Agreed, the first time I saw Orgrimaar in-game I was blown away.

Diddo.....was following a high level friend thru mulgor, the barens and then into org picking up flight plans as we went. He showed me the bank, the AH, the trainers and then up to the Flight master. By the time I got the flight plan I didn't know which way was up!! I didn't even know where the entrance was (look to you left dummy). It was a total mind blow with what they could do with a game!

To elaborate, because I wanted to get my post in early: I remember my first character, which is still my main today. I had finished the valley of trials and didn't know where to find sen'jin village. My friend who had gotten me into WoW had only played night-elves before, and so was as lost as me. We figured if we followed the road, we'd find Sen'jin. We ran down the road, and jumped off as two orcs barreled past on worgs. I decided I wanted a worg, and would buy one as soon as I could (this was around patch 1.1, so all you veterans can shudder in unison with me at the old cost of riding).

We reached razor hill, and I was impressed at the inn and the barracks and the watchtower on the ridge, but I could tell this was an orc village, and the quest said sen'jin was for trolls. We dropped off a package a peon had sent us with, and y friend decided to stick around and get training for his warrior. I decided to explore down the canyon. I ran down it, at one point fleeing for my life from harpies (I learned to jump-shot by necessity at this point). I got to the end, and before me was a MASSIVE wall. I wondered what that could be. I walked to it, and it just kept getting bigger the closer I got, until I walked in. As I went through portcullis after portcullis, heard the beating of drums, and then a dull blare of deep brass as I turned the corner and saw the fires, the spires, the cliff walls, the huge buildings, and the bustling players. I walked up to an orc in shiny, spiky armor, and tried to ask him for directions. I was informed that he was High Overlord Saurfang, and this was Orgrimmar. I still remember getting a chill down my spine as I reached the bank, spun around, and realized just how MUCH there was here. Then I saw the paths running off to the right, and realized there was MORE. I remember calling my friend, and telling him, in my 14-year-old voice, 'Dude, you gotta come see this place.'

A similar story...

On a trial account, I remember (as a wee night elf warrior) trying to take the boat from Rut'theran Village to "wherever this north dock goes to." There was a loading screen... and suddenly I appeared back on the dock in Rut'theran with the message that I would have to have the Burning Crusade expansion to go there. This piqued my interest, so I immediately obtained the BC trial. As I came off the dock on Azuremyst Isle, I stumbled into the doorway of the Exodar. Walking down that ramp was all it took... I rushed to the store and bought both Vanilla and BC. The Exodar has been my home ever since.

As I've said in comments past: "It is the most visually stunning [city], has trainers for most everything, has a great location for most everything if you can take the few minutes needed to learn your way around, is on the less faulty BC servers... and best of all, there is hardly anyone ever there. I have yet to see a train or piccolo at work in the Exodar AH." No lag, never been bothered for gold, never had to put up with silly conversations in /say or emotes from the "interesting" folk one meets on the Internet.