Savannah Bananas Bring Banana Ball to Walt Disney World’s ESPN Complex in 2026

The Savannah Bananas’ Banana Ball tour will make its first-ever appearance at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in 2026.

The announcement, made live across ESPN2, ESPN+, Disney+, and Banana Ball’s YouTube channel, revealed that the fast-growing entertainment baseball league will play two games on May 29 and 30, 2026, inside the 9,500-seat Stadium at ESPN’s 220-acre sports campus in Orlando, Florida.

The showcase will feature the Loco Beach Coconuts facing off against the Party Animals, two of the most popular teams in Banana Ball’s travelling competition circuit. The visit forms part of the league’s broader 2026 world tour, which includes appearances at other major venues following recent stops at Fenway Park, Kauffman Stadium, and Angel Stadium.

For Disney and ESPN, the partnership highlights an ongoing strategy to integrate non-traditional, entertainment-driven sports content into their live event portfolio and streaming platforms. By hosting Banana Ball at its sports complex and broadcasting games across its networks, ESPN continues to position itself as a hub for sports innovation and fan engagement.

Banana Ball’s appeal lies in its unconventional rules and showmanship, with fan-friendly twists such as foul balls caught by spectators counting as outs, and players being allowed to steal first base. The format, developed by the Savannah Bananas organisation, has been described as a hybrid of sport and live theatre, drawing sold-out crowds across the United States.

The Disney event is expected to attract a strong mix of tourists, families, and baseball enthusiasts, aligning with the entertainment focus of both brands. Tickets will be distributed via a lottery system on BananaBall.com, with entries closing 1 November 2025.

While commercial terms of the Disney–Banana Ball arrangement were not disclosed, the move reinforces ESPN’s effort to diversify its live sports offering amid intensifying competition for younger audiences.

The collaboration also builds on Disney’s expanding sports tourism strategy, which leverages ESPN’s facilities to host multi-sport events, elite youth tournaments, and now, one of America’s most viral sporting phenomena.

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