Hi Rachel! I love the ocean too and understand the desire to visit and enjoy its beauty. One of the best parts about the Walt Disney World resort and many of the hotels is that there are lots of beautiful water views. Not quite the same as seeing the waves crash on the sand, but waking up to a sunrise on the water or relaxing to a sunset view on one of the many lakes at Disney World, is really a site to treasure.
If you are looking for an ocean or "beachy" feel, I'd recommend one of my favorite resorts,
Disney's Beach Club Resort and its sister property, the Yacht Club Resort. Both of the resorts boast a scenic sand beach on Cresent lake and the ocean-side theming makes you feel as you really are oceanside. Although you cannot swim in the lake, you do have the famous Stormalong Bay pool, which actually has a sand bottom! It's our family's favorite pool and we could spend days in there.
Other resorts with beaches are the Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts, which may fit the bill if you're looking for scenic strolls on the beach. You can even enjoy the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the Polynesian beach.
If, however, you're looking for the real thing, a fun idea would be adding on a couple of days at
Disney's Vero Beach Resort, which is about 2 hours away from Walt Disney World and yes, on a REAL beach! There you can get away from it all and enjoy the ocean and jump in the waves as you experience the resort amenities and treatment Disney is famous for.
Where ever you decide to stay, I'm sure you'll find some experiences which will fill your desire to visit the ocean right here in the heart of central Florida! I hope this has helped with your planning, feel free to come back and ask us more questions here at the panel.