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“It’s Alive! It’s Alive!”

That iconic quote from the 1931 film adaptation of “Frankenstein” ushered in an era of classic monster movies for Universal Pictures. Now, almost 100 years later, it’s helping Universal herald a new era of theme parks in Florida.

Ahead of its grand opening on May 22, the Miami Herald recently got an early preview of Universal Epic Universe, the company’s third theme park in the Sunshine State — fourth if you count Volcano Bay water park — and the first major park in the Orlando area in 26 years, when Universal’s Islands of Adventure opened its gates.

Located about five miles southeast of the existing Universal Orlando Resort, the new complex — which NBCUniversal spent about $7 billion to create, according to the New York Times — includes Epic Universe, as well as three hotels. And there’s plenty of expansion space for future additions.

During the preview, we got to explore all five of Epic Universe’s fantastic worlds, which are entered through tunnel-like portals inscribed with memorable quotes from the corresponding franchises:

So what can you expect to experience when the park officially opens? Here’s an inside look:

Epic Universe has 11 rides, and three are showstoppers that rank among the best attractions in Florida:

Beyond rides, Epic Universe provides a surprising amount of interactive elements and experiences that were first teased in the existing Harry Potter lands in their two previous Florida parks. Casting spells with new second generation wands ($85 each) trigger all sorts of “how did they do that?” effects in the windows and shops of 1920s Paris in the Ministry of Magic world, including floating feathers, talking portraits, and mystical creatures emerging.

In Isle of Berk, guests learn how to pet a dragon, as they meet with human viking Hiccup and his dragon buddy Toothless. The convincingly lifelike dragon blinked, smiled and moved its head in reaction to each person’s touch. Elsewhere in the world, a robotic dragon blasted passersby with an icy blast, and a baby animatronic dragon hopped with and reacted to a small girl, much to her delight.

And in Super Nintendo World, guests with Power-Up Bands ($42) can hit the familiar question-mark boxes of the Mario universe, track their Mario Kart score and play drums like Donkey Kong to unveil hidden effects and Easter eggs.

Each world in Epic Universe is overflowing with themed food and drink items.

Mushrooms are appropriately a staple of the Super Nintendo World menus. In Dark Universe, Das Stakehaus serves a “blood orange” chicken sandwich with black buns and a grisly red sauce. And the nearby Burning Blade Tavern is a monster hunters’ hangout, complete with the severed heads of creatures behind the bar and a giant windmill outside that periodically catches fire.

In Celestial Park you can grab unique pies at the kitschy Pizza Moon, which recalls Jules Verne’s stories about fantastical trips into space, or exotic cocktails at Celestiki, an outdoor bar billed as an outpost of Universal’s Volcano Bay water park. But the grandest option is Atlantic, a waterside, seafood-centric, fine-dining location with a mostly glass exterior that looks like a giant aquarium.

Will your kids love Epic Universe? It depends how old (and how tall) they are. Nine out of the 11 rides have a height requirement (ranging from 34 inches for Yoshi’s Adventure in Nintendo World to 48 inches for multiple rides, including Stardust Racers and Monsters Unchained), and the remaining two attractions require a supervising companion for riders under four feet tall.

Besides the luxurious Constellation Carousel, the dragons-themed Fyre Drill water ride and Yoshi, there’s not much for children under 40 inches, and especially not for infants or toddlers. But there’s plenty to enjoy for elementary-aged kids and older.

Epic Universe is paired with three new hotels, bringing Universal Orlando’s total to 11, all of which Universal runs in partnership with Loews Hotels. Twin budget-friendly options Stella Nova Resort and Terra Luna Resort are already open and offer space and discovery themes with pools, bars and quick-service dining options.

The signature hotel, Universal Helios Grand Hotel, bookends Epic Universe and offers a dedicated entry for its guests into the park. It officially opens with the park on May 22, but an early preview of the resort offered an up-close look at the enormous statue of Apollo (god of the sun) that sit at the edge of the hotel and the theme park, an elevator mural that magically animates into a story about the transition between day and night, and a constellation-adorned rooftop bar providing unparalleled views of the park below.

Universal warned that during the early preview, attractions would be in technical rehearsals and that downtime should be expected. But during our visit, all rides and shows seemed to be operating smoothly, with no obvious problems.

One of the few overall downsides of Epic Universe was the lack of shade. Celestial Park, with its wide stretches of concrete pathways, and Isle of Berk, with its meandering walkways and uncovered queues, were both particularly hot under the blazing Florida sun. As the freshly planted trees begin to grow around the park, that should hopefully mitigate the issue.

One-day tickets to enjoy Epic Universe start at $139 for guests 10 and older and $134 for children between the ages of 3 and 9. Tickets are also available in various multi-day configurations that include admission to Universal Orlando’s other parks.

