Travel

The Spotlight on Mick Foley’s 2016 Wrestlemania Dream Vacation

Tom Lynch Travel, Wrestling , , , , , , , , , , ,

Over the past few years one of the cool things to come along with WrestleMania each year is WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley’s WrestleMania Dream Vacation.  These vacations are a heck of an opportunity for any wrestling fan whatsoever but the purpose for the vacation makes it mean that much more.  100% of the proceeds from each Dream Vacation go directly to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).  This is a cause that means a lot to me personally and Mick’s work for them has been extraordinary through the years.  When I saw Mick’s comedy show at Caroline’s back in 2013, he was doing a Meet and Greet and donating all of the money made through merchandise directly to RAINN as well.  Mick has mentioned that last year the dream vacation raised over $400,000 and that the goal of this year’s raffle will be to surpass the half million dollar mark.  I strongly urge everyone to purchase a few raffle tickets, they really aren’t very expensive.  The price per raffle ticket are as follows 5 entries: $10 ($2 each), 10 entries: $15 ($1.50 each), 25 entries: $25 ($1 each), 75 entries: $50 ($0.67 each), 150 entries: $75 ($0.50 each), 400 entries: $100 ($0.25 each), 1000+ entries: ($0.15 each).  The sweepstakes is now officially open and runs until March 15th.  Let’s get into to what you stand to win.

  • Winner and guest will receive round-trip air transportation (this includes two economy-class seats from winner and guest’s closest major U.S. or international city, to an airport within 25 miles of Arlington, TX)
  • Winner and guest will receive round-trip transportation between airport and hotel
  • Winner and guest will receive five nights lodging at the Comfort Suites in Arlington, TX from Thursday, March 31 — Tuesday, April 5, 2016 (single room, double occupancy)
  • Winner will receive $1,000 in spending money
  • Winner will receive an original 20×32 Rob Schamberger piece of art featuring the wrestler of his or her choice
  • Winner and guest will join Mick Foley for dinner
  • Winner will receive two ringside tickets to WrestleMania
  • Winner will receive two tickets to the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
  • Winner will receive two tickets to Monday Night Raw
  • Winner will receive two tickets to WWE AXXESS
  • Winner will receive two tickets to WWE NXT
  • Winner will receive two tickets to WWE Ring of Honor + a meet and greet

Talk about a dream vacation, Mick really has you covered in virtually everything you can thing in a package worth nearly $5,000!  Kudos have to go out to WWE, NXT, ROH and all of the other companies for assisting in putting together such a great package.  In the past I know Mick has continued to add to the package right up until the deadline which has included everything from tickets to Jim Ross’ One Man show, Tickets to Evolve, A Hug from a TNA Knockout and a further trip to Walt Disney World which included a guided tour of the park with Scotty 2 Hotty! Thus, keep checking in to see what else he adds to the package.  If you’d like to purchase tickets for the raffle you can do so right here https://rainn.org/wrestlemania!

The Spotlight On WWE on Thanksgiving

Tom Lynch Travel, Wrestling , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

OK so most of you know by now that WWE used to hold their annual Survivor Series on Thanksgiving Day.  But did you know that the WWE Superstars and Divas once took part in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City?  In 2002 a whole host of WWE Superstars, Divas and announcers took part in the Macy’s Day Parade complete with a state of the art mini ring float (that featured a commentator table, ladder and ring).  Aboard the float for WWE was Vince McMahon, Triple H, The Hurricane Shane Helms, Sergeant Slaughter, Victoria, The Coach, Lillian Garcia and of course JR and The King.  The video is worth a watch if for no other reason than to hear Al Roker’s bad butcher job on Jerry Lawler’s name.  I remember, as a fan, thinking this was the coolest thing ever.  For year’s the Macy’s Day Parade would promote “The Big Red Machine” appearing later in the show and I would hope it would be Kane, of course it was Santa.  Well, in 2002 it was cool to see some representation from a few of my favorites, especially the Hurricane, who was my guy!

