While reading the OP's post I was thinking your thoughts!!! GREAT, and I mean GREAT show they had put on with that "ride".
Link to watch the full show:
Disney got me started on my fixation with theme parks, but in all honesty, Terminator is the absolute best attraction of any I have been too. It had more special effects than anything I had ever seen and it was years ago that it was built. I miss that one more than any other attraction in any theme park that I have seen. I went to that first every time I went to Universal and really feel that it was a shame that they ended it, but if you noticed the size of the cast of that show, it is obvious that it was an expensive attraction to keep in operation. Disney isn't the only one that worries about expenses. It had animatronics, 3D movie, live actors and even the seats moved with every blast. And I never saw, to this day, any Terminator movies so it is easy to see that done properly, knowing the back story is not necessary at all.