A Look Back at the Legendary Drachen Fire at Busch Gardens
Drachen Fire was an infamous roller coaster that lived in the Rhineland, Germany section of Busch Gardens Williamsburg from 1992 to 1998. While it had a short run, it’s easily one of the most well-known defunct coasters in past years. I will relay the background story I’ve seen several times on the coaster enthusiast circuit. I have no way of validating the B&M involvement part of the story. But here’s the folklore of Drachen Fire, the most famous defunct coaster of the past twenty years.
The story began when Busch planned to build two steel looping roller coasters. One was to be built at their African themed park in Tampa, Florida and one at their European-themed park in Williamsburg, Virginia. They had ordered the two coasters from new-comers Bolliger & Mabillard. At the time they were a young company and had not done a sitdown looping coaster. So, they decided to only work on one of the two projects. The result is my all-time favorite coaster Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa.
Enter Arrow, the company we can thank for two of the park’s other gems: Loch Ness Monster and Big Bad Wolf. Busch had luck with Arrow on those two installations, so they were hired to finish the Williamsburg coaster. The designs for Drachen Fire were like nothing the veteran builders had done before. With the use of state-of-the-art computer modeling the company said it could deliver the unique steel looper. And so, Drachen Fire was born.
A Dragon Like No Other
Drachen Fire boasted several never-before seen elements. The ride opened with a wrap around corkscrew performed during the initial 145′ drop (pictured above). Next, was the camelback hill designed for airtime. An element with two back-to-back inversions called a cobra roll followed. After exiting the cobra roll, riders hit a short brake run. Right out of the brake run the train dove into a diving corkscrew. Then there was the cutback which was like a corkscrew but riders entered the element the same way that they exited. And finally, there was one last standard corkscrew, and helix and then the ride was over. Drachen Fire’s trains had a sleeker design and lights on the sides which must have looked really cool at night.
Drachen Fire was Too Wild for Public
While enthusiasts drooled at the unprecedented elements, the general public was too busy being pummeled by the roughness to marvel at the ride’s uniqueness. Complaints of head and neck pains (and I would assume low ridership) prompted Busch to take measures to renovate the ride. The diving corkscrew after the brake run (pictured below) was removed in an effort to reduce the punishment the beast was giving riders. The renovation wasn’t enough and in July of 1998 the ride was closed.
Too Late
Unfortunately, by the time I made it to Busch to ride Drachen Fire (I think it was the Summer
of 1998) it was in its standing, but not operating phase. I remember viewing those coils of electric blue steel rising from the green landscape of Busch Gardens from atop Loch Ness’ lift. The lifeless wonder was also visible from the park’s steam train route as it passed through Germany. Busch attempted to sell Drachen Fire and many hoped it would be bought and relocated. Unfortunately, no buyers emerged and the ride was scrapped and recycled in the Fall of 2001. Today, the old station is used for storage and the area where it once stood, next to Das Festhaus is closed off.
A Tale of Two Designers: B&M vs. Arrow
The difference between the head-bang-into the over the shoulder restraints ride of an Arrow looper and the distinctively smooth, 99% pain free ride on a B&M looper lies in the location of the center of gravity. B&M designed their coasters with the heart of the riders as the center of gravity while Arrow made the center of the trains their center of gravity. I’m not sure if it has anything to do with the demise of Arrow in 1999 and the continued success of B&M, but the proof is in the pudding. Save a few exceptions like Demon at Six Flags Great America, Loch Ness Monster, and a few others, Arrow coasters punish riders while B&M’s are smooth and enjoyable thrill machines.
What’s Your Take?
Anyone get to ride Drachen Fire before its untimely demise? Leave a comment below.
Coaster Critic 
102 responses to “Drachen Fire @ Busch Gardens | Defunct Roller Coasters”
I got to ride Drachen Fire in May of 1998. Personally, I really liked the ride. I actually rode it 10 times in one day. The worst ride I remember having was in the second row of the first car–it was brutal. However, the second rows of Arrow looping coasters tend to be more painful than the front rows (for me) because of the leg room in the cars.Drachen Fire was also really cool looking at night because of the red lights on the sides of the cars. The cars were also more open than standard Arrow looping cars (see Canyon Blaster in Vegas).It's too bad that BGE didn't hold out another year or 2 for B&M–then we'd still have a coaster there.
I used to live right by Busch Gardens so I got plenty of rides on Drachen Fire. I had just started elementary school when it first came out so I was too short to ride, but a couple of years later I was tall enough. The ride was painful kind of painful. But I was young, silly and full of energy at the time so it wasn't too bad. I was really sad when they closed down the ride. Even on busy days the ride had no line.
