If the RTC is working, set, and you're using it, there's no wait at all.
You'll know it's not working when the RTC is suddenly way off when starting up after the mount has been turned off. It was obvious when it happened to me after the battery died.
All true Skip, I just prefer the GPS to do the data entry. I found the hand controller to be clunky, and as I now see, the RTC was likely not working for me anyway, as I was always needing to enter the info for every session. The GPS also has the added benefit of auto entry if I take the scope to a remote site. With GPS, the mount always knows where it is at.
But to your point... if the RTC is working properly, the GPS is a bit of a "luxury"...
Good hunting!
CB