Fan-Favorite Banana Ball Comes to Disney World in 2026!

Banana Ball is coming to Walt Disney World for the first time ever! These high-energy baseball games popularized by Savannah Bananas are a fan-favorite, selling out MLB stadiums around the country and having a huge following on social media. In 2026, WDW fans will have the chance to watch games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports–this covers how, along with what Banana Ball is in the first place, and why we’re pleased to see the WWoS get some big league use!

Let’s start with the last point, which is that I simply want to see more professional sporting events at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. Part of this is obviously selfishness, as I’d love to catch a MLB game or another sporting event with stakes while visiting Walt Disney World. I used to love watching Spring Training at the ESPN WWoS.

Part is also that it would make sense as a business decision for both Disney and the MLB, or whatever league took its talents to Central Florida. The Stadium is a great venue, and it’s almost criminal how underutilized it is at this point. (Someone should tell Jeff Vahle–I hear he hates that sort of thing!)

In last year’s post, Will Walt Disney World Become Home to a Major League Baseball Team?, I made the case for the Tampa Rays moving to Walt Disney World this season after Hurricane Milton hit and caused irreparable damage to the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Obviously, it didn’t happen. But judging by their ongoing attendance woes, maybe it should’ve!

I also watched “Once Upon a Time in Anaheim” on ESPN+ about how the Disney movie The Mighty Ducks inspired the creation of an NHL franchise. That’s a great documentary about the period during which Michael Eisner pulled the company back from the brink, then massively grew it during the “Disney Decade.” It’s basically the highs and lows of that era told through the lens of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

The takeaway of an average sports fan from that documentary might be that Disney overextended itself by acquiring stakes in MLB and NHL teams for the sake of Eisner’s vanity. That Disney was out of its depth, and never should’ve done owned pro teams in the first place. That’s certainly a logical conclusion.

The takeaway of this Disney fan, however, is that Disney never should’ve sold their interests in those franchises. That they were ahead of their time, and the decision would’ve worked out well if just given more time.

Perhaps it’s bias or rose-colored glasses, but this perspective is vindicated by the success of the teams subsequent to the sales and the skyrocketing value of pro teams. And I say this as someone who thinks Disney has overexpanded, and should sell off or spin off some assets (ABC!).

If anything, the big “mistake” Eisner made was locating the Mighty Ducks in Anaheim as opposed to Orlando. (Even if, as a practical reality, the NHL wouldn’t have gone for 3 Floridian expansion teams in the 1990s.) Hindsight is 20/20, but in the last several years, pro teams and stadiums in “destination” locations has gained a lot of momentum. That’s precisely how most of the new teams in Las Vegas and Los Angeles are selling out–and if you watch games, the seats are mostly full of visiting fans.

Walt Disney World could’ve had the exact same dynamic with a pro team. It’d be advantageous for the exact same reasons as runDisney, conventions, or the other events they do to strategically fill hotel rooms during off-peak times. As a hotel business that also operates theme parks, Walt Disney World being home to a team could be a huge draw!

Suffice to say, hosting games of Banana Ball is a good start and maybe it’ll prove to be a field test for Walt Disney World getting more aggressive in attracting other pro teams. Let’s turn to details about the Banana Ball announcement and how to watch games…

Banana Ball is coming to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World for the first time ever, putting fans first and directly into the center of the action with plenty of laughs, excitement, and an undeniable energy that will have you dancing in your cleats all night long. Banana Ball games will be played at Walt Disney World on May 29 and 30, 2026.

Last year, the Savannah Bananas traveled across the country for many of their high-profile matchups, competing against the Firefighters, the Party Animals, and the Texas Tailgaters. Visiting a wide range of legendary venues like Fenway Park in Boston, Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, and Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Banana Ball has continued to visit iconic ballparks and prime destinations perfectly fit for friends and families, bringing the show to a new lineup of eager fans.

Next season, with the addition of two new teams competing in the Banana Ball Championship League, Walt Disney World will welcome the slugging Loco Beach Coconuts in a dynamic battle against the always-entertaining Party Animals on May 29-30, 2026. (Not to belabor the point, but just want you to understand that the Savannah Bananas team will not be playing in these Banana Ball games. It probably shouldn’t matter as the sport is the entertainment product being sold, as opposed to any specific team.)

