3. Main Street Bakery

The most recently departed entry on this list, the Main Street Bakery closed in 2012 to make way for – what else? – a Starbucks. Now, I'm not about to rant about how, in forging this corporate partnership, Disney has somehow lost its way. In fact, corporate partnerships and third-party retail is as classic Disney as Snow White and the Carousel of Progress.

I quite like Starbucks. It's not the best coffee in the world, but it's perfectly OK, and there is something comforting and familiar about being able to order my preferred beverage in one of my favorite places in the world.

However, Disney is about nostalgia, and if you were raised on the traditional Main Street Bakery, it's hard not to walk inside and feel a bit disappointed by what you see.

And even beyond the more intangible things that have changed, the biggest thing that has gone by the wayside is, ironically, the baked goods. Now, the menu is essentially just a slightly expanded version of the traditional Starbucks offerings which, all things considered, aren't as exciting as the treats we know Disney can concoct.

Ultimately, it's hard to fault anyone who looks at Main Street USA, complete with its turn-of-the-century charm, and feels a bit caught up in the past. For those of us who saw it, that includes the pre-Starbucks Main Street Bakery. Oh to take one more stroll in there...

2. The Empress Lilly

Though the riverboat structure is still in place at Disney Springs, it really is a shadow of what it was in the heyday of the Empress Lilly. Fulton's Crab House is an acceptable eatery, but it lacks the glamor of the original inhabitant of the iconic paddlesteamer.

Opened in 1977, the Empress Lilly had a unique floorplan that made it, essentially, several restaurants in one. It was separated into different dining rooms, each specializing in a different type of cuisine. Additionally, there was a jazz bar on board, offering even more atmosphere and social flavor.

The multiple-dining-room layout made the entire venue feel like an actual Mississippi River cruiser, complete with the 19th century elegance you'd expect from such a ship. It had an abundance of story and fantastic cuisine – a perfect combination for a night out.

In 1995, the ship closed for a massive remodeling, losing the iconic paddlewheel and becoming the modern mainstay Fulton's Crab House. And yet, to most retro Disney fans, it'll always be the Empress Lilly – and we'll all want to have one more memorable meal there.

1. The Odyssey

It might seem odd, but the Odyssey building at Epcot is a strangely popular topic in Disney fan circles. Essentially, what Boba Fett is to Star Wars, the Odyssey is to Epcot: Neither did much that could really be considered notable, both had rather ignominious endings, and their hold on the fan community is so strong that fans can't seem to stop imagining new ways to use them.

The Odyssey as a restaurant could not have been more milquetoast. It served the generic theme park food that every other Disney restaurant served: burgers, hot dogs, etc. Its entertainment wasn't all that grand either, consisting of some casual live music in the early years and a Chuck-E-Cheese-style stage show later on.

So, then, why do people care? And why is it on the top of this list?

I think what we all find so fascinating about the Odyssey is simply that it's there. Its building is just phenomenally interesting, and it's hard not to kind of stare at it as you walk past. Its location makes it seem like it should house something important – it sits on the threshold of Future World and the World Showcase – and yet, today, it's really just a bathroom and event space. And, ultimately, it looks like it would be a cool place to hang out.

The restaurant closed in 1994 and, unlike the other spots on this list, has never reopened again – not even as a different restaurant altogether. And so, I think, it's the mystery that draws us to it. I don't want to eat there because the food sounds particularly good or anything like that – I want to eat there just to say I could. It's one thing to have a greasy burger, but to do it while sitting inside a piece of original, classic Epcot would be on another level. Like everything else at Disney, it's about nostalgia. Who cares that the food isn't great? If I wanted good Disney food, I surely wouldn't need a time machine to get it.