I loved Drachen Fire! I was so upset when they shut if down. The first drop with the corkscrew loop in the middle was awesome. I always rode in the very front car and never experienced any pain or discomport at all but did hear from other riders the other cars were very painful. Busch Gardens needs to add another coaster to the area. I miss the beautiful blue beast!
As a native of the Tidewater area of Virginia, my family and myself used to go to Busch Gardens every summer. I didn't ride it when it first came out in 92, but the following year and every year up until it closed I was able to ride it at least 19 times per visit. It may have felt a little rough at first, but after going through the inversions a few times I didn't even notice it anymore. This ride was indeed a classic and will sorely be missed.
'twas my favorite.Drachen Fire was rough. I've been on, and enjoyed, some seriously rough coasters (I'm a fan of the Riverside Cyclone), but this was unique, and incomprable. Nothing out there was remotely similar, nor in the same class.Every time I walked off of it, I'd have sore ears, a sore neck, a headache, and a big grin on my face.
This is a ride I've always been sorry to have missed. I live in Northern Virginia and was both old enough and tall enough to ride in '93 when my family went to Busch Gardens on a family trip, but I was too scared to ride. When I came back for the first time in '99, prepped for a wild ride, it was gone. D=
lpengeist replaced it.I like Aplengeist better!
i just wished busch gardens would have waited another year or two so that B&M could have put up the ride as it was inteded. Busch wanted both of the coasters to have a loop that wrapped around the lift hill but Arrow could not pull it off, and then they could not also produce the element busch wanted where you enter a inclined inline twist (going upward at an angle) and come out of it into a drop creating negitive gs at the crest of the inclined inline twist as the train dipped back down toward earth. but B&M had it in there plans. that would have been a heck of a coaster. Busch shouldve just been patient, threw in a new flat ride real quick at the time, then followed up with the B&M Drachen fire. However course the wrap around corkscrew was the biggest draw for me for drachen fire. hate that when i finally went to ride it was the year it closed.
I used to work at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and the Drachen Fire was awesome! Hidden behind the Festhaus, it usually had almost NO line to have to wait in….I used to LOVE riding it! The only problem I ever had was that I had to take out my earrings whenever I rode it, otherwise, it was amazing!
I actually rode Drachenfire seven times in one day when I got my first and only visit to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The diving corkscrew was indeed VERY rough, but the first non-drop that pulled you into a loop instead after climbing that huge hill was just so unique. Plus, the cars themselves were such comfortable cars, deep seated and much like side-by-side cockpits. You couldn't GET a more comfortable, secure feeling in a coaster car if you tried. I may have gotten a killer headache (and earache) from the headbanging, but this ride was intense and unique. I was devastated on hearing of its renovation and then demise.
this ride was awesome.i dont know what everybody was complaining about because in one day i rode this ride 27 times. i didnt experience no headaches or no earaches.so i miss that ride alot it was my favoritwe ride there
I road the Drachen Fire many, many times. It was definitely on my itinerary every time I visited the park. I was very sad when it closed because the "roughness" of it never really affected me. My only complaint about it was that it didn't have any good drops (my favorite part of roller coasters)… however, I still loved the ride anyway.Still being an avid BGW fan, it's sad to look to the left of the Festhaus, see the path that once led to Drachen Fire and it's not there. Sadder still that the ride was never sold and relocated. But for those of us who road it, we'll always remember it!
I used to live near BGW, went every year religiously, loved loved LOVED (and still do) the Loch Ness Monster (classic!) and Big Bad Wolf. Yes, I rode Drachen Fire, and enjoyed it. Okay, it was a teensy bit rough, and it did seem that my head got banged around a little. But when I went to the park for my annual trip in '99 and…f***, where did it go?…I was HACKED. Not a word, nothing, it just vanished. I was all jazzed to ride it again, and there was nothing to ride. I figured the worst….someone DIED on it, part of the track collapsed, you name it. Until TODAY, I didn't know that it was disassembled because of minor complaints and low ridership. Well, poop. The latter could be explained by a hidden entrance, the former because BGW stopped promoting it. I remember the commercials when it first came out. What happened?
Drachen Fire was indeed a great coaster, but it also hurt people! There is little wonder it was torn down. I myself rode it many times without incident, but on one occassion over 10 years ago both me and my girlfriend rode it and came off with sore backs. To this day, I have neck pain and a swollen disk, and I blame that coaster. Wish I knew then what I know now…
When I found out Drachen Fire had been melted down, I felt a sense of loss. While I admittedly haven't been to an amusement park in better than ten years (long enough ago I could have still maybe ridden DF) it was the one I would have went back to if the occasion had arisen. I rode DF on its opening -DAY- yes DAY in 1993, making me one of a relative handful of people to experience corkscrew 1. When I rode it again in 1995, something was definitely missing. Sure, DF banged your head off the restraints, but it was worth it. I remember going around and around the line, my motivation to stop being the fact that DF had finally rattled my head so hard I was dizzy when I exited the train B-) I hate hate HATE that this coaster is gone. Loch Ness and BBW are tame by comparison. Admittedly, there may be something newer and better out there in my decade absence from the parks, but given the number of thing the DF wikipedia article describes as "unique" I'm inclined to doubt it somehow. In any case, I'm happy I rode DF as much as I could in the short time I and it were there together.
