Same here man. Took me freaking forever to figure out what to do in the beginning. The three-day cycle is just part of what makes it so good though. It wouldn't be the same without it.
I'd definitely say so. Ocarina of Time pretty much shaped the way Zelda games are and it was a great standalone game. Majora's Mask is also top-tier, you're not gonna find emotion and atmosphere like that everyday.