One thing I will say is that the long waits on the exit to get to the gate always occur later in the day. If you arrive early, most preferably a little while before the park opens, then you shouldn't have a major problem getting to the toll booths.
As far as the insider tour, I wouldn't recommend it if the only reason you'ye considering it is to cut waits and guarantee seats. The key to visiting during crowded times is to
arrive early... I cannot stress that enough. If you plan strategically and get to the hot-ticket attractions a few extra minutes before showtime, you should be fine. However, there is also the Quick Queue pass which is cheaper than the tour and gets you exactly what you want: minimal waits and reserved seats. If you read the above discussion we are currently debating the value of Quick Queue. In my personal opinion Quick Queue is not the helpful during Christmas Town, and it's a waste of money overall. Also, the reserved seats the come with Quick Queue for the shows are terrible so that's not really a plus.
If you're really concerned about lines, Quick Queue is probably a better option than the tour. However, if you're actually interested in, you know, the actual
tour part of the insider tour, I hear lots of good things about it.
As far as crowds go, check and see if you're going on a day where the $12 deal is offered. If it's not, you should be fine. If so, you may want to brace yourself!
Edit: netdvn beat me to it.
