine Project Madrid as a cake. After that didn't work out, they took everything from the cake except for the icing, which is the giga aspect, and made Pantheon. Now we're stuck with a bunch of icing (the giga) and don't have anything else to go with it. BGW is just doing it for the stat and not the overall experience. But, like I said, a giga's a giga, and the launches will be fun (although I don't think one park needs three swing launches, let alone 16 launches overall).
 
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AlpenChariot said:
For the last large plot of land in the parks current boundaries, I really wanted to see a more fulfilling ride reside here.
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Drachen Spire sorta succeeds at doing the opposite which seems almost equally as good in my opinion.

Spire uses so little of the actual Festhaus Park land that another significant addition can be built back there as well. That land in particular may be the last plot where a whole new hamlet could one day be constructed in fact. Saving it for that use may be the most correct solution.
 
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While that is fully possible, I disagree with the idea of Festhaus Park becoming a new full dead end hamlet like Festa Italia. The entrance to Festhaus Park is between two major buildings (Festhaus and Autobahn) placed very close to each other. Yes, the space between is similar in path width to that of the Festa Italia bridge. But, the guest flow is completely different. Festa is at an intersection and is very open, Festhaus Park is a winding path next to a warehouse and special events venue. I've always thought that Festhaus Park was good for a special events venue with an amphitheater and all the works just because of how far out of the way it is. That, or a sole attraction (like Drachen Fire) with the entrance all the way up near Oktoberfest proper near Autobahn using the path as a queue. (Perhaps a long covered tunnel, like the simulator queue to avoid seeing Verbolten and the side of Festhaus)
 
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AIR said:
While that is fully possible, I disagree with the idea of Festhaus Park becoming a new full dead end hamlet like Festa Italia. The entrance to Festhaus Park is between two major buildings (Festhaus and Autobahn) placed very close to each other. Yes, the space between is similar in path width to that of the Festa Italia bridge. But, the guest flow is completely different. Festa is at an intersection and is very open, Festhaus Park is a winding path next to a warehouse and special events venue. I've always thought that Festhaus Park was good for a special events venue with an amphitheater and all the works just because of how far out of the way it is. That, or a sole attraction (like Drachen Fire) with the entrance all the way up near Oktoberfest proper near Autobahn using the path as a queue. (Perhaps a long covered tunnel, like the simulator queue to avoid seeing Verbolten and the side of Festhaus)
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Or, like I suggested in a concepts thread, they could reconfigure to revamp their catering area into a fire pit/bar area between the side of Das Festhaus and the queue line - also have an entrance into the main dining area (perhaps by way of utilizing an existing emergency exit if possible?).

To make that work better, introduce a virtual queue so that people don't have to stand in line for long - since they're already back there, it's more likely a few may be ok with hanging out if the weather is ok.

And, side benefit is that it could still function as a catering area if they design it right, so groups can still rent it out if desired... But it can be a profit center for times when it isn't rented.
 
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Jonesta6 said:
Or, like I suggested in a concepts thread, they could reconfigure to revamp their catering area into a fire pit/bar area between the side of Das Festhaus and the queue line - also have an entrance into the main dining area (perhaps by way of utilizing an existing emergency exit if possible?).

To make that work better, introduce a virtual queue so that people don't have to stand in line for long - since they're already back there, it's more likely a few may be ok with hanging out if the weather is ok.

And, side benefit is that it could still function as a catering area if they design it right, so groups can still rent it out if desired... But it can be a profit center for times when it isn't rented.
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And- if it isn’t being rented- they could use that seating as overflow seating for Festhaus.
 
I'm hoping that if they do DS, it happens in 2024. With 2025 being the park's 50th anniversary, I'd use the remaining land in Festhaus Park to bring back a modern take on Le Mans Raceway (since they can't put it back in its original location). Update it with a ride system similar to Test Track / Radiator Springs but using older car bodies themed to an early rally race through the German Alps.
 
