Yeah, or you could lie and tell them you'd been on a track once before. Everything you need to know will be covered in the rider's meeting.
The orientation is not a bad thing, they show you the lines and stuff. That's it though, it's really not a "school" and the instructors most of the time just want to ride themselves and aren't that good at giving feedback at all. My experience, at least. I don't think the orientation is a waste of time, but it's not an absolute requirement in my opinion either.
Yeah, sorry I missed the ride. Didn't wake up until 8am, with a terrible tequila hangover. I really should stick to vodka.
-R.