The Hollywood Tower Hotel Orlando, a Terrifying Experience

This is part of the Trip Report So Long Mongolia, Hello SE Asia (December-January 2015) which covers:

• Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Bangkok, Thailand
• Chiang Rai, Thailand
• Yangon, Myanmar
• Ngwe Saung, Myanmar
• Mandalay, Myanmar
• Bagan, Myanmar
• Hong Kong
• Orlando, Florida

Catch up by reading the preview, The Banana Pancake Trail to Myanmar Starts This Monday, then the overview, Thailand, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Disney, Home, where the game time decision was made to leave Mongolia for good.

Brace yourself. I’m about to write a scathing review of the Hollywood Tower Hotel Orlando. I’m not sure how this place is in operation let alone a Disney Resort. The hotel is not meant for families with children and even brave adults should stay clear.

The only positive about the hotel is its exterior. From the outside the hotel looks impressive towering over the Disney grounds.

Checking In 

Checking in was a pain in the ass. Some guests had fast-past status so they were quickly ushered through the process. The rest of us had to wait in line for at least an hour. That would never be the case if this was an SPG hotel or a run of the mill Days Inn.

The Lobby

Filthy, dusty! You call this a lobby? There were cobwebs all over the place. Who knows the last time this place was cleaned. Once in the lobby, the hotel staff was extremely rude. They kept telling us to move along. One even said, “Enjoy your stay,” in such a creepy voice that I will never forget.

It’s a shame that the hotel has fallen into disrepair. In its glory days, I’m sure it would rival the St. Regis New York.

The Broken Elevator 

Talk about lousy service! After waiting in line forever without being offered any refreshments, we were informed that the elevator was busted. They told us we had to use the service elevator. Unbelievable!

The Waiting Room

The hotel herded us in like cattle into a waiting room. From there, we had to watch a stupid movie about the history of the hotel. At this point, children were crying and I was getting increasingly angry.

The Service Elevator 

The rudeness continued by the bellman who crammed us all into the service elevator and started laughing at us. What sort of training do these people receive? This is supposed to be Disney!

From there, we began our ascent to the penthouse suite. The ride up provided beautiful views of Disney. Finally, things were going our way I thought.

Inexplicably and without warning the elevator plummeted down the shaft, a mechanism that would go on for what seemed like an eternity. Many of the guests were inexplicably screaming with delight. Due to the elevator malfunction, we never made it to our rooms and were returned to the lower lobby.

The Lower Lobby 

Outraged, I got out of the death trap elevator and stormed past the gift shop on my way to find a new hotel. Strangely many of the guests went back to the entrance of the hotel to wait for the elevator to be fixed so they could get to their rooms. Others even bought photos of themselves from the surveillance camera that was in the elevator.

I wish I had purchased a photo so I could use it in court to sue Disney for a horrible resort experience.

Never again! DO NOT STAY HERE! 

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