I am 11 years old and always wanted to ride great big coasters like Drachen Fire but never gotten to.I live in Malaysia and the coasters here are not that thrilling.I keep waiting for my time to go and ride these coasters but then they close down or get demolished.My parents don't have the money to take me to America.I wish all these coasters weren't gone.I want to be a roller coaster engineer when I grow up and I will construct all these great coasters that are gone.For Example Shockwave,Drachen Fire,Steel Phantom and more……………..
Don't worry Shirako. I'm sure you'll find yourself in the U.S. or another country with larger coasters one day. I do know how lucky am I to live here. Especially the Eastern U.S.Thanks for reading!
I actually really liked the Drachen Fire, it was very unique. The things I remember most about it was that corkscrew on the first hill, and it was the first roller coaster to ever give me a headache. I was a young kid though so I would ride it like 10 times in a day cause that's what young kids do. My brother and sister hated it, but I really liked the design.
Roughest steel coaster I've ever been on though, if it was smooth, it would have been an amazing classic.
I rode the Drachen Fire and although I loved it, my neck and head hurt after each ride. I was excited to see a coaster that could top the Loch Ness (at the time) but it was an extremely rough ride. Today's Griffon is a more thrilling ride than the Loch Ness, however, the Loch Ness is longer in duration and still one of my favorite coasters.
I rode drachen fire religiously and never had neck issues. Going into the corkscrew you have to prepare your neck by holding it against the headrest, then you don't have any neck injuries. That is how I rode it so many times without injury. It was a very awesome ride and I was sad to see it go.
Another rider of it's original form checking in…
I think that DF is the only defunct coaster on my ride list that I miss…
I know, that was one of the coasters that had the most unique type of inversions. Just the best roller coaster. Does anyone know why they took it down?
"No official reason for closure was given, but some people speculate roughness, maintenance problems, noise, and poor park location were to blame"
-Joel A. Rogers
(Or the guy on Coaster Gallery)
well ya i cant disagree with you there they did have it in the worst location that i could think possible. Also neck problems after the ride. It was still a classic and i will remember that
My family and I rode this coster many times and it had the best views around. During the evening you thought you were traveling through the Black Woods of Germany. In 1999 I visited the park with my GF hoping to share the experience with her only to find the path blocked and the coster quiet. Only learning today that BGE melted down this great coster I am truly disappointed. The technology today could have saved this truly special coster.
This ride had some cool inversions that i really wanted to go on. They should have kept this ride cause i really wanted to experience it.
I rode it many times over the years, I remember the cars being extremely uncomfortable, I am a fairly normal sized adult ( 5' 11 – 210 lbs.) and the seats were very tight and the restraint system uncomfortable. The right was a bit jerky , but I enjoyed it.
I rode this only once and liked it although my wife at the time broke her earring during the ride. I don't remember it being all that rough except that one inversion.
I lived in the tidewater area of Virginia and pretty much spent all my summers as a kid at Busch Gardens. I remember riding Drachen fire for the first time I was truly frightened waiting in line. The ride just sounded rough watching from the paths and half of the passengers from each train would be have looks of agony on their faces when the trains pulled back into the station. I will never ever ride a roller coaster this intense again I am sure. I can understand why they closed and melted it down the thing was a lawsuit just waiting to happen.
When i look at pictures of this ride, the first thing i notice is the drop how odd looking it is the inversions lookeed pretty cool and as many reviewers say it was rough so yeah i think that could be a reason they took it down
you now have a little brother to play with, drachen fire.
I rode this early summer of 1993 for a school field trip. It was a rough ride, but one of my favorites. I remember all the snobby girls didn't want to remove their earrings like the attendant told them, and all of them had their ears mashed down so hard the studs drew blood. They were warned. I was very disapointed when I returned in 2001 and Drachen Fire was no longer there. I wish I had gotten a T-shirt or something.
I never got a chance to ride the beast. I was too short until 2000 when it had been closed for a little better than a year. I remember being in the park and seeing them doing test runs in '02 when they considered re-opening the ride. I really think that they made a mistake tearing this ride down. First this and now the Big Bad Wolf. Busch Gardens has lost all appeal to me anymore and I have no intentions to go again.
It would be cool if they hired Vekonama and B&M to remake it using the same type of track but whith the G`s of a B&M.
