The Savannah Bananas visited Disneyland and Disney California Adventure for a special appearance and, in fitting fashion, they knocked it out of the park. This takes a look at the Greatest Show in Sports storming the Happiest Place on Earth ahead of their Anaheim games, including the special cavalcade, dances, and more.
I’ll be honest with you, I had never even heard of the Savannah Bananas until a segment on 60 Minutes last month. (Side note: that’s how you know you’re getting old–when you first learn about a craze from 60 Minutes or, equally as common for me, CBS Sunday Morning.) As it turns out, the team is incredibly popular, with ~10 million TikTok followers, or more than every one of last year’s Major League Baseball playoff teams combined.
Regardless, I was intrigued as both a Disney and baseball fan. CBS focused on the team’s charismatic owner, Jesse Cole, who got bored with baseball so he invented a new sport dubbed “Banana Ball.” This is a faster, livelier, more dynamic twist on baseball that’s become a huge hit with fans and a viral sensation on social media. If you’re unfamiliar with the Savannah Bananas and don’t want to watch that segment (you should–it’s really good!), they’re basically the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball.
Cole caught my attention for a couple of reasons. As a baseball fan since childhood who grew up listening to Ernie Harwell and Al Kaline while watching Cecil Fielder, I have long held the seemingly unpopular belief among fans that Major League Baseball has gotten boring. Although I still follow the game, the MLB peaked for me in the 1990s, with the high-water mark being the summer of Sosa and McGwire’s thrilling home run chase–an era and players that are now tainted for many fans due to PEDs.
I’m a staunch proponent of recent rule changes that speed up the game, and if anything, think they don’t go far enough. Baseball isn’t drawing new fans and doesn’t have enough recognizable superstars. Until last year, its two biggest generational talents were languishing away in Anaheim. The game’s marquee player moving ~30 miles up the road was great for the game, and Shohei Ohtani-mania plus Grimace were refreshing developments for the MLB last season. Still, not enough.
Watching the 60 Minutes piece and hearing that Cole draws inspiration for the Savannah Bananas from his idols, showmen P.T. Barnum and Walt Disney, had me further intrigued. Basically, Cole wants to do for baseball what Walt Disney did for theme parks.
He’s reinventing and reinvigorating the sport with a fan-first approach that reaches new audiences and focuses on entertainment that’s fun for the whole family, bridging generation gaps between children, parents and grandparents. Sound familiar?!
Even as a bit of a curmudgeon, I was immediately sold on the Savannah Bananas after hearing this. I wanted to show my ‘support’ for the team–and anyone with such a fan-forward philosophy inspired by Walt Disney–by attending one of their games in California and seeing what Banana Ball is all about for myself.
In actuality, the Savannah Bananas do not need my support. There’s a lottery just to purchase tickets (which are fairly inexpensive when purchased for their face value prices–another fan-first move!). The team manages to sell out massive venues–even Angel Stadium. No one sells out Angel Stadium–not even Shohei Ohtani! Guess I’ll watch on ESPN+ instead.
Anyway, I figured I could support the team a different way–by bringing their day at Disneyland to the attention to my fellow old fogeys who are likewise unfamiliar with Banana Ball. Here’s a look at all the fun the Savannah Bananas had throughout their day at Disneyland…
When at Disneyland, you can’t skip on your favorite attraction– and the Savannah Bananas feel the same way. During their visit, they were eager to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Not only did they have a blast, but Disney made sure to capture their good side with some a-peeling photos:
The Bananas aren’t the only team that visited Disneyland – the Firefighters are in town, making a pit stop before their big game at Angel Stadium.
They couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet the famous Disneyland Fire Department, including Hank, the longest standing employee at the Walt Disney Company. What a flame-tastic moment:
The Bananas put on their yellowest attire and danced to the Jonas Brothers Disneyland 70th anniversary theme song, “Celebrate Happy” in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. In true Bananas fashion, the Firefighters then came out and danced with them to fan-favorite “Hey Baby!”
Who ever thought you’d see a bunch of bananas dancing at The Happiest Place on Earth?
To celebrate the Savannah Banana’s exciting visit, Bananas players danced their way down Main Street, U.S.A for a special cavalcade. It was truly a sight to see!
If you can’t get enough of the Savannah Bananas, tune into their upcoming games at Angel Stadium on May 30-31, 2025.
ESPN and the Savannah Bananas are joining forces for a summer filled of Banana Ball, providing fans an opportunity to witness one of sports’ fastest growing sensations across ESPN and Disney platforms, continuing each month through August.
MLB and football stadiums will host each of the ten games of the new agreement, including historic Fenway Park, picturesque Camden Yards and raucous Memorial Stadium, home of the Clemson Tigers, adding to the electrifying atmosphere that has become synonymous with Banana Ball.
The summer of the Savannah Bananas will be showcased on Friday and Saturday nights on ESPN or ESPN2, with all ten games also simulcast live on Disney+ and ESPN+.
Here are a couple more must-watch amusing videos of the Savannah Bananas at Disneyland:
Banana Ball meets @Disneyland 😎 pic.twitter.com/b90AHL3phN
— Savannah Bananas (@TheSavBananas) May 28, 2025
We had the best time at Disneyland🤩 pic.twitter.com/BXAydUGB8M
— Savannah Bananas (@TheSavBananas) May 29, 2025
All in all, looks like the Savannah Bananas had a fun day at Disneyland. The videos they’ve posted to social media thus far have been a lot of fun, and it’s easy to see why they’ve cultivated such a loyal and passionate fanbase–the parallels to Disney are quite clear, even without the owner being inspired by Walt. (Makes me wonder if Bob Iger might “pull an Eisner” and set his sights on acquiring the Bananas!)
As a huge fan of the “Weird Disney” genre, I love this type of thing. In last week’s Celebrated Criminal Stitch Toilet Papers Cinderella Castle Again post, I remarked how Disney doesn’t really do this type of thing anymore. They’re so careful and considered with marketing that rarely is anything zany or oddball. Less than one week later, they deliver this–proving me wrong.
It’ll be fun to say look back on the videos of the Savannah Bananas at Disneyland in a decade or two as a “remember when?” time capsule of 2025 (right down to the 70th Anniversary character costumes) and a fun ‘Weird Disney’ experience. Now, we need to find a way to get the Savannah Bananas to play some games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports and visit Walt Disney World. Maybe they could revive KiteTails for a one-day-only encore, smashing dingers and performing trick catches as the Lion King kites crash. Now that would truly be a ‘Weird Disney’ day for the history books!
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!
Your Thoughts
What do you think of the Savannah Bananas visiting Disneyland? Are you a fan of Banana Ball or do you favor the ‘dignity’ of regular ole boring baseball? Be honest: had you never even heard of the Bananas before this? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!