Sorry it wont let me reply to my first forum on this subject. so when i don't respond please understand why.

I only need to serve 55 people. I guess my thoughts on height is off.  I have looked for videos on bears and i think people are making them with a 6' cakes for the head and maybe 8" or 9" for body.  I want to do the legs in cake pieces and arms with a cake ball cake mixture or maybe modeling chocolate.  

What's the best way to stabilize this cake, just dowel like a normal tiered cake?

Thank you in Advance

Terra

well we can talk about size -- but you don't want to make the arms heavier than they need to be --

do you have a picture of any kind?? even if you google coloring book bears -- you'll get an easy to follow blueprint type of outline that is easiest to work with -- I can help you better -- and if you have a regular picture that's cool too -- even a link to a bear you want to use as your guide

and start a new post -- no worries 

Well, he is not as cute as a teddy bear, but I made Elmo in the same way.  Yes, you dowel that same as a double barrel cake.  Stack three layers of cake, dowel and use a cake board (slightly smaller than your layers to allow for carving), then add the next three layers.  Dowel, add a cake board and the three layers for the head or round cake.  When I use a round tin, I put a cake board between the top and bottom halves of the ball and dowel the bottom half.

A cool way to make the legs would be to bake the cakes in a can, such as a tomato sauces can.  I use cans all the time for long, round shapes.  Wash well, grease with shortening and dust well with flour.  Cake comes right out.  I made the arms and legs on Elmo from Rice Krispy Treats (with a wire support in the middle, but that would not be necessary for a teddy bear because his legs and arms would not be as long and skinny), covered in ganache for strength, then modeling chocolate.  You could just as well use fondant.