Help me plan: My first intake swap ... EVER.

You betcha' as long as the last guy in there put the distributor drive gear in the correct place. LOL (nothing is simple is it)
I index to number one TDC if I pull the distributor but just out of habit in case I have a screw up, But as trailbeast has noted, if you don’t have to turn the over while the distributor is out and you mark the rotor position, you can just drop it in like it was with zero problems.