It depends. Certainly character meals aren't for everyone. But we've found most of them to be quite enjoyable. Dinner at 1900 Park Fare and breakfast at 'Ohana being a couple of our favorites. In some cases, you get unique interactions with the characters that you don't get (or not so much) in the parks. At 1900 Park Fare, for instance, the step sisters are a riot and completely worth the visit. (Their schtick is a bit toned down when we've seen them in the parks.)
As for price, I'll certainly agree that character meals are typically one of the most expensive meals you can have in Disney. That said, when it's rolled into a dining plan, you hardly notice...and, in fact, it's one of the best bargains you can get for a meal credit.
But again, to each their own. We enjoy the character meals. If someone else doesn't, then it just means we'll have an easier time snagging that ADR.