Hi Rachel, welcome to planDisney!
On select nights in November and December, Magic Kingdom Park closes at 6:00 p.m. for
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, which takes place from 7:00 p.m. to midnight. I can sense your disappointment in having made this discovery, but allow me to highlight a more optimistic perspective. Magic Kingdom Park typically has smaller crowds on party days due to the shorter hours. In my experience, you can get just as much done on a shorter park day with smaller crowds as on a full day with bigger crowds. My parents illustrated this point today. They planned on spending a full day in EPCOT but, thanks to small crowds and low wait times, they accomplished all of their must-dos by 3:00 p.m. (including a sit-down meal at
Le Cellier).
You can price out the option of adding the
Park Hopper Option to your ticket by clicking the "Change Ticket" icon underneath a ticket in your
My Disney Experience mobile app (three small lines at the bottom right of the app's homepage > Tickets and Passes > scroll to desired ticket). Click the edit pencil icon next to Ticket Type and select the Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option. The cost for the upgrade will depend on the type of upgrade as well as the date and length of your ticket. Adding the Park Hopper Option allows you to visit another theme park anytime after 2:00 p.m.
Another option to extend your park time is to purchase tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Your general admission ticket would let you play all day in Magic Kingdom Park and your ticket to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party would let you party all night.
If I were in your shoes, Rachel, I would make the most out of a 9-hour day in Magic Kingdom Park, leave the park at 6:00 p.m., and take time to visit the Disney Resort hotels on the
monorail loop (Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa). These resorts feature some of the most iconic holiday displays, including a life-size gingerbread house at Disney's Grand Floridian, and offer some delicious dining options like
Steakhouse 71. If you stay late enough, you can even enjoy the Christmas party fireworks from the viewing area on the fourth floor of Disney's Contemporary Resort.
No matter which option you choose, Rachel, holiday magic will find you. Just remember to think of the happiest things; it's the same as having wings.
Plan magic; planDisney.
Jennifer