Beyond the Cape: Banana Ball’s Reese Alexiades and His Family Ties to Disney

If you’re familiar with Banana Ball, you may know him by his trademark red cape and swaggering No. 2 jersey in right field. Yet beyond the on-field flair, positive attitude, and larger-than-life aura in the heart of the Savannah Bananas lineup, Reese Alexiades’ passion for Disney runs deep.

Evolving alongside his own journey in baseball, Disney has been a consistent force in Reese’s life. From countless childhood visits to Disneyland to memorable moments at the studio lot next to his dad, a longtime veteran of The Walt Disney Company, Reese has been surrounded by the creative spirit of Disney from an early age.

Do you follow the chaotic fun of the Bananas from afar, or were you able to attend last week’s matchups between the Bananas and Clowns at Angel Stadium? Following the fun from Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland last Thursday, read on to learn how Reese’s lifelong connection to baseball, family, and Disney has helped shape his story, on and off the diamond.

You could say Reese’s love for Disney started right at the beginning.

Reese’s father is John Alexiades, a 32-year cast member at The Walt Disney Company who currently serves as the vice president of production finance at Walt Disney Studios. His long career with Disney helped set the stage for Reese’s childhood to be filled with lasting memories at Disneyland, starting with visits to the parks at a very young age.

Born in July 1997, Reese visited Disneyland when he was just three weeks old, marking the start of what would become a lifelong connection to the parks. Long before routine visits to Disneyland Resort – and even longer before the idea of becoming a member of the Savannah Bananas was in the picture – trips to the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank left an early impression.

“Before Disneyland, going to the studio in Burbank was always the coolest thing ever,” Reese said. “It made me want to work in movies when I was older. So that came from my dad and him working at the studios, and that was always so cool.”

As Reese grew up, baseball and Disney worked side-by-side as steady staples of his childhood, woven into everyday life with friends, family members, and teammates. “Disney has just been such a big part of our lives and especially during my childhood,” he said. “It’s been such a routine for us to go.”

Sometimes, this meant planned weekend trips to the parks. Other times, it meant a spontaneous visit between local baseball games, when his dad would float the idea of heading to Disneyland to squeeze in a few rides and a nice dinner together.

Reese grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, meaning Disneyland Resort was always just a short drive down the freeway. While youth baseball games filled a lot of his schedule and free weekends were not always easy to come by, Reese reflected fondly on how fortunate he felt during those Disneyland trips with his dad.

This year’s Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland Resort on March 26 served as somewhat of a homecoming for the Bananas’ high-flying outfielder, with family members and friends attending both Banana Day at Disneyland and the games nearby. As the Bananas prepared for Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland Resort and their two battles against the Indianapolis Clowns at Angel Stadium, Reese shared what it was like to see familiar faces across Anaheim during last year’s outings and how he felt this year.

“I’ll get messages like ‘I’m coming’ and ‘I’ll see you there,’” said Reese. “Even old players I’ve coached in the past – those kids will be there as well. It’s very cool,” said Reese.

While two games took place at the ballpark last Friday and Saturday night, Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland officially kicked off the Orange County fun on Thursday. Reese mentioned that he looked forward to even more opportunities to interact with Banana fans this time around, with an assortment of entertainment lined up for fans at this year’s celebration.

For the Manhattan Beach native, it was the type of full-circle moment that only feels possible when Disneyland has been in your backyard throughout your life, making it easy for Reese to round the bases back to where it all began in sunny Southern California.

Disney fans love to hear about favorite moments across the parks, and a resident expert like Reese was the perfect person to step up to the plate with some insight of his own.

Reese shared how much fun it is to experience attractions at Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park with a full group of teammates and friends, citing Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!, and Mad Tea Party as standout choices.

But true to form, the drive of the slugging right fielder kicked in. Reese’s competitive edge and willingness to put on a show wasn’t far behind, as he mentioned another fan-favorite attraction that he loves going on when a little friendly rivalry gets in the mix.

“Now if we want to get competitive? You’ve got Toy Story [Midway Mania!],” Reese said. “That’s a good one because then you get a little bit of bragging rights. But you know, I’ve got some experience, so I don’t know if they want to face me.”

With the excitement of March basketball tournaments dominating the sports world right now, Reese was also asked to name his top four favorite attractions at Disneyland Resort from over the years. His thrill-seeking answers certainly didn’t disappoint.

“Between both parks, we’re going Space Mountain. We are going Guardians [of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!]. We are going Incredicoaster, and we’re going [Star Wars:] Rise of the Resistance,” said Reese.

With years of park visits under his baseball belt, Reese’s Disney knowledge runs as deep as a 450-foot homer sent to the stands. Take a look below at a few additional fandom questions that we asked him to weigh in on!

For someone who has eaten nearly every iconic snack and been on nearly every ride at Disneyland over the years, the Bananas’ 2025 event at Disneyland opened the door to a new experience at the resort.

That shift came into focus during the first Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland last year. In between rehearsing a fun dance number set to Hey Baby, sampling several banana-themed treats, and participating in a cavalcade down Main Street, U.S.A., the whole Savannah Bananas bunch displayed endless enthusiasm during the day, greeting passionate fans traveling from around the world and sharing meaningful moments with them throughout the day.

“Disney Day was probably my favorite day of the year,” Reese said. “I’ve been probably 100 times, but I got to do things for the first time, like being a part of the cavalcade. It was really cool to be able to experience that.”

This year, the Bananas took the mound and jolted the energy to the next level. With a merchandise pop-up at Downtown Disney District, a new performance at the “World of Color” viewing area in Disney California Adventure park, and the opportunity for some fans to meet select Savannah Bananas and Indianapolis Clowns players, the joyful celebration marked a resort-wide experience fueled by fandom, connection, and the trademark sense of joy we’ve come to know and love from the Bananas.

For Reese, baseball and Disney have become two worlds that keep meeting in meaningful ways, from childhoods visits with his dad to present-day moments with fans over the last two years at Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland. Like a batter securing the game-tying home run in the bottom of the 9th inning, it’s a clutch reminder that even after countless visits to the parks, there are still new moments waiting to be created across Disney parks in the on-deck circle.