Greetings, Tracy, and welcome back to planDisney!
It's a pleasure to see you here again and congratulations on your trip to the Walt Disney World Resort early next year! I love that you've selected
Disney's Beach Club Resort as your hotel because it's one of my favorites. I love the atmosphere around the Boardwalk and the views of Crescent Lake. It's so convenient to get to EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios and you can't beat Stormalong Bay!
I can appreciate wanting to get to Disney's Animal Kingdom for Rope Drop. If there's a Park that you want to experience early, it'll be that one. There's nothing like a ride on
Kilimanjaro Safaris early in the morning as the animals are more active. In my experience, the theme park parking lots will generally open about an hour before the Park opens, which should give you plenty of time to get to Rope Drop. Actually, since you're a guest of a Walt Disney World Resort, you'll be able to take advantage of
Early Entry, which will allow you to get in even earlier than Rope Drop! This benefit will continue through 2025 but is always subject to change.
Minnie Van Service is definitely more convenient as they'll drop you off right at the Park entrance. As long as you don't mind the extra expense, that's a great option. Either way, I think you'll be fine with a little bit of forward planning. I definitely agree that relying on bus transportation can be hit or miss. We recently stayed at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort where buses were the only option and found ourselves using Minnie Vans more than anything!
Tracy, I hope that this response was helpful for your planning purposes. Please feel free to return again with more questions because we'd love to continue being involved in your trip! You're always welcome at planDisney. Until next time!
Wishing You a Great, Big, Beautiful Tomorrow!
-Al