ChampionsGate vs. Storey Lake: A Side-by-Side for Owners

The short answer

Storey Lake is closer to Disney, about 4 to 5 miles, and has two clubhouses with lazy rivers plus a real lake. ChampionsGate is farther out, about 13 to 15 miles, but has golf and the Oasis Club. Both are Lennar-built and full of similar floor plans, so in either one your interior is what sets your home apart.

Side by side

How the two are different

Location is the big one. Storey Lake is one of the closest large vacation home resorts to Disney. Families who want to pop back to the house midday like that. ChampionsGate is farther down I-4, so guests usually spend more of the trip at the house and the Oasis Club. That's not a bad thing for an owner. It just means the house has to work harder as a place to hang out.

ChampionsGate has golf, Storey Lake has the lake. ChampionsGate pulls golf groups because of the Greg Norman courses. Storey Lake's lake, with kayaks, canoes and a fishing pier, is something most Kissimmee resorts don't have, and it photographs well.

Both are full of look-alike houses. They're both production-built by Lennar, so the house across the street often has your exact layout and your exact pool. When a guest scrolls through listings, the outside all blurs together. The inside is the part you control.

The rental rules have fine print in both. In ChampionsGate, The Retreat's HOA lists two lot ranges where short-term rentals are restricted. In Storey Lake, the Reflections section is residential only. Check your exact lot before you buy.

Which owner each suits

ChampionsGate tends to suit you if:

• You want a larger pool home, 6 to 8 bedrooms, for big group bookings
• You want to reach golf groups as well as families
• You like the Oasis Club as a selling point
• You don't mind being a bit farther from the parks

Storey Lake tends to suit you if:

• Being close to Disney matters most to you and your guests
• You want options from condos and townhomes to big pool homes
• You like having two clubhouses and a lake in your listing
• You want to start with a smaller unit

Talk to a local agent and your property manager about prices and rental numbers. We stick to what happens inside the house.

What it means for the design

Designing in ChampionsGate

• Make the house a destination. Guests are farther from the parks, so the game room, the lanai and the living room carry more of the trip.
• Plan for golf groups and families. Equal king rooms for the adults, plus bunk rooms for the kids. A drop zone by the door for clubs and shoes.
• Use the room map. In a 6 to 8-bedroom house, two rooms that look the same make the listing feel like a hotel. Every room gets its own look.
• Dress the lanai. Every Retreat home has a screened pool, so it's in every listing. A real outdoor dining and lounge setup stands out.

Designing in Storey Lake

• Match the plan to the unit. A condo, a townhome and a 7-bedroom house are three different jobs. Condos need smart storage and seating. Townhomes need one standout room. Big homes need a full room map.
• Win the cover photo. With so many identical floor plans, the first photo matters a lot. One themed room or a finished game space is often the best cover.
• Be honest about sleep count. Real beds and smart bunk layouts, so the listed guest count matches a comfortable stay.
• Build for turnovers. Being close to Disney often means short stays and frequent check-ins. Commercial-grade furniture and wipeable finishes hold up better.

Where both are the same

In both resorts, the house next door can look exactly like yours from the street. Rooms that photograph differently, sleep well and feel planned for the group are what give guests a reason to pick yours.

How we help

We've been designing vacation rentals from our Kissimmee shop since 2004. We build themed rooms and custom pieces ourselves at 3401 Commerce Blvd, Suite G. A full vacation rental design usually runs $15,000 to $60,000, depending on scope, and you get a fixed quote after the walkthrough.

Book a Walkthrough Call 689-777-9954

See our ChampionsGate and Storey Lake Resort pages for more.

ChampionsGate vs. Storey Lake questions

Which is closer to Disney, ChampionsGate or Storey Lake?

Storey Lake is closer. It sits at SR 535 and Osceola Parkway, about 4 to 5 miles from Disney property depending on the gate. ChampionsGate is off I-4 at Exit 58, roughly 13 to 15 miles from the parks. That's about 20 to 27 minutes from ChampionsGate when traffic is light.

Can I rent my home short term in both?

Mostly, yes. The Retreat at ChampionsGate is approved for short-term rentals, but its HOA lists two restricted areas: Phase 3 lots 1 to 127 and Phase 5 lots 1 to 74. Storey Lake is zoned for short-term rentals in its vacation sections, while Reflections is residential only. Always check your exact lot.

Which one has bigger homes?

ChampionsGate's Retreat plans run from 4-bedroom townhomes up to an 8-bedroom home of about 3,800 square feet. Storey Lake covers a wider spread, from 2 and 3-bedroom condos and 4 and 5-bedroom townhomes to single-family homes with 7 or more bedrooms. Both have big homes, but Storey Lake has more small options.

What are the clubhouse amenities in each?

ChampionsGate's Oasis Club has a lazy river, a water slide, a heated pool, a theater, a game room and a restaurant. Storey Lake has two clubs, the Hideaway Club and the Bronson Club, each with a resort pool and lazy river, plus a lake with kayaks and canoes. ChampionsGate also has golf.

Do homes in Storey Lake and ChampionsGate look the same?

In both, a lot of homes are Lennar production plans, so many share layouts, square footage and pool setups with their neighbors. From the street they can look nearly identical. That's why the interior matters so much in both resorts. It's the one part of the listing that guests can't get next door.

How should I design differently for each resort?

In ChampionsGate, make the house a place guests want to stay, plan for golf groups and families, and dress the screened lanai. In Storey Lake, match the plan to whether you own a condo, townhome or house, and put real effort into the cover photo, since so many floor plans are the same.

How much does a design project cost in either resort?

A full vacation rental design usually runs $15,000 to $60,000, depending on scope. A Storey Lake condo or townhome usually sits lower, while an 8-bedroom ChampionsGate home with themed rooms and a game room sits higher. We send a fixed quote after a walkthrough, before anything is ordered.