In reply to doc_h:
How to avoid the queues... haha! Very good, I enjoyed that.
But no, seriously, the best way to avoid the queues at the Midi is to use it only in December.
But no, seriously, the best way to deal with the queues is to arrive early with a friend, one of you join the queue for the plastic chits and the other loiter near the gate (sometimes they don't use the chits, sometimes they hand the earliest bin numbers out at the gate, sometimes they Only give them out at the window), and then as soon as you have your chits go and have a coffee and a torsade across the road.
There really is no secret... just arrive early and deal with it.