I will first start with the Blood Elves. I started a Blood Elf female Warlock and will make one when the expansion is released unlike 75% of people who will make a Blood Elf Paladin. Yes I have seen many many many Blood Elf Paladins in the Beta so far.
The starting area is nicely spread out with several areas to kill quest mobs instead of one area or two small areas like in the old starter areas. There are a few new mobs but many are just old ones with new skins.
As you go from the starting level 1-5 area you will have an almost overload of quests. There is no shortage of quests and this goes double as you go into the level 10-20 zone Ghostwood.
Ghostwood is, I think, the best zone in the game. It looks like Duskwood or Felwood on crack. The mobs in this zone are a tad hard for their level but they might be tweaked down a bit before the game is released.