As someone that somewhat agrees with the OP, I wanted to throw in my 2 cents, although is seems from previous responses we are vastly outnumbered
I was also disappointed watching the preview video and seeing what the experience will actually be. Yes, I knew that it was to be an enhanced Meet & Greet and not an actual attraction or ride. I had no knowledge of what the prior Storytime with Belle was like, so I had no expectations based on that. I guess in my head I pictured something like Belle and the animatronic Lumiere going back and forth telling the BatB story with maybe some added effects in the room like in Ollivander's at WWoHP. Not watching toddlers put on a school play with cheap cardboard props.
My girlfriend is a HUGE BatB fan, and her reaction after watching the video was "Lumiere looks amazing but there appears to be a lot of kid-centric rigamarole to go through. They have the kids put on some kind of play?? Ugh. It looks dumb. Why can't they set it up so that everyone can easily check out the cool stuff while the kids do their stuff in another room?"
We would both love to check out the queue and Lumiere but have no interest in watching other people's kids putting on a play. This to me makes me think of the difference between Turtle Talk with Crush and Jedi Training Acedemy. I've been to Turtle Talk a few times and although I didn't get to ask a question (because I'm not a kid) and I have no kids of my own, it was still entertaining. Different questions (usually) get asked each time, there can be some funny questions and answers. Watching JTA is incredibly boring if it's not your kid up there, it's basically an excuse for your kid to go up and "fight" Vader for 4 seconds before being ushered off stage for the next kid to come up. Fun if you're the kid doing it, and a great photo op if you're the kid's parent. But not exactly great entertainment for everyone else.
And no, it's not like we're saying you CAN'T have attractions aimed at the younger folks, it just, to me, seemed like this would be an example of a good one that you could have still made appealing to all ages, instead of focusing on the very young, and their parents. It made me think of Hoop-Dee-Doo and how the people they pull out of the crowd are all ages. You would think they'd look for the biggest burliest guy in the room the play Beast. Out in DCA there's a Wilderness Explorers show that's a lead in to the Meet & Greet with Russell, and although it's obviously aimed at kids, they do a great job of making it entertaining for all ages, and the camp counselor running the show will even call out the adults in the back that are not participating.
Whenever something like this comes up, I always see people trot out the tired old argument of how kids can't go on the 40" height restriction thrill rides. I don't think that's a valid argument because you are forgetting, some day that kid WILL be 40" and WILL be able to ride that attraction. So the kids will have enjoyed the kids only rides AND grown up to enjoy those rides. It's not like adults will ever get to do the opposite. That's why I personally prefer stuff like Dumbo or the Storybookland Canal Boats, rides that are aimed at the younger set but can also be enjoyed by adults as well.
