Walt Disney once famously said guests will experience Pirates of the Caribbean like a dinner party, hearing snippets of conversations here and there and getting just a piece of the story as they move through it. In turn, Pirates of the Caribbean, which opened in 1967, has become the template for nearly every theme park attraction that has come after it.

A collection of scenes rather than a hardened narrative, Pirates of the Caribbean allows guests to put together the pieces, to wonder about the haunting voices in the cavern, the countless rum-swigging pirates and the sieges and auctions that dot the 15-minute-plus ride.

Los Angeles Times amusement park aficionado Todd Martens brings you a new series, breaking down his favorite amusement park rides in Southern California and pulling the curtain back on how they were made, what they mean to the park and why you cannot miss them.

Todd Martens is a features columnist at the Los Angeles Times who writes about theme parks and West Coast Experiences, among other topics. Martens joined the Los Angeles Times in 2007 and has covered a mix of interactive entertainment as its game critic and pop music as a reporter and editor. Previously, he reported on the music business for Billboard Magazine. Martens has contributed to numerous books, including "The Big Lebowski: An Illustrated, Annotated History of the Greatest Cult Film of All Time." He continues to torture himself by rooting for the Chicago Cubs and, while he likes dogs, he is more of a cat person.