I am the same. I guess for me, the characters are what makes it magical. Some of those CM's really make your trip special.
Not to overshare - but one year my daughter dressed up as Jasmine for CRT. Jasmine wasn't there. She cried, and cried. Belle saw, came over, consoled her and together they wrote a note to Jasmine - which Belle promised to give to Jasmine when she saw her later. A few years later we went back to CRT and Jasmine was there - when she came to our table my daughter gushed about dressing up, crying, the note with Belle - and that CM didn't miss a beat. . .telling her that she still had that note among her treasures, and how she had been looking for her ever since - and how happy she was to find see her, look how tall she got, etc.. Again, TMI - but,. . . .that is what makes my family go back. The rides are great, the food is often wonderful, the resort beautiful - but it is characters that make it different. And it is building memories like that, that makes me give Disney my paycheck.