Wierd name, Turns out drachens can`t breate fire.
I remember riding DF in 1996, and also they had a coaster there just on a temporary basis, one of those super-jerky spin around types. There's one at Disney's animal kingdom next to dinosaur land. It was a million times worse than Drachen Fire! I can think of two worse coasters for headaches right off the bat- Ninja at SFoverGA and the old Outer Limits at Kings Dominion. Heck, Space Mountain made you feel worse and it's not going anywhere! Best thing about BGW is the theming, I hope they replace BBW with something good, maybe similar to the crypt at King's Island?
I agree Rach. Both Ninja and Outer Limits were mentioned on my Top 3 Roughest Steel Coasters list. Is the coaster that you're trying to think of a wild mouse? BGW had one for a while and I'm pretty sure Animal Kingdom has one.
I heard that BGW is going to announce a new attraction by the end of the month!
I rode the Demon at Six Flags Great America this summer, and I was turned into a bobblehead! Bobbleheads don't have good lives.
Animal Kingdom does have a wild mouse called "Primeval Whirl." There are actually 2 coasters sitting side-by-side, a mirror image of each other.
CC, if you go, you should ride it, realy fun.
so it slammed your head on the restraints.
Ahhh, the Drachen Fire. When I first saw the Drachen Fire, I was a young kid, but I was JUST barely tall enough to ride. My dad, who always would con me into the prospect of a shirt if I rode, finally got me to ride. I remember being absolutely scared crapless at the spector. It was beyond tall for the timeperiod. And the loop in the drop always got me. I remember getting off the ride and DEMANDING my father get back in line again. We rode all day and I got my shirt. I remember the pre cork days and after cork days and I thought it made it worse. My dad did complain off the roughness, but he would always get back in line. You felt as if you were riding a dragon. It was the best ride in the park. The new ones are great and sleek and fast, but the Drachen Fire was legendary. Everytime I think of Busch Gardens, I do not think of the new rides, but NOW the two that are no longer there. The Fire and Big Bad Wolf.
the themeing is realy cheesey though.
you`ve still got nessie.
I remember going on that ride when I was younger. And I remember feeling sick when I got off of it. I didnt like it at although I prefer hills and speed to twists and turns anyday….
I lived a couple of hours from BG and spent one summer up there for summer school. I remember riding it the summer it opened and it was intense. To this day I remember my now brother in law and myself commenting about how much it beat us up but with the speed and inversions it was too intense to not ride again. I rode it several times over the next few years and then after coming back to the park in the 2000s saw it was gone. Really I could understand why as it beat up folks bad, but I really liked it back in the day, now as a little older maybe not quite like I used to.
Have you all looked at the tracks and supports of Drachen Fire? Becuase when they melted the steel of Drachen Fire(both tracks and support)since the support was lighter than the tracks when they mixed and melted it made it a lighter color. From there they didn't scrape it but molded it into support colomns. And they were used for the GRIFFON, the trains were taken apart and used for the Griffon. Half of Griffon is Drachen Fire. Instead of selling the parts and steel they used it for the Griifon, so now when you ride,or look at Griffon your riding/seeing a diff version of Drachen Fire. It still lives on.
Sounds like a nice bit of BG folklore, but I seriously doubt that there are any shared parts between Drachen Fire and Griffon. Especially the trains since they were designed by two different companies.
I loved Drachen Fire. I too had to remove my earrings to ride. Once you rode it you understood how to brace your head for all the rough spots. It was one of the best coasters ever. I'm sad it's gone. I believe rough spots were well the worth the fun.
I am going on a trip to Busch Gardens this Aug 20th. I was looking forward to getting on this rollercoaster. I havent been to the park since the summer of '96. I am def getting on the GRIFFON, but Drachen Fire was one of my faves, and will be missed. R.i.p. Anyone ever hear of bracing their heads against the head rest?? This coaster kicked $(#!!!
stillstanding…
that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. It still lives on my $*#…it's a roller coaster. And if it is melted for columns in Griffon, then the ride is no more.
Greatest Coaster Ever. Got to ride it several times – and it had a great location next to Das Festhaus. After having been to both Busch parks over several years, several Six Flags and Paramount parks (inlcuding Kings Dominion, north of Williamsburg)- an avid coaster rider – I can't say enough how amazing this coaster was. The corkscrew inverted roll was the best (cobra roll?). The only thing that I have ridden that comes close is the HULK at Islands of Adventure in Orlando – one engineer who worked on the Hulk told me he was trying to mimic the barrel-roll of an F-15! The big bad wolf and the Loch Ness monster were tamed by the Drachen Fire and there really was not enough "coaster" publicity to get people excited about it outside or inside the park – I mean I am a coaster junkie and I did not even hear about the ride until I got to the park, and then only because I Saw it next to Das Festhaus. We rode it all afternoon the first time I went there. I don't even remember seeing the Drachen Fire in BUsch's commercials – like you would see the Loch-Ness… It did bang you around some – you had to keep your head back – against the headrest – people with poor instruction following skills would stick their head out to look around and get the bang-bang. It was so high up, there was a lot to look at!!