This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 5:00 AM.

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April 10, 2025 6:34 AM

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April 7, 2025 2:49 PM

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Miami Herald

305-376-3488

Adrian Ruhi is the Audience Development Editor for the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald. He’s a University of Florida graduate and lifelong Miamian, and has been at the Herald since 2008.

Alabama landed some guard help from the transfer portal Sunday. The Crimson Tide picked up a commitment from Miami (FL) guard Jalil Bethea, adding a third player from the portal to its 2025-26 roster.

Bethea picked Alabama over Kansas State, NC State and a return to Miami. Last season with the Hurricanes, he appeared in 31 games with 16 starts and averaged 7.1 points on splits of 36.8% from the field, 32.6% from 3 and 82% from the free throw line. He also grabbed 2.1 rebounds and dished out 1.2 assists per game.

Miami landed Bethea as a highly rated prospect in the Class of 2024. He was a five-star recruit, ranked as the No. 7 overall player and the No. 5 shooting guard. Though he didn’t have a high-volume scoring season, Bethea’s minutes increased as the last campaign continued. He also went through a coaching change midway through his first college season after Jim Larrañaga, who coached the Hurricanes for 13 seasons, retired on Dec. 26.

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Bethea’s commitment comes one day after four members of last year’s Alabama team announced they would be returning, including a trio of guards. Bethea will join a backcourt that will include veterans Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Houston Mallette along with sophomore Aden Holloway. Freshman guard Labaron Philon has yet to announce his plans for next season.

Alabama has now landed three players in the transfer portal in Bethea, Bucknell center Noah Williamson and Florida State forward Taylor Bol Bowen. Two players from last year's Alabama team have entered the portal — sophomore forward Mouhamed Dioubate and freshman Naas Cunningham.

The addition of Bethea would leave Alabama with zero available scholarship spots under the current NCAA rules, which allows for 13 scholarship players. A proposal to expand rosters to 15 is in the works, though it's unlikely Alabama will use all 15 spots.

Here’s Alabama’s projected 2025-26 roster and eligibility tracker as of April 6.

1. Davion Hannah — 4 years

2. London Jemison — 4 years

3. Amari Allen — 4 years

4. Jalil Bethea — 3 years

5. Labaron Philon — 3 years

6. Aiden Sherrell — 3 years

7. Derrion Reid — 3 years

8. Aden Holloway — 2 years

9. Taylor Bol Bowen — 2 years

10. Jarin Stevenson — 2 years

11. Noah Williamson — 1 year

12. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. — 1 year

13. Houston Mallette — 1 year

Carson Beck has impressed a lot of people in Miami without even practicing on the field yet.

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Former Georgia football quarterback Carson Beck has been in Miami for almost three months now since announcing his decision to transfer to the Hurricanes. This decision was shocking at first, but three months is a long time in college football, so most fans are used to Beck being a Hurricane now.

A lot of Georgia fans however are curious with how Beck is doing in Miami, even though many have a bad taste in their mouth from his decision. Thankfully Miami head coach Mario Cristobal shared some updates on how Beck is doing, including how impressed he has been with Beck's football IQ.

“I’m excited being around him because of his level of football IQ, the way he understands the game, just a natural presence about him,” Cristobal shared via caneswarning.com. “In this sport, you’ve gotta take as many mental reps as you possibly can.”

Cristobal also discussed how great of a teammate Beck has been so far in Miami as well.

“It comes in the form of meetings, on the chalkboard and walkthroughs, during the course of practice, being behind the quarterbacks, getting every signal, communicating, verbalizing, making sure he is going through his audibles,” Cristobal continued. “Any check, any adjustment, protections, meeting with the offensive line coach, meeting with the coordinator at length daily.”

This sounds like a new Carson Beck

Beck is yet to become a participant on the field as he is still recovering from his injury he suffered in the SEC Championship game, but Cristobal did share his recovery is "ahead of schedule." But that hasn't stopped Beck from making an impact with the program both with his intelligence and as a teammate.

Every Georgia fan will agree that Beck is very smart when it comes to football, but some people might question these comments about Beck as a teammate. Beck never really gave off the impression of being a great leader during his time in Athens, especially after he was injured and never offered his help during the team's College Football Playoff preparations.

But maybe Beck has changed. Maybe he is a great teammate now and this just speaks to why he decided to leave Georgia in the first place.

Regardless, Beck seems to be fitting in well at Miami which is all any Miami fans and personnel could have hoped for.

Home/Georgia Football

The Miami Hurricanes are now heading into the 2025 season with sky-high expectations. Their new star quarterback, Carson Beck, is definitely taking the center of it all. After transferring from Georgia, Beck brought some experience to the team. But will his arrival be enough to guide the Hurricanes back to ACC supremacy?

