Hsteacher- you can print out your "boarding pass" after midnight on the day you're leaving now.... You have a better chance of getting an "A" pass this way. No assigned seating, you have to find your own.
You won't have to stand in line to get a pass at the airport now... just check your luggage with the skycap (if possible), and head to the gate. Now you won't get stuck with a B or C boarding pass and have to stand in line and watch the rest of the plane board before you. And you won't have to show up 4 hours ahead of time to get an A pass.
Going to MCO, we had B passes and watched all the preboarders and all the A's board... we did get seats together, but we were pretty far back.... coming home, we had A passes, but the preboarding line was SO long, it was ridiculous, but we were able to get seats together over the wing, which is pretty much where I like to sit.