Carol,
No escalator (that we saw). Steps and ramp with folks at the top checking your flight info.

Your start for departure is almost same as before. We had to get boarding pass with AA desk since no advance boarding pass was possible. You can check in on line but no boarding pass is issued until we got to the airport. This may have been an AA restriction or Airport restriction, don't really know but it adds some hassle.

After you get boarding pass you move toward escalator after both boarding pass and passport are checked (rat maze for immigration and customs checking your papers). You then go through security on 2nd floor.
Yes, a few places to get food or drink on 2nd floor waiting area. Not many. As stated there were no available seats. Some gouging, Heineken pony $3.50, President $7.00.

When you hear your plane announced (you will hear) since there are speakers in ceiling about every 2 feet apart at full volume.
When you get to boarding area you need to get as close as possible to your announced gate (think there were 4-6 gates). For us there was no Priority Boarding. If it was announced it was ignored and groups 1-7 all lined up at the gate. Your boarding pass is again checked before you are permitted to go to bus, one bus at a time, all jammed with people. As we boarded plane we had to show seat # before actually entering the plane.

I hope all understand that I know air travel is no fun but a few actions (priority boarding, group # boarding, additional seating in all areas, less redundancy in process) would improve situation.