Great Florida vacation deals

If you're like a lot of people in the Cincinnati area, the Florida Panhandle is normally a favorite destination,as it is just a 12 hour drive.

But because of the BP oil spill, you may be reluctant to book a trip there, even for next spring. If so, the good news is that other Florida vacation spots are now beckoning with deals.

Should You Go Ahead With Gulf Plans?

On the beaches of South Walton, on the Panhandle, I found the sand and water beautiful during most days of my recent trip.

But as I found during my visit, there's no telling when tar balls may suddenly wash up . For that reason, most vacationers I met were like Laurel Smithson, who told me she booked her trip months ago, and couldn't back out.

Laurel explained "we already had plans to come down here, so we went ahead and just cam." And so far she had no complaints.

The question is whether tourism and tar balls can co exist. If the beaches are cleared nightly, sure.  But will tourists still want to come? Like other travelers, Laurel is reluctant to book another Panhandle vacation for next Spring.

I asked her "would you have booked a trip now with all the reports of tar balls?" Her answer: "Probably not."

Deals, Deals, Deals Down the Coast

But there's good news: Other Florida destinations are now rolling out deals, because their business is down too.

The constant news stories showing oil and tar have vacationers avoiding all parts of the Gulf right now. Even Key West and Ft Myers have seen a 15% drop in bookings for this fall, according to Travelocity.com.

So for a bargain, Elaine Zienner of Cincinnati's AAA says look at other Gulf coast spots that are not expected to see oil.

Elaine told us "Sarasota, Ft Myers, Clearwater, and St Petersburg aren't affected and they're great places to visit."

And all running deals. Examples:

• The Sanibel Arms Resort, far from the oil, is offering 3 nights for $400, a big price cut.
• At Sanibel Moorings condos: 15% off the rest of the summer.
• From Tampa, to Naples, to Key West, you'll now find "natural beach guarantees," promising a refund if oil ruins your stay.

Elaine said "most are offering a book with confidence deal, where if you book and your beach is affected by oil in any way, your first night or the whole vacation is free."

Orlando Deals

You won't find many great deals right now at Universal Studios in Orlando, because the new Harry Potter World is packing the theme park.

But Walt Disney World is fighting back with free dining, for stays through December 21st. Click here for details.

But you'll find the best deals "off property" in Orlando right now. The Fairfield Inn Lake Buena Vista has rooms this fall starting at just $79 dollars.

The website Mousesavers.com (click here) lists other deals around Disney World and Universal Studios.

Those are just a few great Florida deals, with little risk of running into tarballs.

Check the Beach....Live!

If you want to see what your favorite Florida beach is really like, many beaches now have live webcams.

Click here for links to some Destin and Panama City webcams, and for the first part of my report on what it's like vacationing in Destin right now, and what to do if you had already booked a trip to the region.

_______________________

For More Don't Waste Your Money reports, click here

Don't Waste Your Money (TM) is a registered Trademark of the E.W. Scripps Co.