If you blow a brake hose you're, well, hosed. It's not the kind of thing you'd carry around with you. But then unless you carry a spare brake cable, cutting tools etc then if a cable actuated brake snaps you're pretty well hosed anyway.

With disk brakes taking a wheel off really is a doddle. The first time I took a long ride with a friend I had to take my front wheel off and he was amazed at how easy it was. Loosen the quick-release skewer, drop wheel off, problem solved.

Disk brakes mean the front wheel will only go on one way whereas with rim brakes it could go on either way. At the back the wheel has to go on one way so the cassette engages with the chain so it makes little difference there.

When you put a wheel with a disk brake on it back onto the bike you have to make sure the disk aligns with the brake calipers. At first it may seem a little fiddly but you soon get used to it. Personally I found putting the rear wheel back on trickier, trying to align the dropouts, cassette, brake rotor etc. But it really isn't a difficult task, I was coming at it having zero bike maintenance experience at all - at the time I'd never even fixed a flat.