My daughter, ex husband and I rode DrachenFyre in the summer of 1997. It yanked, braked, slowed down, braked, rattled and kept going till the end. After getting off, I found out it was made by Arrow of Utah. Arrow is also known for Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain and several other horribly rough rides. I have looked at the original designs and concepts and too bad they didn't wait for a top notch designer like B&M. However, I feel sad that they did not bring in B&M or somebody later because that coaster had MASSIVE potential, especially in a redesign. WHat a dumb thing to do-scrap and melt down a great design. Shame on you, Williamsburg! BTW, still chuckling that Arrow went under, did some innovations like Revolution at Six Flags and then rode on their laurels. ANy way, I commiserate, sorry to see DF gone. And Big Bad Wolf!
Yeah, I do wonder what could have been if Busch could have waited one more year for B&M to be available. They designed the ride originally, but weren't large enough to handle another project that year, so Arrow stepped in.
If you're referring to Revolution at SFMM that was built by Schwarzkopf not Arrow. Thanks for the comment. At least you can say you rode it, for what it's worth.
I do not normally ride roller coasters although I have riden every one that has been at Busch Gardens. Drachen Fire was my favorite. Although violent, I enjoyed it. Not being a fan of riding roller coasters, I try them at least once to say I did. That one was my favorite. I rode that one more than any other until it's closure. Gone but not forgotten along with the Big Bad Wolf. I visit Busch every summer and still ride the train to see remnants of Drach. The only things you can see now is the platform hut (now used for storage) and one of the concrete slabs that had a support leg on it.
I rode this ride with my oldest grandson the year it opened. He and I managed to ride five straight shots. He's crazy and I'm not much better; but we love coasters of all kinds. Twenty-seven shots in a row on 'Grizzly" in KD, not as punishing as DF. Like I said, I'm a bit short on common sense when coaster riding is involved.
Is it true that Drachen Fire was melted into supports for Griffon?
No.
It says on wikipedia that it was i kinda belive that because Griffon and Drachen fire are the same colors
I worked there the year it opened and BG had a special party for employees before it was open to the public.So my girlfriend and I got to be one of the first groups to ride it and I loved it so much I rode it 21 times in a row.My girlfriend after the first ride ran to the fence and puked in the bushes I was like hell yeah I am going again…later.(I was 17 at the time)
I worked in Busch Gardens the summer Drachen Fire opened and used to go there late in the evenings on my days off…we had free admission to the park in our off hours. As long as there were no people cued for your car, you could ride it continuously. I loved the cars in the back, the way they get pulled by the gravity of the front cars. It was simply an amazingly intense ride. I didn't ride it because it was the smoothest ride I have ever ridden, or I would have gone for a merry go round. it was pure adrenaline with amazing drops turns flips and curves. My personal favorite coaster and no rougher than a wooden coaster, but a lot faster. Certain temperatures made the track even faster than normal and since I worked in the same area as the maintenance people I knew when it was. In 1992, they weren't trying to slow it at all and I heard the max speed of it was 110mph. I rode it pretty close to that speed quite a few times. Great coaster, great loss.
I do not recall this ride as being brutal. In fact, it really sucks that they took this ride out, but other fun (but headache-causing) rides like the Shockwave and Grizzly at Kings Dominion, still exist. A lot of rides cause this kind of stress to the body when they are rated as Top Thrill Rides, with excessive speeds. What do you expect?
Regardless, everyone has their opinions, and mine on this ride is that it is truly missed!! My one and only year I got to ride was in 1997.
I got to ride it when it first came out. My husband & I had seen it on the discovery channel. When we got to the car loading area and the signs read "remove earrings" I knew we were in for it. When we got off the coaster we were done for the rest of the day with dull, mind numbing headaches. When we returned to the park a year or two later, the ride was closed. We took the train ride to get up close to it. It stood there silent, tall, strong and yet seemed so weak & vulnerable. It's a shame it didn't work, but @ least I can say I got to ride it.
Yes I came on opening day when this coaster was first introduced. I can see why everyone complained about it, my girl at the time got a headache from it on her first time riding it. My neck was sore mainly from it from all the head shaking it would cause. Not withstanding I rode it like 4x that day, but after that time never road it again. It would keep banging your head back and forth in the harness which was unconfortable to say the least.
