Depends on the version and revision and what you need to achieve, its is not only Wifi disabling.
And no, a GUI check box has little relation to what the hardware actually does.
You're moving goal posts now. If the stock firmware/software now allows disabling Wi-Fi, you don't need to hack the hardware.
And if you can't trust the stock firmware, i.e. you have reason to assume that it's actively malicious (e.g. by turning the Wi-Fi back on randomly), how can you trust the hardware? Who's to say that it doesn't, e.g., have an undocumented transponder feature that replies to a specific type of interrogation?
>You're moving goal posts now.
I'd say you where interpreting my comments on hacking too narrowly.