Even though this was the only appearance, I can remember, from WWE at the Macy’s Day Parade, there were two appearances at the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade by former WWE Superstar CM Punk.  In 2008, Punk made his first appearance for the parade while one half of the WWE tag team champions.  It’s a cool appearance for Punk, who joked that the CM in CM Punk actually stood for Cookie Monster!

34 Seconds In For Punk

In 2012, while in the midst of his historic 400+ day run as WWE world heavyweight champion, Punk would return to the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, this time as the grand marshall!

With WWE having such a big presence on NBC Universal, it’s surprising that WWE hasn’t returned to the Macy’s Day Parade.  I know I can’t be the only one who would get a kick out of it.

The Spotlight On Disney On Ice: 100 Years Of Magic 

Tom Lynch Entertainment, Reviews, Travel , , , , , , , , , , ,

 This past Wednesday evening, as I mentioned in the daily spotlight blog that day, I was able to check out Disney On Ice: 100 Years Of Magic at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. With the show running the Barclays Center over the weekend and around the US over the next couple of months, I thought it would be fun to give you guys some of the highlights of the show. Without any further ado, let’s get right into it.

Highlights:
1) The Disney Experience In Your Neck of The Woods- I had a chance to chat with one of the ladies on line with her family at the concession stand and she mentioned how her and the family come see Disney On Ice every year. She explained that it’s a bit pricey for the whole family to get down to Florida or California every year and so this is a more affordable way for the family to still get some Disney on their life. I couldn’t agree more! Being as big of a fan of Disney as I am, it really felt that for the two hours that this show was going on that the Barclays Center was transformed into Disney World. There were photo ops, souvenirs, Disney themed desserts and people wearing costumes (Mickey ears and mini princesses were everywhere) filling the lobby of the Barclays Center. On top of that with over 50 classic Disney characters and 14 different stories, you really got a similar Disney experience that you would come to expect at the shows featured in the parks.   2) Fun For The Whole Family- I attended the event with my girlfriend and our 3 year old god daughter and while she enjoyed seeing the princesses and Frozen there was a lot there for my girlfriend and I to enjoy as well. The classic four Disney characters, Donald Duck, Goofy, Minnie and Mickey (where was my boy Pluto by the way?)  act as the narrators of the show and continue to appear in between the different stories to talk about Disney history and to introduce the different characters. From there many of the classic Disney stories from The Little Mermaid to Beauty and the Beast to even Pinocchio get their time to have their story told and we had our chance to feel like a kid in the process (there’s even a segment dedicated to “Its A Small World”). The finale featuring the Lion King is a sight to be seen and features all of the characters in a way that only Disney can do right.
 3) Frozen Fun- That’s right, for I believe possibly the first time ever Frozen is now a part of the “100 years of Magic” show. Not only is it featured but it has the most time dedicated to it with about 30 minutes including all of the classic characters and songs. It is quite the sight to see 16,000+ people at the Barclays Center singing “Let It Go” in unison. I will say that I think if you want to see Frozen included with all of the classics you should go sooner rather than later because Disney is as smart as they come and, if they haven’t done so already, it’s only a matter of time before Frozen gets its own “Disney On Ice”.

Closing Thoughts: 
 Overall this was a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend it to any fan of Disney.  There were definitely a few times where I had to remind myself that the performers were all on skates as they were incredible in how much they could do without a stumble, they were simply flawless. One thing that did surprise me was that there wasn’t a classic character or two available for photos. They did have the classic Disney sets where you can take take a picture with Anna, Cinderella or Mickey & Minnie butt they were all cardboard cutouts. I can tell you that I would have gladly paid for a photo had it been the “real” characters. That’s just a small constructive criticism though because in the end this was definitely worth it and 2 hours flew by and kept our 2 year old goddaughter engaged the whole time. If you’re in the New York City area, Disney On Ice: 100 Years Of Magic runs the Barclays Center through November 16th!

