Drachen Fire was a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. Manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, the ride opened to the public in 1992. Drachen Fire featured a lift hill, six inversions, and a zero-gravity camelback element. One of the inversions was removed after the 1994 season to improve ride comfort. The track was light blue with silver supports, and it was located in the Oktoberfest portion of the park behind Verbolten and Das Festhaus. It was originally configured with three trains, each consisting of red cars with grey seats, and featured red trim lights that illuminated the trains at night. Drachen Fire was closed in the middle of the 1998 season following a history of low ridership and complaints of roughness. It remained standing until its demolition in 2002.
History
Construction and opening
On July 5, 1991, Busch Gardens Williamsburg announced that a new steel roller coaster would be added to the park in 1992. Built by Arrow Dynamics, the ride would be located towards the back of the park next to Big Bad Wolf. The ride would be named Drachen Fire, after the word for "dragon" in German. It would become the park's third major roller coaster. The attraction would feature six inversions, as well as other elements like a camelback hump and a cutback. The ride's trains would feature a sleek aerodynamic style design and wraparound bucket seats. That year, the Anheuser-Busch Entertainment Corporation announced a myriad upcoming attractions for their various amusement parks. Keith M. Kasen, then General Manager for Busch Gardens Williamsburg, commented on the addition of Drachen Fire for the 1992 season stating, "Anheuser-Busch has shown a commitment to reinvestment and making a real strong quality statement."
Construction of Drachen Fire began in the fall of 1991, which was filmed for its upcoming marketing campaign. Footage of the design, construction, and testing process of Drachen Fire was later documented in a 1993 PBS special of their NOVA program, titled "Roller Coaster". Construction of the new coaster was completed in early 1992, placing it on schedule to open the same year on April 4. Busch Gardens heavily marketed the new ride in what was identified as the park's biggest promotional campaign in over a decade dating back to Loch Ness Monster in 1978. The tagline marketed for the ride was "Feel the Heat".
The park hired comedian Dana Carvey to meet and greet visitors, as well as cut the ribbon at a special preview opening ceremony on April 3, 1992. After six or seven successful runs during the preview event, a train stalled on the lift hill forcing passengers to evacuate. During the downtime, Carvey offered an impromptu stand-up comedy routine to entertain the crowd and keep guests occupied. When the ride resumed operation, another train stalled on the lift hill again forcing the park to close the ride for the remainder of the evening. For its official opening to the public the following day, Drachen Fire remained closed all morning and eventually opened midday.
Operation
The ride drew large crowds and was initially well-received by many coaster enthusiasts. American Coaster Enthusiasts President Ray J. Ueberroth called the coaster "an outstanding ride", and the group's former president, Randy Geisler, stated, "I can just say it's spectacular." However, less than a month after opening, the coaster's popularity quickly faded when it gained a reputation for its roughness. Just over a week after the ride had opened, the Newport News Daily Press reported that three riders were taken to the hospital because they had complained of neck pain. A spokesman for Busch Gardens Williamsburg said there was no problem with the coaster itself. In 1995, another guest sued Busch Gardens, Arrow Dynamics, and technical consultant William N. Carlson, alleging that he had received "severe permanent injuries" two years earlier because of the ride's restraint system. However, more than a year later, a Busch Gardens official said that the guest had never formally served the park with a lawsuit.
Riders were routinely advised by announcers to remove any clip-on earrings before riding and keep their heads pressed against headrests during the ride. This resulted in ride operators in the station not only checking the train's restraints, but also checking riders' ears for earrings. The train would not dispatch unless these instructions were followed. After increasing complaints, the first corkscrew was replaced with a straight section for the 1995 season.