I have noticed that in regular dreams, I too experience the time gaps. I just sort of pop from place to place with no rhyme or reason. But with lucid dreams, I don't have the time issue at all. In fact, time seems to travel just as in real lfe.
Sensory wise, my lucid dreams are very close to the real thing, but not quite. It's close enough that my mind is satisfied with what is going on and accepts it, so I find myself experiencing emotions such as guilt, love or happiness quite strongly when I awaken, and I have to remind myself it was a dream. But I don't believe I could get the two states confused. There is just a certain element of "unrealness" in my lucid dreams. The surroundings look just slightly different. A lot like the beach Jodi Foster lands on when visiting the aliens in "Contact". It's pretty and satisfying in itself, but it just doesn't look 100% right. However, when I relate to other people in a lucid dream, I can touch, smell, feel and taste them. That part is way real!! Still not 100%, but maybe 99.5??