How long does it take for an initial charge with MBP? We unboxed a new 2017 MBP three hours ago. I wasn't expecting it to start by opening the lid. I then went through all the stuff you have to do when you startup (icloud, apple id, etc) It was at 34%. It has been charging for two hours. It's at 41%. The charger is in the port furtherest from the front. Is this normal? All of this? I have since shut down to charge (and of course have no idea what is going on now since there is no LED). How long does it take to do the full charge? And was it normal to start by lifting the lid? Brand new (well, brand new looking with wrap)
Power it off. The first 80% should charge in 2 hours. The last 20% should charge in the second 2 hours. 

If the battery was deeply discharged I would repeat that test once you get the battery full and then drained. 

Contact support either way to have them check the full charge capacity and review your powered down charge timings. 

That protects you and gives Apple the data it needs if you feel it wasn’t a great battery. In the past, Apple would ship closer to full. Now with changed airline regulations and changed chemistry in the batteries, they ship mostly empty. I wouldn’t worry once you get your two tests in and contact support. 

Everything you say seems perfectly normal, but for sure shut it down and do a controlled test - now is when you want to be sure it’s fully operational.