Hi Cody!
Walt Disney World Resort is a magical place during the
winter holidays. I can't wait for you to see how the theme parks and resorts are decorated in December. Be sure to make time to see the life-size gingerbread house in the lobby of
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa while you are there. It is a short monorail ride away from Magic Kingdom Park and totally worth the ride.
While the
complimentary Disney buses will start running to the theme parks a minimum of 45 minutes prior to park opening, I think you'll find that during peak seasons those buses will actually start running earlier to accommodate the demand. For instance, I was at
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside on the day that Pandora - The World of Avatar opened. Buses were running for at least 90 minutes prior to the opening time at Disney's Animal Kingdom and the empty buses streamed in to pick up Guests one right after the other. No company knows how to move Guests more efficiently than Disney.
What that means for you is that you will likely be able to catch a Disney bus early enough to arrive at your theme park of choice well before rope drop. However, if you find at your chosen departure time that there is no bus available, I'd just hop into a taxi or Uber at your Walt Disney World Resort hotel and ask them to drop you off at your destination.
Soak up every bit of magic during your holiday visit and take plenty of photos to remember your journey.
Sending best wishes and pixie dust,
Jill