Storey Lake Kissimmee Villa Review: A Family Base for Orlando Theme Parks

If you’re planning a family holiday to Orlando, one of the biggest decisions is where to stay — and whether a villa makes more sense than a hotel.

Because with kids (and especially extended family), space, downtime and flexibility often matter more than on-site facilities.

This guide is for UK families travelling to Orlando — particularly multi‑generational groups or longer stays — who want to understand if a villa in Kissimmee is actually the better option.

Quick Answer: Is a Kissimmee Villa a Good Choice for Families?

Yes — especially for larger families or trips longer than a week.

• more space to spread out

• your own private pool (a huge win with kids)

• separate bedrooms for better sleep

• and often better value than booking multiple hotel rooms

For us, it completely changed the feel of the trip.

We travelled as an extended family of 11, staying in a large villa at Storey Lake Resort in Kissimmee for 10 days. Splitting the cost between three families worked out far more affordable than booking hotel rooms — while also giving us shared space to relax together.

At £4,066 total in April 2026, it came to roughly £20 per person per night based on full occupancy — which is exceptional value for this type of setup.

More importantly, it gave us:

• space to unwind after theme park days

• flexibility with meals

• and a base that felt easy rather than frantic

In this guide, we’ll break down:

• why villas work so well for families

• what to look for when booking

• and whether Kissimmee is the right location

Where helpful, we’ve included links to check availability and compare options. These may be affiliate links, but we only recommend places and platforms we’ve used ourselves or would book again — with the aim of helping you plan a trip that feels as easy and enjoyable as possible.

If you’re still planning your wider Florida trip, this shows how this kind of stay fits into a full itinerary:
→ See our Florida family itinerary (Everglades, Keys & Orlando)

Location – How Close Is It to the Parks?

Location is one of the biggest advantages of staying in Kissimmee, particularly when you are visiting theme parks most days.

• Disney World – around 6 miles, roughly a 10-minute drive

• Universal Orlando – around 11 miles, approximately 20 minutes

• Discovery Cove – around 4 miles, roughly 15–20 minutes

There are also plenty of nearby supermarkets (within 5 minute drive) including Walmart, Target, and Publix, making it easy to stock up on food and essentials. Restaurants and takeaways are also widely available within a short drive. This convenience matters more than you might expect — when you are doing long park days, short drive times make a noticeable difference to how manageable the trip feels.

The Villa – Space for Families

The standout feature of this villa is the amount of space it offers, particularly for larger or multi-generational families.

• 10 bedrooms (3 single beds, 8 doubles, 6 kings, 1 queen – sleeps up to 25)

• 5 bathrooms, including 3 en suite

• Large open-plan kitchen with breakfast bar, connected to living and dining areas

• Spacious living and dining room

• Marvel-themed games room with pool table, ping pong, PlayStation, and retro games

• Upstairs TV/cinema area

• Washer and dryer

• Air conditioning throughout

• Starter essentials provided on arrival

The layout worked particularly well for our group, allowing everyone to have their own space while still sharing communal areas.

If you’re travelling as a larger family group, this is the exact type of villa we stayed in at Storey Lake:

→ Check availability for villas at Storey Lake Resort (Kissimmee)

Private Pool – A Big Reason to Book a Villa

The private pool is one of the biggest advantages of staying in a villa.

• Kids can swim every day, without crowds

• Ideal for rest days between parks

• More relaxed than a hotel pool environment

• Pool heating was available at an additional charge ($35 per day, not necessarily needed from April through the summer months). I would recommend this in March/April, but doubt it would be required over the summer months.

Extended on Site Facilities

In addition to the private pool, we also had access to wider community facilities including a larger pool with water slides, and a lazy river, adding even more value for families.

This did get quite busy during the day and the pool was not heated. The pool was open from 9am everyday, they did not allow any outside food or drinks at the pool, however did sell ice creams, slushies and food. They offered other activities at an additional cost such as mini golf and kayak hire.

There was a small on site gym, equipped with weights and cardio equipment. This was open from 9am everyday.

Villa vs Park Hotel

We also stayed one night at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando to take advantage of the Express Pass benefit. This worked well as a short stay strategy, but it highlighted the differences clearly.

The hotel offered convenience and queue-skipping perks, but it lacked the space, flexibility, and relaxed environment of the villa. With 11 people travelling together, the villa made it much easier to spend time as a group compared to being split across hotel rooms.

For more details on Hard Rock Hotel and fast pass access, see, Hard Rock Hotel Universal Orlando Review: Is the Free Express Pass Worth It for Families?

Pros and Cons of Staying in a Villa Instead of a Hotel

Pros

• More space for families

• Private pool

• Kitchen helps reduce food cost

• Washing machine and dryer

• Everyone can have their own bedroom

• Daily rubbish collection from your house (no need to take trash to a central location)

• Quiet location

• Easy check out, no cleaning or bed stripping required

Cons

• You need to drive to the parks

• No on-site restaurants - although plenty near by, even some walking distance

• No daily housekeeping (although there was daily rubbish collection, you just dropped it off right outside the house in a brown bin)

• Food and meals need to be organised (but this can also be a pro and part of the fun - we used the BBQ most nights, the gas needed filling up on arrival, this was $20 to change it in at Walmart)

Who This Villa Is Best For

This type of accommodation works particularly well for:

• Families visiting both Disney and Universal

• Families staying for 10–14 days

• Larger or multi-family groups

• Families who want rest days between park visits

Final Verdict – Is Storey Lake a Good Base for Orlando?

Villas in Kissimmee are one of the best accommodation options for UK families visiting Orlando. They offer a strong balance of cost, space, and location, particularly for longer stays.

Our specific house 2961 was amazing, and I would highly recommend it for families, the facilities were expectational and we were well looked after by the on site team during our stay. For families travelling in groups or planning a 10–14 day trip, a villa provides a far more practical and comfortable base than a standard hotel.

We opted to visit the Universal Parks during our stay in Orlando, for more tips on planning and what to expect (all the things we wish we knew before we went including fast passes, what you can and can’t bring and itinerary) start with our Universal Orlando with Kids: What Parents Should Know Before Visiting

plan your orlando florida trip

If you’re planning your Orlando trip next, these guides will help you pull everything together:

About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.