i really dont get the appeal of disney films, so why do soo many people watch them?

I don't like them particularly. I did like some of the films, Beauty and the Beast for example. Hated The Little Mermaid because it was such a crappy and watered down story compared to the original. Alice in Wonderland also didn't come anywhere near the book. Pretty much always disliked the various series.

Can't say Disney has some eternal appeal on me, I have rewatched some of the films with my niece and I didn't find them that special. Though on animation level they are very well done, with plenty of unique move frames. They are also pretty much the only animations where in-film songs don't irritate the hell out of me.

DId you grow up watching their animated classics or 3-D films?

My age is in my profile, the answer should be obvious.

edit: though I spent my childhood around Europe a fair bit and Disney wasn't always part of the daily cartoons. In particular I watched quite a few French and Czech animations, as well as anime (only later found out it was Japanese).

The emotion in the original disney films were intense.. but the past 10 years hasnt been good for disney when it comes to that emotional connection..

movies im talking about that are emotionally amazing are:

Pocahontas
The hunch back of notredame
Lion King
Pinocchio
etc..

Kingdom hearts is a god like game for me thanks to its disney connection, bringing back the old disney

classics, bored me when i was young, bore me now, really dont see the fuss at all.

My bad, I meant the OP.  Leo-J really hit it on the nail.  Most of the newer films just don't have that emotional connection anymore.  I remember when I was in 6th grade looking the Lion King on a class field trip.  A few people, including myself, actually got teary eyes when Mufasa died. 

I also love the sountracks to the movies.

Because (and it's been a while since I've seen some of them) they used to produce some epic family friendly movies. Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, Hunchback of Notre Dame = Awesome, awesome, awesome, and awesome. Disney used to put a lot of work into their storylines, animation, and overall quality. If you wanted a guaranteed good time, all you had to do was see a Disney movie. Those days are long gone, now. At least they teamed up with Pixar. Now, it's Pixar that can do no wrong.

For me, I loved Epcot Center.

i didnt find them emotionally intense, certainly they try to be, but i didnt really get that from any of them.

some of the anime ive watched has illicited an emotional response from me, but never a disney film.