Miraflores IMAX 3D — Attraction in Ancón

My recent visit to Miraflores IMAX 3D left me feeling utterly underwhelmed and, frankly, misled. Despite the hefty $17 USD price tag (including $10 for IMAX and an additional $7 for watching the canal), the experience fell short in numerous ways.

First and foremost, the content failed to address crucial historical and environmental issues. Instead of delving into the complexities of the region's history, the narrative seemed content with a superficial overview, completely ignoring the displacement of indigenous peoples and the environmental consequences of human activity in the area.

Furthermore, the focus on a marathon history of the canal, narrated by Morgan Freeman, felt like a missed opportunity to explore more nuanced themes. The depiction of Spanish conquistadors subjugating local people without any critical reflection was particularly troubling.

Perhaps most egregious was the complete absence of any discussion on the environmental impact of the creation of an artificial lake, which has confined animals to tiny islands, preventing them from accessing adjacent habitats. In an era of growing environmental awareness, such oversights are simply unacceptable.

Overall, my experience at Miraflores IMAX 3D left me feeling like I had wasted both my time and money. Until they address these glaring issues and provide a more comprehensive and responsible narrative, I cannot recommend this...

The IMAX presentation was okay, as a piece of propaganda narrated by Morgan Freeman. Other than referring to the "genius idea" of damming the Chagres River to create the massive Gatun Lake, they managed to ignore the fact that Gatun Dam flooded an enormous endemic ecosystem and probably numerous indigenous settlements, often found near rivers, in the process. It's the price of getting goodies cheaply from one side of the US to the other, I imagine. I would have loved to see a honest documentary discussing the geopolitical, environmental, and social impact of the canal. Admittedly, the speed and number of audiences that can be funneled through the gift shop would be greatly reduced.

The IMAX is English with Spanish subtitles. I felt somewhat sorry for the young Spanish children who cannot read yet.

If you show up at the Locks before ships start traversing the system, the IMAX is a great way to fill the gap, and a bit of knowledge about how it works adds to the experience.

The really important question on my mind is, will they show the next installment of Dune at this IMAX?...

We went to visit the Panama Canal to see ships pass through, in the afternoon. Please check the times on their website; they're accurate. However, their staff told us several wrong times & had we listened to them, we would have missed ships passing through the canal.

The entrance of the canal & how it operates is amazing. I definitely recommend the IMAX movie with Morgran Freeman narrating. They've put a lot of effort into this. However, one thing that irritated me was for locals its $3, for tourists $17! We felt they were taking full advantage of tourists, if locals only pay $3.

Another issue we encountered was we felt they let too many people in at once for what they provide. The seating area is not ideal due to people standing all around. They regularly had over the speaks asking people not to stand on the stairs - no one listened or cared which was frustrating.

Thankfully, we got up to that area early enough so that we...