Naturally people are scared off by World of Warcraft because of its cult-like following and addictive nature, so I understand if nobody even dares try it out, but I do think Blizzard did something right with this expansion.
First off, they've already completed the necessary evil for this expansion: Cataclysm. Cataclysm solved a lot of the problems with quests they had created at launch, and allowed them to apply what they have learned into something more palatable for players. It also allowed for flying mounts in that section of the world, and they found the pros and cons to being able to randomly search for raid dungeons. They also further experimented with "vehicle" quests and expanded on them, though they still felt entirely clunky, and didn't improve much on those that came from Wrath of the Lich King.
Mists of Pandaria learns from many of the mistakes of past expansions. Dungeons are fun and engaging, without being overly challenging for the general populous (I do miss Cata's challenge in heroics in the initial launch) and does so without making everything a simple "tank and spank." For example, there is an entire dungeon that takes place in a brewery where you fight "alementals" and get to fight a boss that allows for a double jump function to avoid his attacks, and get to beat up partying monkeys and an infestation of small rabbit men.
Exploration is heavily encouraged. I've gone into three different areas where I said to myself, "What's over there?" to be rewarded with lots of gold just waiting for me, and even a rare mob (that jumped out of the shadows and rolled my shit, but had mechanics where I could return and pull out a win) which dropped rare loot and materials. The landscapes are beautifully crafted, and it seems they've truly found their style with well-painted textures.
For me, I decided to create a monk, which started out a bit slow, but since Cataclysm was over, allowed for me to explore a whole new world. With the newly crafted quests, and a new class to play, it was a perfect storm, and I'm already lvl87.
To sum it up, I had LOW expectations, and I had initially regretted my purchase, thinking, "Well, I'm just going to quit after two weeks anyway." I stand corrected. It has a proper mix of humor and seriousness (I've actually been caught laughing out loud to some of these quests), and they've really cleaned up on "vehicle" quests (I particularly enjoyed one where I played a sniper guarding a monkey) as well as small - but necessary and helpful - interface enhancements that make me feel like I'm playing a more polished game.
Not trying to advertise or convince anybody, just putting my thoughts down. I was pleasantly surprised.
