Comments on: Drachen Fire @ Busch Gardens | Defunct Roller Coasters

By: Charlie

Charlie — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:20:42 +0000

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!

By: Stan

Stan — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:47:17 +0000

Rode it when I was 13. The reason why I crack my neck to this day. BRUTAL. Sadly I want to ride it again.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:11:20 +0000

I rode Drachen Fire. Awesome ride but it actually bruised my earlobes…

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:05:40 +0000

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!

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:23:01 +0000

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…

By: Matt McIrvin

Matt McIrvin — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:17:31 +0000

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.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:20:45 +0000

I actually sent a letter to Busch Gardens asking if they would rebuild Drachen Fire. Does anybody think it will be effective

By: Ryan Miller

Ryan Miller — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:23:35 +0000

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.

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:15:00 +0000

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.

By: ILP

ILP — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:53:56 +0000

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.