Welcome to Flyertalk.
I don't think the wheels up and wheels down really matter much at all. We have all been sitting someplace for an hour or more after we left the gate, and we all have landed but waited to get to a gate.
The Wheels up and wheels down don't matter to passengers at all, they want to know (for the most part) how long they will be stuck in the metal tube, which chocks (or blocks in some areas) gives them.