Storey Lake Resort: A Kissimmee Vacation-Home Community Guide

If you’ve been comparing Kissimmee vacation-home communities and Storey Lake Resort keeps coming up, that’s not an accident. It’s one of the most frequently searched resort communities in the area, and for good reason: it sits close to the Disney World gates, comes with a substantial amenity complex, and offers some of the larger home layouts available near the parks. We host vacation homes near the Walt Disney World gates and visit this area far more than the average family, so here’s an honest look at what Storey Lake Resort actually delivers — and what to watch before you book.

Quick Answer

Storey Lake Resort is a gated vacation-home community in Kissimmee, Florida, situated off Osceola Parkway roughly 4–6 miles from the Disney World main entrance. Guests rent privately owned townhomes and single-family homes that range from compact three-bedroom layouts to sprawling nine-bedroom houses, many with private pools. The centerpiece is a large clubhouse and resort amenity complex — think lazy river, waterslides, resort pool, and splash pad — that gives the community a hotel-resort feel at vacation-home prices. If you want a full-size home, a private pool, and resort amenities without paying Disney hotel rates, Storey Lake is worth a serious look.

What Storey Lake Resort Actually Is

Storey Lake is a gated, master-planned vacation rental community, meaning it was developed specifically for short-term rentals rather than long-term residents. That has practical implications for your trip:

Every home is owned by an individual and managed either directly or through a property management company.
Quality and upkeep vary by property — one home can be freshly renovated while another in the same section hasn’t been updated in years. Recent photos and recent reviews are both essential, not optional.
The amenities belong to the resort association, so access is generally tied to guests of registered rental properties within the community.

It’s also a large community, which matters more than people realize. “Storey Lake” covers a meaningful stretch of land. The walk from your specific home to the clubhouse complex can be a quick few minutes or a much longer hike depending on where in the community your rental sits. Ask exactly where the home is located relative to the amenity complex before you book.

The Amenities: What You’re Actually Getting

The Storey Lake resort complex is the headline draw. As of our last visit, the amenity center includes:

A lazy river — the non-negotiable rest-day activity for families, particularly on Florida’s reliably brutal afternoons
Waterslides for older kids and adults, with gentler water features for younger guests
A resort-style main pool and splash pad area
A fitness center and game room
A sports bar and casual dining option within the complex (hours and menu vary; confirm before planning a meal around it)
Volleyball courts and outdoor recreational areas

The scale here is more substantial than most Kissimmee resort community pools, which is part of why Storey Lake commands interest from larger groups and multi-family bookings. That said, amenity hours, seasonal closures for maintenance, and specific facility availability all shift. Confirm the current amenity schedule with your host or the resort office before your trip — don’t assume everything is open every day.

Drive Times to Disney and the Parks

From the Storey Lake area, here are realistic estimates for 2026 (door to parking structure, not to park entrance):

Animal Kingdom: approximately 10–15 minutes via Osceola Parkway
Hollywood Studios and EPCOT: approximately 12–20 minutes
Magic Kingdom: approximately 15–25 minutes — add 20–30 minutes for the ferry or monorail from the Transportation & Ticket Center once you park
Disney Springs: approximately 8–12 minutes

Osceola Parkway is a tolled road that provides the most direct shot to the Disney complex. Budget a few dollars per round trip in tolls, or add a few minutes and detour via US-192 for free. A SunPass transponder or a rental car with an E-Pass plan cuts the toll friction down to nearly nothing.

The drive times here are meaningfully short compared to central or east US-192 — that’s one of the main reasons Storey Lake stays popular. But unlike communities like Windsor Hills (which sits roughly 2 miles from the Disney gates), you’ll feel the difference on higher-traffic days. Plan to leave at least 15 minutes earlier than the GPS suggests for any rope-drop morning.

Home Sizes and What to Look For

Storey Lake’s selection skews toward larger homes than most Kissimmee communities. The typical range:

Townhomes (3–4 bedrooms): more compact but often the best-priced entry point; usually share a parking lot with neighbors
Single-family homes (5–9 bedrooms): the sweet spot for two families splitting costs; private screened-in pool is standard on most; themes range from tasteful neutral to full pop-culture décor
Oversized vacation homes (8–10 bedrooms): designed for very large groups or multi-family bookings; come with the amenities of a small hotel — home theaters, game rooms, multiple master suites

When evaluating a specific property:

Confirm the pool is private and heated. “Pool access” and “private pool” are not the same. In Florida heat, a private screened-in pool is worth verifying explicitly.
Ask about parking. Larger homes usually have a driveway; townhomes may be parking-lot access only.
Check when the home was last renovated. Photos from a remodel year should match recent guest reviews.
Confirm resort amenity access is included. Some rentals at Storey Lake are listed through platforms that don’t make this explicit.

Who Storey Lake Is (and Isn’t) For

Great fit:

Families of 6–12 or two families splitting a large home — the per-person cost math works
Trips of 5+ nights where a rest day at the resort pool becomes a real part of the itinerary
Groups that want a full kitchen, more living space, and a private pool over the walk-in simplicity of a hotel

Less ideal:

Short 2-night stays where you’ll never use the amenities
Travelers who don’t have (or don’t want to rent) a car — Storey Lake has no Disney shuttle and rideshare costs to the parks add up quickly across a week
Anyone who needs the on-property perks: early theme park entry for Disney resort guests, Disney bus transportation, and the unique immersion of a Disney hotel are things you won’t get at Storey Lake

For the full on-property versus vacation-home trade-off, our where to stay near Disney World guide walks through the honest pros and cons side by side.

What’s Around You in Kissimmee

Storey Lake’s Osceola Parkway location puts a useful stretch of Kissimmee within easy reach:

Publix, Walmart, and Target are all within 10–15 minutes for stocking the kitchen before your first park day — the grocery stores near Disney World guide covers the nearest locations and delivery options
Disney Springs is a short toll-road hop — free to enter, good for a rest-day evening
The US-192 corridor (restaurants, mini golf, Old Town) is accessible via Osceola to 192 — see things to do in Kissimmee for the full rest-day breakdown

FAQ

Is Storey Lake Resort close to Disney World? Closer than most people expect. Via Osceola Parkway, you’re roughly 4–6 miles from the Disney World main entrance — typically 10–20 minutes depending on your destination park and traffic. Animal Kingdom is the closest; Magic Kingdom takes the longest because of the parking-and-ferry process.

Does Storey Lake Resort include a lazy river? The resort amenity complex does include a lazy river as of our most recent information, alongside waterslides and a resort pool. Amenity availability is subject to seasonal hours and maintenance closures — confirm the current schedule with your host or the resort office before your stay.

Can anyone stay at Storey Lake Resort, or do you have to own? Storey Lake is a vacation rental community — every home is available through short-term rental platforms or management companies. You don’t need to own; you rent from individual property owners or their managers.

How does Storey Lake compare to Reunion Resort? Both are gated Kissimmee communities with resort amenities, but they have different characters. Reunion sits a bit further west near US-192 and SR-429, has a golf-course setting, and is known for its multi-level water park (see our Reunion Resort water park guide). Storey Lake sits closer to Osceola Parkway, has shorter drive times to most parks, and tends to attract larger groups with its big-house inventory. Neither is objectively better — it depends on what your group needs most.

Browse available homes near the Disney World gates — including properties in Kissimmee vacation communities — at our Kissimmee rentals page. For a broader look at all the neighborhoods and trade-offs along the 192 corridor, the Kissimmee area guide is the next logical read.