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

If you are aware of Banana Ballit’s possible you’ll know him by his trademark crimson cape and swaggering No. 2 jersey in proper subject. Yet past the on-field aptitude, optimistic perspective, and larger-than-life aura in the coronary heart of the Savannah Bananas lineup, Reese Alexiades’ ardour for Disney runs deep.

Evolving alongside his personal journey in baseball, Disney has been a constant pressure in Reese’s life. From numerous childhood visits to Disneyland to memorable moments at the studio lot subsequent to his dad, a longtime veteran of The Walt Disney Company, Reese has been surrounded by the artistic spirit of Disney since an early age.

Do you observe the chaotic enjoyable of the Bananas from afar, or have been you ready to attend final week’s matchups between the Bananas and Clowns at Angel Stadium? Following the enjoyable from Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland last Thursdaylearn on to find out how Reese’s lifelong connection to baseball, household, and Disney has helped form his story, on and off the diamond.

You might say Reese’s love for Disney began proper at the starting.

Reese’s father is John Alexiades, a 32-year forged member at The Walt Disney Company who presently serves as the vp of manufacturing finance at Walt Disney Studios. His lengthy profession with Disney helped set the stage for Reese’s childhood to be stuffed with lasting reminiscences at Disneyland, beginning with visits to the parks at a really younger age.

Born in July 1997, Reese visited Disneyland when he was simply three weeks previous, marking the begin of what would grow to be a lifelong connection to the parks. Long earlier than routine visits to Disneyland Resort – and even longer earlier than the thought of ​​turning into a member of the Savannah Bananas was in the image – journeys 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 stated. “It made me want to work in movies when I was older. So that came from my dad and he worked at the studios, and that was always so cool.”

As Reese grew up, baseball and Disney labored side-by-side as fixed staples of his childhood, woven into on a regular basis life with associates, members of the family, and teammates. “Disney has just been such a big part of our lives and especially during my childhood,” he stated. “It’s been such a routine for us to go.”

Sometimes, this deliberate weekend journeys to the parks. Other occasions, it meant a spontaneous go to between native baseball video games, when his dad would float the thought of ​​heading to Disneyland to squeeze in a couple of rides and a pleasant dinner collectively.

Reese grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, which means Disneyland Resort was all the time only a brief drive down the freeway. While youth baseball video games crammed plenty of his schedule and free weekends weren’t all the time simple to come by, Reese mirrored fondly on how lucky he felt throughout these Disneyland journeys along with his dad.

This 12 months’s Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland Resort on March 26 served as considerably of a homecoming for the Bananas’ high-flying outfielder, with members of the family and associates attending each Banana Day at Disneyland and the video games close by. As the Bananas ready for Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland Resort and their two battles in opposition to the Indianapolis Clowns at Angel Stadium, Reese shared what it was like to see acquainted faces throughout Anaheim throughout final 12 months’s outings and how he felt this 12 months.

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

While two video games befell at the ballpark final Friday and Saturday evening, Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland formally kicked off the Orange County enjoyable on Thursday. Reese talked about that he appeared ahead to much more alternatives to work together with Banana followers this time round, with an assortment of leisure lined up for followers at this 12 months’s celebration.

For the Manhattan Beach native, it was the sort of full-circle second that solely feels potential when Disneyland has been in your yard all through your life, making it simple for Reese to spherical the bases again to the place all of it started in sunny Southern California.

Disney followers love to hear about favourite moments throughout the parks, and a resident skilled like Reese was the good individual to step up to the plate with some perception of his personal.

But true to type, the drive of the slugging proper fielder kicked in. Reese’s aggressive edge and willingness to placed on a present wasn’t far behind, as he talked about one other fan-favorite attraction that he loves happening when a little bit pleasant rivalry will get in the combine.

“Now if we want to get competitive? You’ve got Toy Story [Midway Mania!]”,” Reese said. “That’s an excellent one as a result of then you definately get a little bit little bit of bragging rights. But you recognize, I’ve acquired some expertise, so I do not know if they need to face me.”

With the pleasure of March basketball tournaments dominating the sports activities world proper now, Reese was additionally requested to title his prime 4 favourite sights at Disneyland Resort from over the years. His thrill-seeking solutions definitely did not disappoint.

With years of park visits underneath his baseball belt, Reese’s Disney information runs as deep as a 450-foot homer despatched to the stands. Take a glance under at a couple of extra fandom questions that we requested him to weigh in on!

For somebody who has eaten almost each iconic snack and been on almost each trip at Disneyland over the years, the Bananas’ 2025 occasion at Disneyland opened the door to a brand new expertise at the resort.

That shift got here into focus throughout the first Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland last yearr. In between rehearsing a enjoyable dance quantity set to Hey Babya number of sampling banana-themed treats, and taking part in a cavalcade down Main Street, USA, the entire Savannah Bananas bunch displayed countless enthusiasm throughout the day, greeting passionate followers touring from round the world and sharing significant moments with them all through the day.

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

This yearthe Bananas took the mound and jolted the power to the subsequent degree. With a merchandise pop-up at Downtown Disney Districta brand new efficiency at the “World of Color” viewing space in Disney California Adventure park, and the alternative for some followers to meet choose Savannah Bananas and Indianapolis Clowns gamers, the festivity marked a resort-wide expertise fueled by fandom, connection, and the trademark sense of pleasure we have come to know and love from the Bananas.

For Reese, baseball and Disney have grow to be two worlds that hold assembly in significant methods, from childhood visits along with his dad to present-day moments with followers over the final two years at Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland. Like a batter securing the game-tying dwelling run at the backside of the ninth inning, it is a clutch reminder that even after numerous visits to the parks, there are nonetheless new moments ready to be created throughout Disney parks in the on-deck circle.