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It's not even so much that I don't think it's a cool concept and all, I just have an emotional attachment to a good lift hill. Was one of my favorite parts of riding Gwazi yesterday listening to that thing rev up. I still stop by and listen to that classic arrow lift from Nessie everytime I'm passing through Scotland (arrow chain lift sounds are still my fave).

After 4 of the last 5 coasters (including DarKoaster in this) being launches, I'm just ready for another chain lift and drop.

Obviously I'll take DS when it comes down to it, cause Spire sure as heck beats an empty field.
 
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DrunkenCronuts said:
It's not even so much that I don't think it's a cool concept and all, I just have an emotional attachment to a good lift hill. Was one of my favorite parts of riding Gwazi yesterday was listening to that thing rev up. I still stop by and listen to that classic arrow lift from Nessie everytime I'm passing through Scotland (arrow chain lift sounds are still my fave.
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Agreed, chain lifts sound so much cooler than the squeal/screech of LSMs.
 
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I mean if I'm being real a giant shuttle coaster isn't my favorite type of ride, that being said this ride will be super unique and give BGW a lot of character. Imagine how weird it's gonna feel walking around and then looking up spotting that crazy thing up in the sky. It’ll definitely be really fun and a great rush.
 
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It's ridiculously simple but honestly it's better than a red force clone, which was tossed around a lot back in the day. You get the high speed launch, but rather than a top hat that offers mediocre airtime, you get to go backwards at ~70-80mph on the way back.

Now if they could make the spike have a negative g heartline, you would instantly have all the thoosies frothing at the mouth. Not sure if that's even possible, just a thought.
 
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Fur Dozy said:
It's ridiculously simple but honestly it's better than a red force clone, which was tossed around a lot back in the day. You get the high speed launch, but rather than a top hat that offers mediocre airtime, you get to go backwards at ~70-80mph on the way back.

Now if they could make the spike have a negative g heartline, you would instantly have all the thoosies frothing at the mouth. Not sure if that's even possible, just a thought.
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I'd take a 355' "clone" of Xcelerator over a 355' shuttle coaster
 
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The shuttle coaster as a ride design doesn't benefit from it being 100 feet tall or 300 feet tall unless the spike is ascended backwards, in which case I could see it being a decent mess-with-your-head experience, as you see your self get farther and farther away from the ground until eventually you free fall back down. Falling down it backwards would just be a higher speed equivalent of falling 50 feet, you really have no perspective unless you decide to look sideways the whole time.

FWIW I don't know if this design has it being ascended backwards or forwards since I haven't bothered getting versed on this project. I say they scrap it and invest the budget into making DarKoaster a full on banger with screens and all sorts of awesome shnazzy stuff. I am fully aware that isn't even a slight possibility, but a man can dream.

If they want that 300' checkmark so bad (which I don't get why they do, it isn't exactly historically proven to be an attendance booster, especially when they don't even need an attendance booster), they should do it properly, not with some gimmicky crap. At bare minimum a proper top hat, though what would be really cool is a B&M giga with maybe an inversion or two thrown in there to make it pretty darn unique. Think really tall Kumba, obviously after they kill a bunch of that initial speed with some tall airtimers.

Alas through all of my random word vomit posts, I still stand by in my membership of the anti-coaster coaster enthusiasts club. Too much of a good thing does exist, and when they just keep putting steel everywhere, I start wanting to ram my head into said steel.
 
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As far as I have been able to tell, Drachen Spire was indented to run forward on its outward course and backwards on its return curse.

I 100% agree that Spire would be DRAMATICALLY more interesting if the trains were simply reversed though.
 
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Zachary said:
As far as I have been able to tell, Drachen Spire was indented to run forward on its outward course and backwards on its return curse.

I 100% agree that Spire would be DRAMATICALLY more interesting if the trains were simply reversed though.
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or hell have one train forward and one train backwards so you could get a different experience randomly
 
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