Short-Term Rental Income & ROI Near Disney World (2026)

Buying a vacation rental near Disney World remains one of the most reliable income strategies in Central Florida real estate — but the spread between top-performing properties and underperformers has never been wider. With more than 50 million visitors flowing through the Orlando area each year, the demand is there. The question for investors in 2026 isn't whether to invest in a short-term rental (STR) near Disney — it's which property, in which community, and at what price will actually deliver the returns you need.

At Bella Trae Realty, we work with investors every week who are trying to separate marketing-brochure numbers from real, defensible cash flow projections. Below is the framework we use to evaluate short-term rental income and ROI for properties in Champions Gate, Davenport, Reunion, and the surrounding Disney-area submarkets.

Why Disney-Area Short-Term Rentals Still Outperform

Despite headlines about market shifts, the Orlando-area STR market has stayed remarkably resilient. Tourism continues to recover and expand, with new attractions like Epic Universe pulling fresh demand into the I-4 corridor. Investor-grade STR communities near Disney — Champions Gate, ChampionsGate Country Club, Storey Lake, Solterra, Windsor Island, Encore at Reunion, and Solara — consistently report annual occupancy rates between 55% and 72%, depending on the home, the operator, and the season.

That tourism volume translates into real dollars. A well-managed 6-bedroom, 5-bath pool home in Champions Gate or Davenport can realistically generate $75,000 to $110,000 in gross annual rental revenue. Larger 8 to 10-bedroom themed homes — the ones with Star Wars bunk rooms, Marvel game rooms, and resort-grade pool decks — can push past $130,000 in gross revenue when professionally managed and properly priced.

The key word there is gross. Investors who only look at top-line revenue and assume a flat 50% expense ratio are setting themselves up for surprises. Real ROI lives in the details.

The True Cost Stack for a Disney-Area STR

Before you can evaluate ROI, you need a realistic picture of operating costs. For a typical 6-bedroom pool home in the $625,000 to $775,000 price range near Disney, here's what the annual expense stack actually looks like in 2026:

Property management runs 18% to 25% of gross rental revenue for full-service operators, which on a $90,000-revenue home means roughly $16,000 to $22,000 per year. HOA fees in resort-style communities like Champions Gate and Storey Lake typically range from $400 to $700 per month, covering amenities, lawn care, and sometimes cable and internet. Property taxes on a non-homesteaded investment property usually run 1.4% to 1.8% of assessed value — budget $9,000 to $13,000 annually for a home in this price band.

Then come the operating costs that surprise newer investors: utilities and pool service ($300 to $500 per month), insurance with hurricane and short-term rental endorsements ($2,800 to $4,500 per year), licensing and tax remittance (Osceola County tourist development tax, state sales tax, and DBPR vacation rental license), turnover cleaning, replacement reserves for furniture and pool equipment, and ongoing marketing if you're not on a full-service plan. After everything, net operating income on a healthy STR typically lands at 35% to 45% of gross revenue.

Running a Defensible ROI Calculation

Once you have realistic revenue and expense assumptions, the ROI math becomes much cleaner. For a $700,000 Champions Gate pool home purchased with 25% down on an investment-property loan in today's rate environment, here's a representative model: gross revenue of $90,000, total operating expenses of roughly $52,000, and net operating income near $38,000. With annual debt service on the loan, cash-on-cash return often lands in the 4% to 7% range — before appreciation and principal paydown.

That may not sound dramatic compared to STR returns from five years ago, but factor in long-term appreciation on Central Florida real estate (historically 4% to 6% per year in our submarkets), principal reduction on the mortgage, and the tax advantages of bonus depreciation through a cost segregation study, and the total return picture often pushes well into the double digits annually.

The investors who win this market aren't the ones chasing the highest gross revenue number on a listing flyer. They're the ones running honest expense math, choosing the right community for the right guest profile, and pricing acquisition correctly. That's exactly where Bella Trae Realty earns its keep — we bring the comp data and the operator relationships that turn a maybe-good deal into a clearly-good deal.

Which Disney-Area Communities Are Performing Best in 2026

Not every short-term rental community produces the same returns. Champions Gate continues to be a top performer thanks to its proximity to Disney (about 10 minutes to the parks), its resort amenities, and a steady stream of repeat family bookings. Inventory is tight, and well-priced pool homes still move quickly.

Storey Lake and Sonoma Resort offer slightly newer construction and competitive HOA structures, with strong booking velocity for 5 to 7-bedroom homes. Windsor Island and Solara have built reputations for high-end themed homes that command premium nightly rates, especially during peak Disney seasons. Davenport more broadly — particularly the ChampionsGate, Westside, and Solterra corridors — has emerged as the value play, offering attractive price-per-bedroom ratios for investors who don't need to be inside the gates of a flagship resort community.

Common Mistakes That Tank Investor Returns

The fastest way to underperform in this market is to buy a home that's structurally hard to rent. Three-bedroom or four-bedroom homes in STR-zoned communities often look like the affordable entry point, but they compete with private rooms in larger themed homes and rarely match the bookings-per-dollar of well-positioned 6 to 8-bedroom properties.

The second mistake is underestimating furnishing and turnkey setup costs. A vacation-rental-ready 6-bedroom home typically requires $45,000 to $75,000 in furniture, linens, kitchen supplies, themed bedrooms, and outdoor furnishings to compete on Airbnb and VRBO. Skipping that investment shows up immediately in nightly rate and review scores.

The third mistake is selecting a property manager based on commission rate alone. A manager taking 18% who books your home 65% of the year at $260 average daily rate will outperform a manager taking 12% who only books you at 50% occupancy and $215 ADR — by a wide margin. Operator quality matters far more than headline fee structure.

How Bella Trae Realty Helps Investors Win

Buying a vacation rental investment near Disney World is not the same as buying a primary home. The acquisition decision needs to be driven by underwriting math, community-specific booking data, and a clear-eyed view of the operating model — not just curb appeal. We help investors evaluate properties using real comp data from active rentals in Champions Gate, Davenport, Reunion, and the broader I-4 corridor, walk through realistic income and expense projections, and connect with the property managers and lenders who specialize in this asset class.

Whether you're a first-time investor looking at your first Central Florida vacation rental, or an experienced owner adding a third or fourth property to your portfolio, the same principle applies: the returns are still here, but they reward investors who do the math up front.

Contact Bella Trae Realty today to talk through your investment goals, review current short-term rental inventory in Champions Gate, Davenport, and the Disney-area submarkets, and build a realistic ROI model on properties you're considering.