Call us crazy but we like to be at or near the front of the line when they start letting people through the turnstiles, it is part of the experience! We also stayed at RPR at our November trip, and we took the first boat over in the morning, you can check with the resort for timing but I think for the 8AM opening (park officially opened at 9 when we were there) I think we took the boat at 7 or 7:15. On a holiday this is what I would do.
You will love having the express pass, especially on a holiday! I have been keeping my eye on wait times lately out of curiosity, and some are downright scary! We have another trip coming up in early February and are again staying at RPR. It is a beautiful resort, I hope you love it as much as we do!