If you have specific questions feel free to leave them in the comment section below or hit me up on twitter @TommyOnTheSpot.

The top 10 Things You Need To Know Before Traveling To Dubai

Tom Lynch Reviews, Travel , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As I write this, I’m actually on a plane coming back from an 8 day, 7 night stay in the United Arab Emirates- Dubai.  If you clicked this article it’s probably because you have some interest in traveling to Dubai yourself and maybe have some questions about heading there.  My goal here is to help answer some of the questions you do have but if I don’t feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at thedailyspotlight2@gmail.com with any questions you may still have.  I’m going to use my experience as your guide and present this as someone going from New York to Dubai because, well, it’s the experience I have but hopefully it will help you wherever you are traveling from.  Now before we get to my actual list, let’s get to some quick basics that you should keep in mind when planning your trip.  For starters, understand that their will be some jet lag,  Dubai is 8 hours ahead of New York so that’s an adjustment.  Unless you’re way better than me you’re not going to hit the group running when you land because your body isn’t able to reset like that.  Likewise you probably want to give yourself a day or two to catch up upon your return.  Next, no your driver isn’t an absolute maniac.  You may take a peak and see that you’re driving speedometer is approaching 100, but fear not, he isn’t driving 100 mph but actually 100 kmph which is equivalent to 60 mph.  Likewise, please don’t bring your winter coat on your trip to Dubai.  It will take up space and you won’t need it despite it being 37 degrees outside.  This is because Dubai measures temperature in degrees Celsius so that 37 degrees is equivalent to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  Finally realize that when you book a place in Dubai, don’t necessarily look for a hotel near the city centre.  This does not mean your hotel will be in the city center where it’s busy but actually a place near the city centre mall.  Hopefully this helped you in someway and if you are planning on visiting Dubai, have a safe trip.    Without any further ado, let’s get right into the list.

1) Safety First-  The reactions I got from people in my home town New York when I told them I was going to Dubai ranged from a plethora of places.  Some people were happy and shared in my excitement over the trip. Yet for every person that was excited, there were an equal number, if not more, that were generally concerned.  I even had best friends or family members who thought I was nuts for traveling to the middle east most of which stemmed from general concern for my well being.  I can’t say I necessarily blame people as for those who don’t know about Dubai immediately equate it to the middle east and who in turn equate it to war or to 9/11.  So which one is it?  Is there cause for concern here?  The answer, pretty simply is no.  Dubai is one of the safest countries in the world and I can tell you that I felt better about taking my girlfriend to some of the clubs in the Dubai after 1AM than I have ever in Manhattan.  Dubai is one of the most luxurious countries in the world and plays host to millions of tourists annually.  I have never felt so welcomed by a country and you can put any fears you have at ease.  Sure there are some things that may make you uncomfortable in the city, like prostitution, but no where near as many as you would see along the Las Vegas strip.

2) The Expense: Behind safety, the number one thing I heard about was how much money I was going to be spending while in Dubai.  Well it’s important to be aware of the money change in Dubai.  One US Dollar is equivalent to 3.67 durhams.  This means that while it may seem like 7 Durhams for a bottle of water is outrageous, the fact is that the bottle of water is equivalent to a little less than 2 dollars USD, not as bad huh?  One of my first nights in Dubai, my girlfriend surprised me by booking us an all day safari tour across the dessert, one of the premier to-do excursions while visiting Dubai.  I asked her how much she spent on the trip and she replied about 400…I about lost my mind, FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS?!?!?! What was my girlfriend thinking?  After I collected myself and checked the receipt, I saw a little box checked off that said $140 USD, again not so bad.  The point is as long as you do your research you can actually get a great meal for $30 or a bottle of water for $.50.  Of course expensive restaurants are still expensive but in what city aren’t they?

