Orlando spas get some special attention themselves.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Jane Wooldridge

ORLANDO, Fla. _ While the kids are away, the grown-ups will hit the spa. That's the idea behind the pampering palaces that have cropped up in Orlando. Send the kids to the theme parks, hotel kids' programs or the pool where they can chill out from their own over-scheduled lives. Moms _ and increasingly, Dads _ are de-stressing with a citrus facial, a four-hand Balinese massage, a hypno-therapy treatment or an hour seeped in the calming scents of lavender, chamomile, rosemary and geranium.

``People don't just come in to get a massage anymore. They are definitely looking for an experience,'' said Suzanne Holbrook, director of the Ritz-Carlton Spa in Orlando. ``De-stressing is very important _ it's more serious than just pampering.''

But _ as anyone who has perused a spa menu knows _ these treatments don't come cheap, with prices running around $100 for a Swedish massage and as high as $250 for an elaborate, 100-minute treatment. Generally, though, prices are slightly lower in Orlando than in Miami and other resort areas. At all, multiservice packages are available.

I tested five of Orlando's spas, signing up for a signature treatment at each. Each was a full-service spa, with dressing areas, steam and sauna and hot tub, cozy robes and slippers. All provided professional services and an attractive atmosphere. After each treatment, we felt soothed _ not exactly cured of modern life, but at least a little more immune to it.

So which is the best value? If you're simply looking for an hour or two of treatments, the least expensive is at the romantic Papillon Spa at Westgate Lakes ($80); the Mandara Spa at Portofino Bay charges only $5 more. But if you're looking to spend a half day or more _ a workout followed by a massage followed by steam, a quiet cup of tea, a healthy lunch and then a rest by the pool _ for that, you're better off paying a bit more for your treatment and going to a spa with expanded facilities. Our top choices: The Ritz-Carlton Spa at Grande Lakes and Canyon Ranch Spa Club at the Gaylord Palms Resort.

At the end of our spa marathon _ five treatments in 2 { days _ we fell in line with the classic philosophers: Even the most pampering experiences are best done in moderation. A few spa treatments are yummy; too many can leave you in overload.

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DISNEY'S GRAND SPA

Grand Floridian Resort: friendly and inviting

The treatment: Citrus Zest therapies, massage with reflexology, 75 minutes for $185

A good massage should be whatever the person lying prone on the table wants it to be: gentle and comforting or deep and searching. I wanted mine to eradicate that particularly nasty knot way under my shoulder blade. Cynthia, my therapist, found the elusive monster and dissolved it _ no easy feat.

By the time I was thoroughly basted in grapefruit-scented body oil, I was sleeping on the job.

Now came the interesting part: the 25-minute foot reflexology treatment.

Was a particular place on my well-worn dogs supposed to correspond to a …