Do these lucid dreams actually feel like something like reality, or is it a deja vu type of thing, where you just remember them as feeling like reality?

From what I've read a high level lucid dream is like being completely conscious inside your dream, with a realistic sense of space, dynamic use of senses, etc, but accounts of lucid dreams always seem like all your cognitive abilities aren't in play.

For example, going lucid, but frequently lapsing back into non-lucidity, or doing reality checks while floating in air, only to conclude that you aren't dreaming. I've done these before, and the lack of reliable intelligence in dreams is always humorous. So, how do you know that the "reality" you remember from your dreams isn't just a skewed waking point of view? I've had dreams I remember as being quite realistic, but in retrospect I don't remember a single "physical" sensation in them worth re-telling, besides simple things that pop in and out randomly, like the feeling of "wind".

I'm not trying to sound like a skeptic as I am interested in lucid dreaming, but the experience I've had going lucid in dreams before doesn't give much hope for the same quality of lucid dreams I hear given on various sites. Here's hoping it's worth the effort!