I remember the Dragon Fire. I rode it in 1993, when I was 13. I do remember my having head and neck pains when I got off, but I didn't care at the time, because I was finally able to ride roller coasters, and I would have gotten on anything. My sister rode it in the 1992 season, and had told me about its roughness. I still thought it was fun though. It is for BG's best interests that they took the Dragon Fire down, because sooner or later, they would have had a lawsuit.
I rode the Drakenfire at Buschgardens, Williamsburg, VA. during the first real vacation I took as an adult. I rode it with an ex girlfriend one of the best girlfriends iv'e ever had. I have fond memories of the visit to BG and the coaster. It's very sad to hear that they scrapped the ride. I wish someone would open up a roller coaster graveyard in the dessert somewhere. then all the old coaster could still live on. Imagine a giant amusement park in the dessert full of all the old rides that would be awsome.
I rode the Draken Fire in 93 and 94. It was a ride in the back of the park so at closing it had short wait times. If you rode in the front seat it was a pretty smooth ride. On a hot summer day at close I was able to ride 9 consecutive times…. when exiting the ride I did however get sick! I think it was from dehydration though. LOL.
I actually sent a letter to Busch Gardens asking if they would rebuild Drachen Fire. Does anybody think it will be effective
I rode Drachen Fire several times when I went back to Williamsburg for the wedding of two old college friends in the early 90s.
I remember it being a walk-on; I guess its reputation was already bad by that point. I was getting over my youthful chickenness over roller coasters and I was impressed by the ride, but, yes, it was very rough with constant headbanging–the only time I've ever really experienced that on a coaster.
Not being a big coaster enthusiast, I assumed all that headbanging was typical of post-1990 coasters, and after that day I found myself thinking that, while it had been fun, I wouldn't want to ride a big modern coaster again for a long time. And it's only recently that I've realized that most of today's giants are not really like that.
I rode Drachen Fire lots of times… it was one of the best coasters Busch Gardens ever had. That loop at the beginning (pictured above) got me EVERY time… I LOVED it!! Great ride… I was a teenager then and would go to the park to ride that… it was a huge deal to me. As far as hurting to ride it… didn't hurt any more than Flight of Fear at Kings Dominion (before they took out the shoulder harnesses) as far as I can remember. Another good thing… don't ever remember having to wait in a huge long line for it either… hmmmm…
I rode Drachen Fire as much as I could every year. I love roller coasters and I was 7 years old when it opened and so excited to be able to ride it the folllowing year. It was definitely one of the best coasters, even though my head banged back and forth between the harness throughout the ride. But, it was definitely worth it! And the wait for rides back in the day were never extremely long like they are now!
I rode Drachen Fire. Awesome ride but it actually bruised my earlobes…
Rode it when I was 13. The reason why I crack my neck to this day. BRUTAL. Sadly I want to ride it again.
My wife and I rode Drachen Fire at least 10 times or more. She wasn't as much of a fan as I was. She usually complained that it was a bit rough and it bounced her head from side to side. I loved it and never had a problem. I just kept my head back like you were instructed to do. Yes it was a bit rough, but that was part of it's charm. Loved the color scheme also. Sorry I will never get to ride it again!
Ever since I was young I was terrified by roller coasters. And when i got to the age of ten I started liking them more and now I am a die hard roller coaster fan!!!!I remember Drachen Fire one of the Best coasters Busch Gardens have ever made!Arrow Dynamics In my book are one of the best "Original" Roller Coaster Makers out there. As I seen and have heard that they stop running Drachen Fire was due to Neck and Back Pains. The said the same thing for the Big Bad Wolf and why they took it down. Honestly to me If harnesses Were a bit more softer then yes they should of not wasted to tear it down. Even the Big Bad Wolf was giving a bad rap. Those two rides were one of the Greatest rides in my life time. Even though I haven't gotten a chane to ride drachen fire I think people that complained about it should be slapped across there faces. Alpengiest IS the best ride I ever been on but that sharp left turn on that brake stop before the bridge is VERY VERY PAINFUL! If people listen to the instructions and kept there heads back then maybe they would still be standing and running today. I also Believe that Arrow Dynamics and B&M need to Stop the grudge and Remake this coaster! People love fast and wild thrills now a days. Why Fight over something that none of us can enjoy? Think about it! I been on every kind of roller coaster and I can tell you that people need to work together and stop fighting over production and money. Greed is ruining the world! Lol seriously
I think that ship has sailed… Arrow Dynamics is long gone (the remnants were absorbed into S&S), and the industry has moved on.
I have ridden Drachen Fire, and it was certainly a thrilling ride, but it was also very rough and headbangy even by comparison with wild and twisty 21st century coasters. "Extreme" doesn't have to mean "rough".