2025 Miami (FL) Opponents

Here’s a complete look at the teams Miami will face in 2025:

With a grueling schedule packed with marquee matchups, the path to glory won’t be easy, but it will surely be thrilling.

According to their record, the Hurricanes will waste no time jumping into the fire. They are preparing to open the season at home against Notre Dame on Aug. 31. This game will be crucial for Miami’s playoff aspirations. It will also check Beck’s ability to lead under pressure. The Fighting Irish will set the tone for the rest of the season if they clinch the victory.

Following that, Miami will get a slight breather with Bethune-Cookman (Sept. 6) and USF (Sept. 13). But they’ll need to be sharp because a massive showdown looms on Sept. 20 when the Florida Gators come to town. The in-state rivalry always brought dra; this year’s clash will have national implications.

After the battle with Florida, Miami gets a week off before traveling to Florida State on Oct. 4. This game is circled on every Miami fan’s calendar. The Seminoles are also looking to reclaim dominance. And if they win, the team will pose a massive test for Beck and company in a hostile Tallahassee environment.

Miami then returns home for a pair of key ACC games: Louisville (Oct. 17) and Stanford (Oct. 25). While Stanford is a non-conference opponent, the Hurricanes can’t afford to overlook them.

On November 1, Miami will be traveling to face SMU. Looking at their record, this team has been dangerous at home. Then, it’s back to Hard Rock Stadium to take on Syracuse (Nov. 8) and NC State (Nov. 15). These games will be crucial, especially in solidifying Miami’s position in the ACC standings.

The final two games could make or break Miami’s season. On Nov. 22, they will travel to Virginia Tech, then close out the regular season on Nov. 29 at Pittsburgh. If the Hurricanes are in contention for an ACC Championship or a College Football Playoff spot, these games will be must-win battles.

Carson Beck didn’t come to Miami to be average; he came to win. He had a strong career at Georgia. That’s where he led the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship and an Orange Bowl victory.

Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson is excited about Beck’s arrival, saying:

“Carson’s leadership and ability to make plays under pressure will be invaluable for us this season.”

Teammates are also raving about Beck’s presence. Star receiver Xavier Restrepo stated:

“He’s a guy who commands the huddle. He’s confident, and that’s exactly what we need to take that next step.”

Analysts agree that Beck could be the catalyst for Miami’s resurgence. Paul Finebaum even predicted:

“Miami finally has the quarterback they’ve been missing. If they put it all together, this team could be a legitimate playoff contender.”

The 2025 season is pivotal for Miami football. With a demanding schedule, the Hurricanes have all the pieces to make a serious run at the ACC Championship. With Carson Beck leading the charge, it is even possible to get a college football playoff spot.

KEEP READING: History of the Miami Hurricanes Mascot

One thing’s for sure—this season will be one for the books. Miami fans, buckle up. It’s going to be a wild ride.

College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!

Savor spring’s flavor at Catch & Cut, a seafood and steak-focused fine-dining restaurant helmed by Managing Partner and Executive Chef André Bienvenu. Known for its exceptional seafood, premium stone crabs, sushi and USDA prime steaks from Allen Brothers, Catch & Cut is extending its Easter and Mother’s Day hours by opening early at 12 p.m. to offer brunch.

Easter Brunch | Sunday, April 20, at 12 p.m.

Hop on over to Catch & Cut for Easter Brunch. Catch & Cut will be open early at 12 p.m., serving its regular menu as well as special brunch items.

Chef Bienvenu will be serving up an exceptional selection of fresh seafood, signature dishes and seasonal specialties to make the holiday extra special. Gather with family and friends, soak in the inviting ambiance, and indulge in a meal that captures the essence of the season.

Mother’s Day Brunch:| Sunday, May 11, at 12 p.m.

This Mother’s Day, create memories with mom or mother figures with an unforgettable dining experience at Catch & Cut. Opening its doors early at 12 p.m., Catch & Cut will serve up fresh, flavorful seafood and chef-curated specialties in a warm and inviting setting.

Whether it’s a long, leisurely lunch or a special toast to mom, Catch & Cut will make sure the day is as special as she is. All moms will receive a complimentary glass of champagne to celebrate their day.

In addition to Catch & Cut’s signature menu, Easter and Mother’s Day brunch specials include:

Catch & Cut is also introducing a new cocktail menu, curated by Beverage Manager Joe Vesey, to complement the brunch offerings. Featured cocktails include:

Certified Sommeliers Stephan Cole and Natina Rocchio curated an extensive fine wine list to complement the culinary offerings. The full wine list will be available during the extended hours.

To make a reservation, please visit https://catchandcut.com/reservations.

Catch & Cut

1309 E. Las Olas Boulevard

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301