Thanks for all the replies. We are now back from our DL trip. I thought I'd post some of my experience/tips. I had a hard time getting specific recent information on RV travel to Disneyland, so I hope this can help others.
First, about the trip down:
We traveled from Northern California (SF bay area), so our trip was about 7-8 hours (normally). We rented a 30 foot Class A Four Winds Hurricane (2004), so we were not very familiar with the vehicle. We have rented RVs a long time ago, but not in the last 8-10 years. As soon as we got on the road, we realized that this RV had issues -- but we tried to make the best of things. (I will try to post separately on my observations about buying/renting an older/used Class A vehicle. I am SO glad we rented again before buying -- we have a much better idea of what things/issues to look for.)
The RV was VERY noisy, there was a lot of rattling, so we had a hard time having any conversation on the trip down, which is important to us. It also would have been hard to hear any audio book on the CD player, etc. However, the kids and the dog seemed comfortable on the way down.
We took highway 101 all the way down California, which I advise -- it is a very pretty drive, and you avoid the very steep grades going over I-5 over the Grapevine before LA. There are lots of times you have gorgeous views of the ocean and beaches. My advice on this route is to plan ahead on where you want to stop, as there are long stretches where there are no Rest Areas, and it is hard to find easy on/off access to food places, until you have already passed them. We stopped for dinner in a little coastal town called Summerland. It is a very cute place, but not RV friendly. We had dinner in a cute restaurant, called Caf? Luna, which had an outside area, where we could sit with the dog. However, we had to park several blocks down on the street -- it was very hard to find a spot big enough to park the RV. There were no big parking lots or good side streets. Caf? Luna had good food, but extremely slow service. We ended up getting our food to go, since we waited over an hour and still had not been served. We got to the RV park at about 10PM, after the office had closed, so it was VERY hard to find our space and maneuver into it. We got a space in a good location near the office and the bathrooms, but it was near a palm tree and light post, and almost impossible to get into. (I think even an experienced RV owner/driver would have been very challenged.) We managed to get into the space eventually, with the help of the very nice security guard on one side, and me on the other directing my husband. We had some trouble getting the waste hose connected, so we had to wait until the next morning to get a new end part to make it work. I highly advise getting to the RV park while the office is open, if possible.
RV Park We Stayed In at Disneyland:
We stayed at the Anaheim Harbor RV Park. This is the closest RV park to Disneyland, which is why we chose it. It was a bit pricey for what it was, but seemed convenient. We got a "deluxe" space, and paid about $65/night (it was an extra $3 for each person over the first 2). I think it was "deluxe" because we had a small grass space and a picnic table next to the RV parking spot. However, there was also a big garbage dump area directly to the side of the grass area near our spot. I did not like this. They allow dogs. Their office is open 8AM to 8PM. They have a security guard on the grounds walking around from 8PM to 4AM -- which I really liked. I felt the RV park was pretty safe. However, it was NOT fancy at all. I got the sense that there were a lot of permanent or long-term residents with kids at the park. The bathrooms were not very clean or nice. There were only 2 showers (for about 200 RV spaces), and they were not well ventilated, and the floors were very dirty (especially around the edges, corners and drain areas). There was no working fan in the bathrooms at all, just some small windows next to the showers. There was no place to put your stuff down in the shower area (e.g., no bench or chairs), just one hook on the door. There was just a shower curtain separating the shower area from a very small tiled area you could dress and put your stuff in. It was extremely hard to maneuver in the shower areas so that you did not touch the horribly dirty wet floor, and did not get your clean clothes wet and on the floor. I am not very experienced in how RV park bathrooms are generally, but I was expecting much better. The sink area near the toilet stalls was OK. It had outlets for hairdryers, and motion activated paper towels that worked well. The toilet stalls were VERY small and basic. One tip -- if you get to the RV park after 8PM when the office closes, the bathrooms will be locked. We wanted to shower, and were lucky to have the Security Guard let us in. After you check in with the office, they'll give you a key to the bathrooms (for a deposit), so you can get in any time after that. There was a tent camping site right outside the bathroom door, so that seemed very odd and crowded.
The people in the office were nice, but there was not much to buy in the "mini-mart" in the office. Don't plan to be able to buy groceries and supplies there.
The "arcade" was tiny, and the "putting green" was about the size of a small kiddie pool. The playground is very small and basic. The pool was small, but looked OK. I did not see a hot tub or spa. The best thing about this RV Park is its location near Disneyland, and that it is very dog friendly. You get a good view of the fireworks at Disneyland from the park. It is about a 20-30 minute walk to Disneyland, but it is on a very busy street (Harbor Blvd) and over a big overpass over the freeway. We wanted to take our dog with us to the kennel at Disneyland, and it was close enough to be able to walk her there. We didn't want to leave her in the RV alone during the day. If I went to Disneyland again without the dog in an RV, I'd check out the other Anaheim RV parks -- but they are farther and not walking distance to Disneyland. FYI, we took a cab one day with the dog to Disneyland -- it is possible to get a cab to allow a dog, but most don't. We do not have a tow vehicle.
Disneyland:
Although apparently not well known, Disneyland has a kennel onsite. It is $20 day, on a first come-first serve basis (so it may fill up in the morning on busy days). It is right near the entry into Disneyland. It is a great option, and is clean and conveniently located, and very reasonable price. However, they do NOT interact with your dog. You have to come back and walk them and visit them every couple of hours. They will feed the dogs when you ask them to. It is nice and air conditioned. There is an outside area to walk and be with your dog when you visit them (so they can do their business). However, there is not real grass there, just some astroturf squares. There is a hose to wash down any messes your dog makes outside. There are shaded areas to sit with your dog. You can ask them for metal bowl to put food and water in. They also will give your dog a blanket to put in their kennel. The kennels/cages are good sized, and all metal. You can bring your own food and toys, etc. for your dog to have in their kennel. They have many different sized cages -- I saw a Saint Bernard in one huge area. FYI, I looked into doggie daycares in the area, but didn't see anything I liked, and I was concerned about kennel cough, etc. Our dog is still young, and we didn't want her to be with a lot of other more aggressive dogs in a daycare setting. I'd be interested in other's experiences about these types of day cares. I got my info by looking online, and on yelp, etc. It seemed like there were mixed reviews, and concerning issues re kennel cough, and a lot of dogs being put in together in large communal areas.
SHUTTLE TO DISNEYLAND: We were told there was a shuttle to Disneyland. The shuttle was convenient and cost $5 a day from the RV park. If you are going multiple days, make sure to get a multi-day shuttle pass. I think you can get a 3 day shuttle pass for $12. The shuttle picks up close to the entrance to the RV park, and goes right to Disneyland. It is the ART shuttle (a kind of city bus).
OVERALL: It is possible to take your dog to Disneyland in an RV with the family and have a good time. I was disappointed in the quality of the RV park however. You would think that there would be a nicer, cleaner, more upscale RV park next to Disneyland (i.e., that is walking distance). Also, if you take a dog to the Disneyland Kennel, be prepared to come back to the Kennel every couple of hours to visit and walk your dog -- as they will just be sitting in the cage alone otherwise.
Hope this all helps others who are interested in going to Disneyland in an RV with family and a dog!
