Hi. Does the tour allow enough time to ride the skyway, cableway and Scenic Railway? - It does but it's tight. See, when I went in July, it was Student Holiday and a frenzied chaos throbbing, thrumming hive of hundreds of kids and minders. Things seemed rushed as the guide had to make sure we made all three "rides" (and they're simply means of transport: the first is a one-way cable car and you slowly traverse a crevasse to the other side - takes maybe five minutes tops; the second is a very steep descending cable car that drops you down to the floor of the valley into what is a jungle area - again, perhaps five to seven minutes; the last of the three is the oddest. YOu get into these bench seats and then, at fairly quickly little speed, you're snapped backwards and swiveled up as if you were being jettisoned up a great funnel tube. That lasts under four minutes I think and again, as with the others, is a mode of transport more than anything. The first two you do have views and the third, you're really going up a mineshaft of sorts (it feels like). Our guide encountered difficulties ensuring that all in the group met on the other side of the skyway tram, to then descend on the Scenic railway, walk the brief walk on the boardwalk in the jungle and then come back up on the reverse cable car (I may have the terms mixed up). Do yourself a favor and make sure you speak to your tour guide and ensure you keep an eye on him so you do not get left behind. I recommend the tour company perhaps doles out brightly colored unique caps or hands out colored flags of a single color - making it easy on tour guide and on tour participants. Because the sad fact is if you do get left behind, you're on your own getting back, according to the papers you are provided before the journey. I'm quite sure the guides move heaven and earth to ensure that does not occur but as you can see, during Holiday, it's a tight time frame and chop chop to get from spot to spot. Rather the included ferry ride back to the Harbour is a delight at night and quite relaxing. Can the Scenic World tickets be purchased ahead of time to avoid long queues on the day? -- That's not really an issue. If you're going with the tour, they purchase them en masse and hand them out to you all. Having your own ticket seems unnecessary and frankly, I'd expect their "group rate" will be cheaper than your solo rate. What is the issue is that some, including me, was that we were not entirely aware that we had really not a great deal of choice to buy the tickets or not - increasing the price of the day's tour. I had planned on saving that money and not going on these three cable transports until, on the way to the area where the cable car rides are, we stopped by a river in our tour bus. (Be sure to get out of the bus with everyone and not get locked in). There, at a picnic table, the tour guide informed us for the first time about the following. See, if we did not purchase the tickets to these three rides, we would be left behind while everyone went on the three "rides" and did their walkabout down below. So, simply be aware that what seems like a lesser ticket for the day's excursion may be more. If you are aware and informed before the trip, there's no sense of bait and switch and you can make an informed decision. I say all this not to "warn" you but to "inform" you: simply be aware before you get on the bus in the morning that the trip really should include these tickets and the price will be 40 or so dollars more. Knowing that going in makes you feel better and less "cornered" to buy or face being left behind. I assume there will be large crowds after 20 December? -- That I cannot say but it's like all tourist tours - if there is holiday and December 20 and after is a holiday down there, you're likely to run into folks.