According to my paper chain, we have 26 more days until my family and I get to soak up the sun on the sand! We can’t wait. But did you know that there are some great beachy spots right in Walt Disney World? C’mon! Grab your towel and sun screen and I’ll tell ya all about them.

Soaking up the sun is easy to do in Disney, with each Disney resort having its own excellently themed and impeccably kept pool areas. However, if feeling the sand in your toes is up your alley, then I bet you would love the Beach Club and Yacht Club Resort pool.

Located between the Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts, Stormalong Bay stretches over three acres of land and is home to one of the nation’s largest sand bottoms pools! With jacuzzi areas, a quiet area, whirlpools, a lazy river, and tanning deck, this pool wouldn’t be complete without one of the tallest and longest water slides at any resort on Disney property. Climb aboard the shipwrecked boat to slip down the partially closed, ever popular slide. Stormalong Bay also has a large sand bottomed Kiddie Pool that is surrounded by sand, as well, so the little ones can dig and play to their heart’s delight.

Hungry? Step over the pool-side Beaches & Cream to grab a burger, or that Kitchen Sink I mentioned before. Hurricane Hanna’s also offers up burgers, fries, and quick snacks for the starving swimmer.

Oh, and did I mention that the EPCOT World Showcase entrance is just a short walk away from Stormalong Bay?

Another resort pool that makes you feel like you’ve stepped out of Disney and into a tropical beach location is the Polynesian Resort. This is Tim’s favorite resort, but the fact that it has some of our favorite restaurants helps. The Polynesian pool is always a sight to behold, tucked in between luscious palm trees and centered around a 40 foot volcano! You can also slide down a 142 foot slide, or sit under a waterfall!

If strolling along the beach alone, or hand-in-hand with your honey, is a love of yours, the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Beach Club, and Yacht Club Resorts all have beaches where you can make that dream come true. True, you won’t have real ocean waves washing ashore, but there will be small lake waves! And if you time it right, you could watch the nighttime fireworks display at Magic Kingdom from the white sandy beaches of the Polynesian or Grand Floridian Resorts.

Now that’s what I call the best of both worlds.