But the reason was something easily fixable with modern design techniques (the lack of heartlining). It might be fun for someone like Intamin or Gerstlauer to create a spiritual successor with a similar layout, but without Drachen Fire's defects. Though I suspect only hardcore coaster maniacs would care about the history of the design, or be encouraged as a result…
…heck, I've heard that even Vekoma knows how to make a smooth coaster now. If they did it, with their track design, it would even look like the original!
That Drachen Fire coaster beat the crap out of me. And I have trained horses for 30 years! lol We headed for it because the line was so short. Little did we know it was a chiropractors dream. My young sons had the same experience. We aren't gruff about it, just a WTF was that? kind of a feel….
Every year as a kid my parents would take me to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The first time I rode Drachen Fire I was a millimeter over the height requirement. I might of been six or seven at the time. I was terrified before my first ride but loved it so much I went back for at least five more rides that day. I remember not finding it that punishing, but my family hated it. It would be great if it was still around!
Dracken Fire was one of the best roller coasters that i had ever been on;was on it in April 1992. and the a few years after that.always went on it multiple times each time we were there.was very dissappointed when they took it down. have only been to the park a few times since because there is nothing exciting there anymore.no Dracken Fire and no big bad wolf! they need a great coaster to get me to come back.i have been to all theme parks on the east coast and cedar point in ohio and a few out west and the only coaster that comes close to Dracken Fire is the Volcano at kings Dominion
I remember riding Drachen Fire years ago, and although it was a thrilling ride, I remember it being the roughest roller coaster I've ever been on….even to this day and it beat the crap out of me (the only other rough coaster I can compare it to is the Tennessee Tornado, which just happens to be made by the same company as Drachen Fire, Arrow Dynamics….it'll beat the crap out of you, too)! I remember the harnesses on Drachen Fire had thick pads that my head constantly banged up against. I absolutely love roller coasters and I love Busch Gardens, but I was not surprised when I learned years ago that this coaster no longer existed.
I got to ride Drachen Fire one time. As it turns out it was right before they shut it down for good summer of 1998. It was my first visit to BGW(E) and the friends i was visiting were local and didn't want to go on but i insisted since there was no line. I was the only one of about 8 of us that actually LIKED it. I didn't experience much head banging at all (i was also 20, and more apt to handling pain). Everyone else complained after it was over (it even broke my one friend's sun glasses) but i had a blast. It was the only time we rode that day and it closed a few days later for good.
totally agree! let's get a petition going!!
~Brendan
not unless a
LOT of people write a letter or sign it like a petition. good luck tho 🙂
Loved DF. Rode it over and over; about 10 times.
Obviously, the ride affected your grammar abilities! If you didn't experience no headaches or no earaches, this must mean that you did experience headaches and earaches!
This just seems like a deathtrap when I look at it. B&M should redo it no doubt.
My family and I are roller coaster nuts. But Drachen Fire was a horrible ride. My husband suffered a nose bleed on the way home from Busch Gardens and the rest of us had severe headaches. All it did was knock your head around, back and forth, back and forth. Not an enjoyable ride! Busch Gardens' Apollo Chariot is far better – we get on this ride as much as possible. We could get on this ride all day.
I think my only trip to Busch Gardens was the year Drachen Fire opened. I was about 15 or so. I remember a path near the front of the park, either leading up to admission gate or just after getting in, where a stout, bearded, medieval-dressed actor was warning all of us about the Drachen Fire. I remember riding it several times that day, with virtually no lines (which I found odd for a new, hyped-up ride). I don't remember the roughness much, but do remember the strange twists and corkscrews and what-not. We had read something about the weightless feelings during moments on the ride, which were true.
It was also a very lonely ride. Like a real dragon, it bided its time alone, out in the middle of a quiet field, surrounded by trees, with no hustle and bustle nearby. I vividly remember walking up to it that morning, on an overcast day, and the atmosphere was just so…serene. Mysterious. Imagine wandering through a wooded area and stumbling upon a dragon. Would it eat you, or give you a ride? 🙂 That was what the Drachen Fire experience was like.
I worked on the opening year crew in 1992 after working Loch Ness the two years before. It was a BIG deal back then to be able to work the newest and biggest rides. I can remember we had to do "ride checks" once per hour and ride. I can remember that first year telling everyone they had to remove their earrings before riding. Somewhere in a box I have pics of the ride taken from crew areas and also from the top of the first lift. One of us had to climb those stairs every morning to check the emergency phone and the views were amazing.
By the end of that first season we were sensing a problem. We couldn't run the thing when it got chilly out as it slowed down too much. We had to start timing rides once the temps got below about 65. The ride was supposed to last 2:02 but if it slowed to 2:12 we had trouble coming. They tried track heaters and all sorts of fixes. That fall, we were running test runs on a chilly morning when it finally happened and got stuck in the batwing. All in all, the ride had tons of mechanical issues starting with that first season but was fun while it lasted.