3) The Exchange Rate- Keeping on the topic of money, the most important thing you need to do in regards to money in Dubai is to get the best exchange rate.  Having simple knowledge of this is a great way to protect yourself from being ripped off.    Your first instinct is to change your money prior to boarding your plane when you reach JFK.  After all it’s what you know.  The problem with that is this, most exchange stations in all of New York City know that money exchange is a great way to make money because nobody wants to go to a new country without any money.  Thus the exchange rate at JFK when converting from is usually anywhere from 3.0 DHS per USD to 3.2 DHS.  On top of that there is usually a fee that JFK charges in order to do the exchange for you.  If you wait until you cross over into Dubai, however, you’ll be able to get that same exchange in the Dubai airport with no fee for as much as 3.695 DHS per USD.  From there if you need more money throughout your trip I’d suggest attending any mall to do your exchange rather than your hotel because the rates as hotel are typically a little lower in the hotel since your paying for that convenience (ours was 3.45 for example whereas most malls you can get 3.6 DHS per USD easily).  Besides at the end of the day if you don’t have cash in Dubai, you can always use Visa or Mastercard virtually everywhere and your bank usually won’t charge any fee for using the card in Dubai.

4) To Dress Can Be A Stress- Dress code in Dubai is one thing to really think about before heading anywhere in the country and this mostly pertains to women.  The belief in Dubai is that women are sacred and should be protected at all times.  Due to this belief women are expected to be covered up in Dubai.  Hold on, hold on this does not mean that women are expected to wear burkas from head to toe everywhere they go, that’s usually only when visiting mosques (and burkas are provided for the women if they want to visit the mosque).  That said, women are expected not to expose their stomachs, knees and shoulders nor wear any shirts that are low cut, doing so is seen as disrespectful and you likely won’t be allowed into many establishments, including the malls.  While rules are a bit lax for the men, I saw one guy who was on a tour with us be denied entry into some of the more fine and religious establishments because he was wearing a muscle shirt and tank. It’s going to be hot in Dubai but play it safe and cover up. No shoulders, no knees and you’ll be fine!

5) PDA? No Way!- That’s right public displays of affection are really not accepted in Dubai.  This obviously goes for kissing in public which is probably the biggest no-no out there.  While we were at one of the more risque clubs in town there was a man taking photos for the club’s website.  When he approached a couple and asked them to pose, they kissed.  This wasn’t tonsil hockey but more like a simple peck.  It didn’t matter as people everywhere were disgusted.  The man quickly put away his camera and security warned them that this wasn’t allowed.  The same goes for holding hands is public.  If you pass by security in a mall or town they will likely politely ask you to let go of each other’s hands.  This only intensifies when you enter the mosques.  I made the mistake of putting my arm around my girlfriend while posing for a photo and was quickly warned that we had to stand shoulder length apart.  Again, I realize this could be seen as a prehistoric way of thinking but it’s the rules of the country and you should respect it while visiting.  The good news is most hotels do allow men and women to share a room but make sure you check ahead of time because some do require proof of a marriage certificate.

6) Food For Everyone- If classic Arabic cuisine isn’t your cup of tea have no fear.  There are plenty of different types of restaurants throughout the city of Dubai, virtually at every turn.  From chain favorites like California Pizza Kitchen to Chilis to fast food places like McDonalds and KFC to cuisine specific to Italian food or Japanese food, Dubai has it all.

7) If You Like Cocktails, try Mocktails- While smoking cigarettes is accepted at bars and many local establishments (in designated areas), this isn’t really the case when it comes to alcohol.  Dubai law, in particular, states that there is no alcohol consumption allowed in malls which means that if you eat at any of the thousands of restaurants in the malls, you won’t be able to buy alcohol with you meal.  Be careful, most places will still have a drink menu complete with all of your favorites like mojitos, margaritas and even beer but they will all be non alcoholic.

