Yes! There was a lot more time – a whole day-- on campus. At the school ultimately chosen, we had access to pretty much everyone. Questions that we may have hesitated to ask earlier in the process were now fair game.
Nothing is ever exactly like you think it will be, but overall, yes, the experience matched up pretty well. I think DS could have been better served by his advisor, but that was unfortunate luck of the draw (and DS liked said advisor), and there were a handful of situations that could have been handled differently. But that seems almost inevitable over 4 years.
DS was very well prepared for college, not just academically but also in terms of how to engage with a community. And now, almost 8 years out, he still has close friends from BS, and they make a point of getting together.