Most of the countries at WS already have character meet and greets and offer kid's activities during the day... how much more do we really need in the way of "kid friendly" attractions out there? Many enjoy going to WS for the environment it provides... turning it into an international version of the Magic Kingdom during the day would only force people to pay the upcharge to be able to enjoy the wind down event (to be able to enjoy a more adult-centered WS) because, let's face it, that's not going anywhere anytime soon. Even if they did do away with the wind downs and make late nights at WS more flexible, if we're only talking from dusk until midnight, in the summer that's about three hours, which is hardly enough time to fully take in all of WS if one is wanting to take their time.
I do think that there could be more in the way of attractions in WS... dark rides, boat rides, whatever... but I don't feel like they need to include references to characters in order to be successful or to capture the interest of children.