I really do love the unbridled feeling that all past Zelda games have offered. I'm the type of gamer who loves to stray from the main quest and do other random things, like run around aimlessly in the mainland. I was really disheartened when I first saw the stamina meter, but then I reasoned with myself that it replenished fairy quickly, and the new dash feature makes up for it since Link can run so fast. X3
I'm really having mixed opinions on this one. When I think about the meter now,
I remember how rolling and Spin Attacks worked in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks -- after three rolls or Spin Attacks, Link would get dizzy. However, the dizziness was only temporary and would wear off pretty quickly. This is how I imagine Skyward Sword's stamina meter to work. If we use too many Spin Attacks during battle, then Link would get tired and it would make us more vulnerable to enemy attacks for a little while, just like in PH and ST. Since it wasn't a problem for me for those two games, I wouldn't see it as a problem for me in SS, either. It's a reminder for us to remember not to use too much of Link's strength.
Concerning the stamina meter depleting while pushing blocks and climbing vines... I don't see those as a problem, either. Whenever you have a block in Zelda, it's usually for some kind of block puzzle. I don't know about you, but whenever I see a puzzle, I'd just stand there and think about it for a little while. Link would push a block to a new location, and then I'd look at the puzzle again and think about what I should do next. In this time, the stamina meter should replenish itself. For the vines, well, I guess I would just have to climb them faster.
The only thing I'm worried about with the stamina meter is running around and rolling. Rolling actually takes a hefty chunk out of the meter... Aww. D:
In the end, I wouldn't say that I like the stamina meter (since I value my unrestricted gameplay), but I also wouldn't say that it would become a problem either. It would be a minor annoyance at the most, sorta like Link's swim meter in The Wind Waker.