Very cool info. Thanks for the comment. Again, I'm sad that I missed it, but with all of these comments I guess the legend will live on.
I rode it when it was still considered experimental(early season 1992) had to sign a waiver to ride it. An awesome
absolutely awesome coaster, I was sorry to see it go. It was thrilling to ride, should not have been torn down. But
in the interest of honesty, could only be ridden in the front or rear car, the middle cars were brutal. And it was not as exciting ,after they took the one corkscrew out. While it lasted it was a helluva ride.
Maybe it’s because I was a child barrely tall enough to ride… and a mere 50 lbs. in weight… I found it thrilling. I miss it relentlessly. BUT… I understand BG wanting “world class” coaster… not painful experiences. My uncle who took me was 6 feet tall… too tall for those unusually smaller than normal arrow design cars. I enjoyed it… with all that free leg and head room. Even before the removal of vital loops. Granted it was before computers helped with design… it was a TIGHT tracked coaster… but it should have been modified… not scrapped. I trulely miss it. It had unique and new 9at the time) elements I miss. I wish i had a piece of the OG trach for memory… but i DO have an OG fan flag!!!
– Long live the memory.
If BGW wants “world class” coasters… tell them to figure out why verbolten had intense G-Forces that make you gray out and shakes and vibrates so hard it feels it’s gonna run off the track!!!
When my wife and I were dating in the early 90s, we would spend a week in VA, with 2 days specifically for Busch Gardens. We were unaware that Drachen’s Fire was a new coaster as our first trip to BG was in 1992 or 93, I can’t remember, but what I do remember was getting tossed around on that ride!! The dive into the imposing loop was crazy, and I would get hyped just seeing it before diving in. We would learn, very quickly, to keep our heads back against the chair as we found it was less painful than having your head raddle around if you didn’t. Once we learned how to ride it, we rode this coaster many times as we could. One evening, we stayed on for at least 3 times….everyone screaming at how awesome it was…the look on everyone’s face when they got off, and I was fortunate to have our picture printed – still in the same Drachen Fire frame with the dragon logo which we have to this day!! Now I’m 44, and I try to tell my kids NOTHING compares…I was so disapointed when I brought them to BG in 2005 that Drachen’s Fire was gone…My wife and I hadn’t been there since we were dating, and were dumb-founded that it was gone. I pray that someone will attempt to build this ride again.
I rode Drachen Fire right after it opened. I was impressed with the maneuvers it could go through but also thought it was a bit rough for the general public. Interestingly enough I would compare just about every maneuver to high performance aircraft air combat tactics with the same physical stresses of positive and negative g-forces on the body. You do need to be ready for those movements so first time riders could get banged around aggressively because they didn’t know what to expect.
I was in the USCG back in the 90’s and used to get free passes to BFW. I ride DF about 10x in one hour due to a thunderstorm evacuation. Weather cleared and a buddy and I had the ENTIRE ride to ourselves for a whole hour. No line running – just stay on and ride. True: rougher in the back of the cars, but fine up front. I got a migraine, but it remains my fondest coaster memory. BGW rocks. Draken Fire was the greatest, and without peer, until I rode Goliath in CA a few years later. Sorely missed.
I really don’t care what you say Arrow still has made rides 5 times better than B&M simply because they have more character and are more fun. This isn’t to say B&M is bad, they still make amazing rides I just prefer Arrow
I rode this ride and thought it was spectacular. I remember thinking “Whoa!!” They made you take out your earrings before the ride started so your earlobes wouldn’t tear. Wild, but totally fun!
Me and my buddy Mason went to the park in 95′ or 96′ after they removed the corkscrew. It was the BEST ride at the park and we rode it over 30 times in one day. We could run out of the station after getting off the ride and be back on the very front in less than ONE MINUTE! I wish they would have warned people about how to ride Arrow coasters since they are rough. The very front was the best way to ride it. If anyone in BGW management reads this, all of DF fans want another coaster in its memory with a layout close to the original with more inversions. 7+ or more!!
I rode Drachen Fire in Spring of 1992… It was brand new. Rode it at least 10 times over 2 days…. The front, back and everywhere in between. No injuries and completely Awesome.
I cannot believe it was closed. It was one of the best coasters ever. I’m sorry some people got bumped around a little bit… but, it was a roller coaster, NOT a Sunday drive.
Very, very sad. The look of the structure and the ride was downright thrilling. Too thrilling for the American public I guess.
I rode it 3 or 4 times in late June of 1996 & purchased the Drachen Fire t-shirt ( The only rollercoaster t-shirt I’ve ever purchased ) that i still have… Hope that tells you what i thought about the ride… IT WAS AWESOME