h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My personal experience of organised displays is that they are always very good - and really quite safe.

There are two types; set to music, and well, not.

I had a really great time last year: myself and a group of friends went to the Battersea Park display set to music (Carmina Burana, In The Hall of the Mountain King, and Robbie Williams for some strange reason), and, when that had finished, we heard that there was going to be another one at half-10 at the Royal Festival Hall with a 50-strong samba band. So, we walked there, via Pimlico. This then led us to walk straight in front of the MI6 and MI5 buildings. Of course, we blew kisses at the security cameras. Then the cameras started to swivel round, in order to, well, see us...

Suffice to say, we got to see two displays, and had a fantastic late-night walk down the South Bank!

Organised displays are definitely the safest option (what's the attraction of standing next to a bomb with a short fuse anyway!)
In addition, a large display can afford vastly more impressive fireworks that almost any individual can, so you get a better display. Entry cost to a good display is fairly trivial, and it often goes to charity, so it seems like one of those rare win-win situations all in all!

Me? Love fireworks - any excuse! Best ever firework experience? Standing on Charles Bridge in Prague, Summer '92, Stunning display launced from the fairytale castle whilst buskers played and we drank cheap beer - brilliant. My home town of Bath puts on a pretty good show each summer at the opening of the Bath Music Festival - fireworks over the Royal Crescent; very dramatic backdrop.
Most disappointing fireworks: Epcot centre. Was promised a lot, but it rained. And rained. Fireworks wern't up to much either.