I'll admit I didn't like WW when I first saw it. Thought it looked childish, probably because I was still a kid at the time. Then I actually played the game (got it with my used Gamecube among other games) and absolutely loved it. Even still, I was looking forward to a more realistic Zelda in the future, because everything was getting more realistic and "adult" at the time. People basically just wanted a next-gen OoT. In their eyes, Wind Waker's cartoony visuals prevented a more serious, adult tone. Everyone was ecstatic when the Twilight Princess teaser happened, because it was exactly what they were hoping for.
I think fans are more open-minded now, but it's still a process.