Banana Ball will be hosted at the 220-acre ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World, where the Loco Beach Coconuts and Party Animals will play inside The Stadium, featuring more than 9,500 seats, four luxury sky boxes, open-air suites, and a whole bunch of happy hijinks on the diamond.

How Do I Buy Banana Ball Tickets?

For fans itching to see trick plays, diving catches, and plenty of on-the-field shenanigans, make sure to secure your seats for next season, including the Banana Ball game at Walt Disney World, by entering the Ticket Lottery List before it closes on November 1, 2025.

Joining this list does not guarantee the opportunity to buy tickets (hence the term “lottery”), but it will enter you into a random drawing that takes place before the event for the chance to purchase available tickets. If your name is drawn, you will have the opportunity to continue through the verification process before being able to purchase your tickets to witness the fun up close.

Don’t get caught in a pickle with this opportunity to join the Ticket Lottery List by visiting BananaBall.com, as standard tickets start at $35 when you purchase them from the site. Frustrating as it might be if you come up empty handed, this lotto is a great way to keep prices affordable for average American families, and it just feels fair. Walt Disney World could take some notes!

Where Else Can I Watch Banana Ball in 2026?

If you want even more fast-paced Banana Ball content, be sure to tune into their games next season on ESPN+, Disney+, ESPN2, and additional ESPN platforms across the worldwide leader in sports.

For a full list of Banana Ball matchups that you can enter to attend in-person, be sure to visit BananaBall.com for new updates and the latest ballgames coming soon to a city near you.

For even more events coming soon to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, check the upcoming events calendar to find out which sport you’ll be able to see on your next visit to Disney World.

What is Banana Ball?

Probably should’ve answered this one first for the uninitiated. Constantly keeping fans and players on their toes, Banana Ball is quickly becoming the fastest-growing and most entertaining game in sports, featuring high-octane plays and rules aimed at maintaining a quick pace.

Whether a fan catches a foul ball (it counts as an out in the game) or a player tries to steal first base (yes, you read that correctly), this curveball on traditional baseball has continued to grow across the nation at home and in ballparks! For a concise comparison, the Savannah Bananas are basically the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball.

I’ll be honest with you, I had never even heard of the Savannah Bananas until a segment on 60 Minutes. 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. This popularity kind of speaks to the appeal of Banana Ball–it’s baseball for the social media generation, for better or worse.

I’ll admit to being skeptical of the Savannah Bananas at first, but I was intrigued as both a Disney and baseball fan. The team’s charismatic owner is 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.

Cole caught my attention for a couple of reasons. As a baseball fan since childhood who came of age in the mid-90s, I have long held the seemingly unpopular belief among fans that Major League Baseball has gotten boring. The game peaked for me then, 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.

At the time, though, that was something special. I loved watching as many baseball games as I could and catching The Big Show every morning. Seeing the Atlanta Braves play at the Stadium, eating at the Official All Star Café at Disney’s Wide World of Sports, and running into Braves closer Mark Wohlers at Downtown Disney was the highlight of my 1997 Walt Disney World trip!

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 there have been some refreshing developments for the MLB in the last season. Still, not enough. It speaks volumes that it’s been very difficult for anyone under the age of 40 to watch the current MLB playoffs up until now, but I can easily watch a half-dozen regular season NFL games per week on streaming (and every single playoff game, once those start).

It would be nice if something, anything brought more young fans into baseball. I’d love for kids to get hooked on the MLB like I was, and it would be good for Walt Disney World to actually use the ESPN Wide World of Sports again. The synergistic possibilities are endless!

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 don’t see Banana Ball ever having a permanent home at Walt Disney World (nor would I want it to–I’m fully on board with Banana Ball, but have to admit that I still think it’s a fade that’ll be a “remember when?” subject in a decade), but am pleased by the 2026 season featuring a couple of games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports!

I still haven’t been able to catch a game in person, but will absolutely be joining the lottery to watch at the ESPN Wide World of Sports on May 29 and 30, 2026. That should be a great time to visit Walt Disney World, too. Hopefully before the worst of the summer heat starts, but after the holiday weekend and while crowds are low. It’ll also be after the new Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run debuts (one week earlier) and possibly around the kickoff of a summer celebration!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

Your Thoughts

What do you think of Banana Ball being played at Walt Disney World? Have you seen a Savannah Bananas game? Are you a fan of Banana Ball or do you favor the ‘dignity’ of regular ole boring baseball? Had you ever 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!