Beaches of South Walton on Florida's Panhandle is courting the ladies with girlfriend getaway deals that include a beach bag filled with goodies such as teas, toiletry items, a cookbook, lunch cooler, sunscreen, beach towel, visor and discount vouchers for area businesses and attractions.

Area accommodations range from bed-and-breakfast inns and beachside cottages to luxury condos and modern inns. Great girlfriend rates range from three-night stays through ResortQuest, formerly Abbott Resorts, from $162 per night (through February), $220 (March 1-18 and April 16-May 25) and $310 (May 26-Aug. 6) to Girls' Getaway packages at Seaside that start at $167 per person per night and include massage, wine tasting, scenic bike tour, yoga session and makeover party. Select properties are sweetening the deal with complimentary champagne and strawberries.

Steven Brooke (ENLARGE)
Seaside on Florida's Panhandle is among the properties participating in the Girls' Getaway promotion.
EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR
FLORIDA SPECIAL SECTION Beach bag of gifts enhances Girls' Getaway package  Much of Sunshine State back in tourism business  Trek through swamp yields glimpse of rare orchids  Indian life at one with nature in the Everglades  Tribes growing businesses from citrus groves to casinos  ECHOES FROM THE EVERGLADES  Pines a thing of the past on Sanibel and Captiva  Sweetheart deal at St. Augustine B&Bs  Back roads lead to treasure-trove of antiques shops  Touch of Europe thrives in Florida

Beaches of South Walton includes 13 beach communities, five state parks and 26 miles of coastline that provide plenty of options for activities like kayaking on coastal dune lakes, shopping, spa visits — or doing nothing at all.

A detailed list of participating properties and rates is online at www.beaches

ofsouthwalton.com or call 1-800-822-6877.

Disney's new deal

"Magic Your Way," Walt Disney World's new ticket purchase plan, lets guests create their own tickets for a customized vacation.

As of Jan. 2, guests purchase tickets tailored to the length of their vacation and the interests of the group. The savings increase with the length of stay — from one to seven days.

"People today expect the ability to customize the products they buy," says Disney World President Al Weiss, explaining the impetus for the change.

Under the pricing structure, a one-day base ticket is $59.75 and a seven-day is $199, which brings the per-day price to $28.43. Add-on options include the Park Hopper (which lets guests come and go through all four theme parks) for an additional $35 and the Plus Pack (which adds admission to Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, DisneyQuest, Downtown Disney Pleasure Island or Wide World of Sports) for $45 more. For guests who want to do it all, a premium ticket is $139.75 for one day, $279 for seven days.

"Magic Your Way" tickets expire 14 days after the first use. However, a "no expiration" option can be purchased for $10 for a two-day ticket up to $55 for the seven-day.

Disney hotel guests who want the convenience of an all-inclusive vacation can purchase the "Magic Your Way" package plus dining. For each night of their resort stay, guests get two meals and a snack at more than 100 restaurants through the parks and on-site hotels.

A new step-by-step, shopping-cart style process on disneyworld.com makes it easy to customize and book a vacation. Or you can call 407-934-7639 or a travel agent.

Spa opening this month

The 4,800-acre Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra, Fla., will open the Spa at Sawgrass on Jan. 29.

The 20,000-square-foot European-style spa is surrounded by lagoons, moss-draped water oaks, palms and magnolias. Nature-inspired spa services incorporate the five elements of wood, fire, water, earth and metal.

Spa guests will be greeted by the aroma of the Sawgrass Signature Scent — lemon grass, ginger and sandalwood — and "relaxation artists" who tailor customized experiences. In addition to organic products, the spa features the French line Sothys.

There are 19 treatment rooms and the Tea House, a custom-designed teakwood cabana with gauze curtains, for outdoor massages.

Signature body therapies include East Indian-inspired ayurveda treatments (Bindi, Shirodhara and Blissful Harmony) where guests' dosha or body type is determined before the treatment and special ayurvedic oils and herbs are used to bring the body into balance.

The Top of Your Game treatment includes a sports massage as well as a 60-minute golf fitness personal training session. The Stadium Revenge Package pampers golf widows with the Sawgrass aroma body glow, customized massage, European cleansing facial, pedicure, spa lunch and a gift.

The 500-room resort on the Atlantic coast between Jacksonville and St. Augustine offers 99 holes of golf, including the TPC Stadium Course; three freshwater swimming pools; two whirlpools surrounded by waterfalls; and backwater and deep-sea fishing.

Information: 904-674-4772, www.sawgrassmarriott.com.

Art deco days

Art Deco Weekend in Miami Beach, Friday through Jan. 16, features more than 85 events including music, lectures, outdoor theater, parades and architecture tours.

The "weekend" actually begins today with a film series featuring movies with art deco sets and culminates in a street festival in the Art Deco District along Ocean Drive between Fifth and 15th streets, Friday through Jan. 16. Also, there will be 30 walking tours and four boat tours.

The theme of the 28th annual festival, sponsored by the Miami Design Preservation League, is "Art Deco and the New Deal," honoring the Works Progress Administration. Festival events will focus on the WPA and its contributions in art, theater and literature. Many art deco buildings in Miami Beach as well as murals and sculptures are a result of the WPA and New Deal programs.

This year's event will feature more rare antiques and collectibles, outdoor film screenings and a Glenn Miller Orchestra concert. Miami Beach event designer and producer Barton G. Weiss, owner of the restaurant Barton G., is in charge of the food stations.

Information: 305-672-2014, www.artdecoweekend.com.

Wake-up call

Three SoBe hotels are offering the South Beach Buzz package that's sure to keep vacationers awake. The deal includes accommodations, Starbucks at sunrise, Red Bull Energy Drink at noon and martinis at sunset.

The hotels are the Blue Moon and Essex House — on Collins Avenue, walking distance from the beach and clubs — and the oceanfront WinterHaven on Ocean Drive.

The package is available until March 21. Rates are $179 per person on weekdays and $219 on weekends. Guests must be 21 years or older to purchase package.

To reserve, call 1-800-724-1623 and ask for the South Beach Buzz package; www.bluemoonhotel.com,

www.essexhotel.com, www .winterhavenhotelsobe.com.

Great golf

The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine has been named to Golf Digest magazine's list of the "75 Best Golf Resorts in North America." Resorts were named to the list based on a poll of the 800 members of the magazine's Course Ranking Panel.

The 6,300-acre resort next to the World Golf Hall of Fame features two 18-hole championship courses, the King & the Bear (the only course in the world designed jointly by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus), and the Slammer & the Squire (inspired by Slammin' Sammy Snead and Gene "the Squire" Sarazen).

Guests have privileges at the private oceanfront Serenata Beach Club, which features miles of Atlantic beaches and three pools. Soon guests also will have access to the PGA Tour Spa Laterra, which opened at the World Golf Village in December.

Information: 1-888-740-7020, www.worldgolf

renaissance.com.