Congrats! they are an awesome pram......the cocoon compensates for the elevation the seat with it's design so the newborn in the cocoon is quite flat if that makes sense, the seat itself is a lttle bit elevated but the cocoon is shaped to compensate for that.

It will be a little bit stiff at first, it does "break in" and get easier to use...also I think you get mor used to how it goes up an down and so it gets easier and quicker in that sense too. I don't have the skateboard attachment but other people have said it works well, a few people i know have preferred the mutsy board with the Bee so maybe have a look at that board as an option as well.

Um I am not sure if you can close it with the cocoon on as we never had it at newborn stage so never had the cocoon, I can't see why you couldn't fold it with the cocoon on, it just wouldn't fold quite as flat I quess......

hope that helps......