8) Save On Excursions- Tours are a lot of fun and can really add to your experience but, they can also be quite pricey and aren’t all that necessary.  Dubai has a great metro system that is both inexpensive, brand new (having launched in 2009) and is really easy to navigate.  Everything is listed both in Arabic and English throughout Dubai so you can get around on your own.  The Metro even has designatd section in which only women and children are allowed.  Many of the locals in Dubai also speak English and are willing to help if you get a little lost.  As it pertains to the buildings like the Burj Al Arab and Bouj Khalifa, while you have to pay a pretty penny to get into the building for a dinner reservation, you can get great photo ops right outside of the buildings for free either on the public beach, in the case of the Burj Al Arab, and right outside of the Dubai Mall For the Bouj Khalifa.

9) Don’t Expect Local TV and Sports- While OSN has done a great job in offering a variety of packages for most American TV and Sports, most hotels have very limited amount of these channels.  This probably means that your local television favorites will have to be waiting for you on the DVR when you come back home.  Netflix and Hulu are both not available in the UAE and so you’re basically limited to what’s available to both Youtube and Dailymotion.  In regards to sports, baseball is about nonexistent as can be.  If you are in Dubai right now, you would have no idea that the World Series is currently ongoing.  I asked a bartender if there was a place to catch the games and he suggested I try watching a sport whose World Series includes more than two countries. Ouch! Thankfully, however, both the NFL and WWE are available both online and offer free trials to no users.  The NFL’s is free for 7 days but be sure to cancel or you’ll be charged $270.00 thereafter.  WWE Network is available free for one month for new subscribers and is just $9.99 per month after that.

10) Fly With Emirates–  Yes Emirates Airlines is the most expensive way to fly but this is the one time I’m going to tell you to suck up the price.  You’re going to be flying (if you’re going from NY to Dubai) for 14 hours, wouldn’t it be nice to do so with a bit of comfort?  Emirates also pays back for itself on what it offers in terms of complimentary wifi, complimentary meals (usually three per flight and they are hearty four course meals), complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks and, perhaps most important, complimentary bag fees, up to two per person.  Emirates airlines also has a kick ass entertainment system that is complimentary and so expansive offering thousands of choices in games, movies, tv shows and music.  On this flight alone I’ve watched, Ant Man, San Andreas, While We’re Young and Pixels so these are all new movies that won’t be on Netflix for another month.  In the end in booking Emirates as a part of a package on Expedia or Travelocity I was able to do so for only an additional $300 for the two of us and it was more than worth it.

In the end Duba is a a great city and a once in a lifetime experience to visit.  Hopefully this helped you in some way and if you are planning on visiting Dubai, have a safe and enjoyable trip.

The Spotlight On Dean Ambrose at iPlay America

Tom Lynch Reviews, Travel, Wrestling , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A few weeks ago, my girlfriend, her younger brother and I took the 90 minute drive from Queens, New York to Freehold, New Jersey to meet “The Lunatic Fringe” Dean Ambrose.  My girlfriend’s brother’s favorite wrestler is Ambrose and he wanted to originally meet Dean during Summerslam weekend at the Barclays Center but the cost was a little steep at $150 per person.  Thus, I did a little research on the WWE superstars appearances section of WWE.com and saw that Ambrose was signing autgraphs at iplay America for a fraction of the cost at only $50 per person and that included both a photo op and a signed 8 X10.  We also figured that we may be able to turn it into a bit of a day out in Jersey.  Let’s get into a bit of the highlights of the event.

Highlights:

