New Terminator 2 3D Preshow Debuts at Universal Studios Florida (with Video)

Terminator 2 3D is one of the oldest attractions remaining at Universal Studios Florida (right behind opening-day survivors E.T. and Horror Makeup Show) and rumors have swirled for years that the aging show would soon see its demise. But over Thanksgiving Week, Universal quietly debuted a new Terminator 2 3D preshow film, implying that T2/3D may be around for a few more years to come.

The new preshow video recycles portions of the original script, updating some of the technical jargon and including a brief reference to the “Genisys” operating system from the latest Terminator film. Most of the video footage is also reused, but it has been remastered in high definition and enhanced with digital special effects. A few memorably dated moments — grandma watching “Murder, She Wrote” and Shaq sinking a free-throw — are gone, and the the whole Terminator 2 3D preshow feels a little tighter. It is interesting to note how forward-thinking many of the elements from the original version were, since they are still relevant today.

Once past the preshow, guest experience the same Terminator 2 3D main presentation as before. The projectors are still film-based and use polarized 3D, unlike the dichroic 4K digital systems in Gringotts and Transformers. I’m hearing whispers of a plan to overhaul the attraction in the future, potentially removing Linda Hamilton and Eddie Furlong’s performances. Until then, if you haven’t seen T2/3D in a while, the new preshow is reason to say “I’ll be back!”