We've gone July 4 week the last few years. We don't go into the parks during the day on July 4. We go to Magic Kingdom on the 3rd and see the fireworks there (they do the same show on the 3rd and 4th). On the 4th, we go to a waterpark during the day and have an ADR in Epcot at night and see the fireworks then. We get to the parks at rope drop every day and haven't found it to be overly crowded. Crowded, yes, and you need to have a plan, but definitely doable. Definitely not the exaggerated horror stories you might read.