 The iPlay  America Venue and Deal: The way that iPlay set up this event was just fantastic.  The second you approached iPlay America there was a huge Dean Ambrose billboard along the highway that immediately drew you in and also got you excited for the event.  Also included in your price tag for the autograph session was a $10 gift card to redeem at iPlay America the same day.  Iplay is actually a really big place and we ended spending a good amount of time there.  They have a state of the art arcade, lazer tag, a 4D movie (we did the penguin one and it was great), indoor rides, and so much more.  IPlay also had a number of different events going on from hosting a UFC viewing party later that night to hosting a free concert later that week with former American Idol contestant Casey James.  It also is a great place for families and birthday parties for the little ones.  It was really nice to see a venue so open to so many different things and offering deals and promotions to make the exciting experience affordable at the same time.  From Autograph Signing to WWE Event: We’ve all been to those autograph signings that can be a bit of a drag where you stand on line for 2 hours and it’s excruciating.  Then when you get up to meet the WWE superstar you get two seconds to grab your autograph and go.  If the photograph is even an option, it’s often as the talent is signing or you’re leaned over the table awkwardly.  Well I’m happy to say that this was not the case at IPlay America, not at all.  Instead, they made the whole event seem like a really big deal.  It started when you walked into a big arena setup where Dean Ambrose was and immediately you saw big screens everywhere playing Dean Ambrose entrance videos, best of WWE videos, and Dean Ambrose matches (against Bo Dallas, Bray wyatt, Sheamus and more) so that you could enjoy the matches while you waited on line.  From there they were also selling a variety of really unique WWE memorabilia and light up gimmicks at the event.  The highlight for me, however, was that Dean Ambrose was standing in front of a backdrop waiting for a posed photo.  I’ve never seen this at a signing and it was really cool as you got to stand for posed photos with Ambrose. Then, in order to save time, Iplay took a professional photo of you with Ambrose and, after you were finished talking with Dean and getting your picture,you were given the code to download your photo the next day and your signed 8X10.  By having Dean pre sign all of the 8 X 10s and eliminating anyone’s need for their own personal camera, it saved so much time and gave people the chance to just focus on their time with the superstar.  I feel like anyone running a signing should take a page out of iPlay’s book because it was really well done.  As for Ambrose, it was also great that (maybe because WWE had a show in town that night or because he was asked to do this) he was dressed like the Dean Ambrose you see on television and also acted the same way.  I remember one time I met the ultimate Warrior when I was a kid and he was wearing lounge clothes and a baseball cap, it was still cool but also sort of killed his allure.  Ambrose was out and about after the signing, checking out the iPlay America candy shop and walking through the restaurant on site.   It was a great experience but that wasn’t all. IPlay America also had a special guest in attendance as the host of the festivities which leads us too…

 Howard Finkel: If everything I wrote above wasn’t enough, Howard Finkel was on hand as the host of the event.  He hosted “OutThink The Fink” trivia contests for free tickets to the WWE event in Wildwood that night, Dean Ambrose T Shirts and IPlay America gift cards.  Fink would ask fans how long they’d been fans for and from there would ask questions ranging from “What is John cena’s catchphrase?” for kids to “What Sumo Wrestler did the Big Show wrestle at WrestleMania 21?” for lifelong fans.  This kept the fans entertained while on line and gave ambrose an opportunity to meet with some of the fans who paid for a VIP experience.  Howard was then available for a photo op of his own positioned right at the end of Ambrose’s signing and was also included in the price of admission.  I can tell you that Howard Finkel was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.  He seemed genuinely touched by everyone in attendance their to meet him and chatted with everyone for as long as they wanted.  He was also open to taking selfies and signing autographs and even handed out free WWE trading cards to the kids.  A really cool bonus, in a way it was like Dean was there for the new generation of fans an Howard was there for the lifetime fans.  I personally got to reminisce with Howard about meeting him at the Fanfest for WrestleMania 10 when I told him I was afraid of every superstar there and he told me that I didn’t have to be because all of the superstars were told if they weren’t polite they wouldn’t get to wrestle at WrestleMania (protecting the business) which he got a good laugh out of.

Closing Thoughts:  All in all this was one of the best signings that I’ve ever gotten to go to.  I hope Iplay America continues to do events like these and I believe that they will because I did look back at their twitter feed and noticed that some of the superstars they’ve had in the past included Hulk Hogan, Roman Reigns & Daniel Bryan.  Even if their aren’t any WWE superstars their Iplay America is a great place to watch a UFC show and a great day for the whole family.  For more information on Iplay America, check them out at http://www.iplayamerica.com/ .