Contemporary Elevators...How bad are they?

[Beaniesmg]

We will be staying at the CR for the first time in December. I read a comment where the elevators are very crowded and time consuming to use. Is there any truth to that? Hate to have the convenience of walking to MK and have to fight our way out of the resort! We are staying in the tower with theme park view. Thanks

 

[spiceycat]

they are busy - but crowded - if it is crowded - just wait another will come and it might be empty.

it is definitely faster than the escalator.

the escalator only takes you from 1 thru 4 - you have to change on the 2nd floor.

 

[Polynesian27]

Never had a problem with the elevators at CR and we have stayed there at some of the busiest times when the hotel was filled to capacity.

 

[psac]

The one time we stayed in the tower we had to wait out a full elevator a few times, but it was by no means terrible. It may be worse if you have to worry about loading a stroller (or wheelchair or ECV) as opposed to just trying to squeeze people on.

 

[sharadoc]

The annoying thing is all the people going to Chef Mickey's. If you get a whole bunch getting off the monorail, they all jump in the elevator at once. We always used the escalator up to the 4th floor, it's kinda cool to see out the big windows and see the whole resort instead of getting in the little box.

 

[vatali]

we have gone over XMAS and they were not bad. Full? sure sometimes. Slow? never. they are very fast elevators. we stayed on 11? (the top non club level floor) and it only took a few seconds to get up there. there are several elevators to get on as well, and for some reason the "service" looking elevator off to the other side seems empty most of the time. people would never see it open or wouldn't get on it.

I found, in general, everyone to be really polite as guests there too, which I can not say the same for at other resorts. People let people off before getting on. People let strollers on and off first. People let families move around before moving themselves and if the elevator had 2 families on it, people didn't seem to want to squeeze in to get on. I don't know if it was because it was more realizing knowing I didn't have to wait for busses to squeeze on to or something, but I know I certainly felt more relaxed there.

 

[outahere]

I've never stayed at the CR, but here's a trick I figured out after staying in many crowded hotels across the country...... if you're trying to go down from the floor your room is on, it sometimes works better to get on an elevator that's going up. Once you get to the top floor, just push the button for the lower floor you were trying to get to.

 

[Wendy31]

We stayed in the tower last year for the 1st time, & the elevators weren't as nearly as bad as I thought they'd be.

I really thought we were going to be waiting for forever for an elevator during busy times like after "Wishes" when everyone is going back to their rooms, but it really wasn't bad at all!

I only remember waiting one time for a long time. It was around dinner time (IIRC), & our family (we were headed to the pool) & 3 other people headed to a business conference meeting waited for 10 minutes or so for elevator.

The elevators *were* crowded, but the wait times weren't bad.

 

[Wendy31]

we have gone over XMAS and they were not bad. Full? sure sometimes. Slow? never. they are very fast elevators. we stayed on 11? (the top non club level floor) and it only took a few seconds to get up there. there are several elevators to get on as well, and for some reason the "service" looking elevator off to the other side seems empty most of the time. people would never see it open or wouldn't get on it.

I found, in general, everyone to be really polite as guests there too, which I can not say the same for at other resorts. People let people off before getting on. People let strollers on and off first. People let families move around before moving themselves and if the elevator had 2 families on it, people didn't seem to want to squeeze in to get on. I don't know if it was because it was more realizing knowing I didn't have to wait for busses to squeeze on to or something, but I know I certainly felt more relaxed there.

(Bolding mine)

We found this to be generally too as well. I really felt more "relaxed" at the Contemporary than I have at other resorts. It was busy. It was crowded - but knowing I could just walk to the MK or get on the monorail to the EPCOT made me feel less rushed.

And people did seem more polite on the elevators - like this poster said, moving out of the way, letting people off, etc.

There was only time & it was almost comical how rude this one family was. It was early evening, & there were bunches of people on the 1st floor waiting to get on elevators. This one family (mom & dad & double stroller w/ 2 kids) just came barreling through. One elevator opened & the woman just started yelling, "Coming through! Coming through!" And they just pushed & shoved their way through w/ the man saying to 1 person who didn't move quickly enough, "Get out of the $&@(!*^ way!" We all just kind stood there open-mouthed in amazement. They literally rammed their way onto the elevator & pushed the close button so no one else had any opportunity to get on. The elevator closed, & everyone just kinda laughed because what else can you do? One man joked, "I guess we didn't need that elevator after all." Then the next elevators came, & we all laughingly got on. I assume the family was late for a Chef Mickey's ADR or something.

 

[Doryln]

Was just there last week - never saw even one chef Mickey guest try to get on the hotel guest elevators. No issues!

 

[elaw]

I've never stayed at the CR, but here's a trick I figured out after staying in many crowded hotels across the country...... if you're trying to go down from the floor your room is on, it sometimes works better to get on an elevator that's going up. Once you get to the top floor, just push the button for the lower floor you were trying to get to.

 

[hgeisler]

Never had a problem with the elevators at CR and we have stayed there at some of the busiest times when the hotel was filled to capacity.

Ditto

 

[Micca]

I think they are ok. The elevators at the Hollywood Tower Hotel however...sheesh.

 

[Gorechick]

I'm afraid of heights and stayed at the Contemporary back in 1987. I asked for a lower floor but ended up on I think the 9th floor. I could not use the regular elevator and freaked out every time I left or came to our room. I had to walk against the inside wall on our floor and use the service elevator the whole trip.

 

[amberpi]

Never had an issue!

 

[fla4fun]

We stayed on the 9th floor of the tower over July 4th last year. The crowds in the elevators were so bad going down from our floor that after the third or fourth packed elevator came down and we couldn't get on, we just started taking the steps. We didn't have so much trouble going up, but it definitely was a pain when we wanted to go downstairs.

I have stayed in the tower three times, once during value season, once during regular season, and then the holiday stay last year. The elevators have always been an issue for us. It didn't seem to matter what time of day it was - we couldn't get an elevator with room for just three people to board.

That's one big reason why I prefer the wing, which I've stayed in dozens of times. I've never had an issue with the elevators in the wing, and if I did, it's only three floors of steps.

We've also been stuck in the tower elevator once. The doors opened, and the floor outside was about five feet above the floor of the elevator. But that could happen to a two floor elevator just as easily as a 15 floor elevator.

 

[darkwing818]

Never had a problem with the elevators at CR and we have stayed there at some of the busiest times when the hotel was filled to capacity.

Our opinion as well.... No issue