Disney historian Jim Korkis gives us an insider’s look at the creation of the beautiful totem poles in the lobby of Wilderness Lodge in a recent MousePlanet article.

Korkis tells us that the character pole in front of the Wilderness Lodge Mercantile was carved by artist William Robinson over a period of several months.

Then, there are the two more serious totem poles in the lobby: the Eagle, located near the registration counter, and the Raven, located near the Whispering Canyon Café. Artist Duane Pasco was hired to carve the two 55-foot-tall totem poles, along with three assistants, over a period of six months.

“These totem poles measure 3 feet wide at the top and 5 feet wide at the bottom and each is constructed of two 27-foot sections spliced together,” Pasco said. “The choice of characters and their placement were the choice of Disney World’s consultants.”

Both the Eagle and the Raven tell stories, to be “read” from bottom to top. Visit MousePlanet to see the full story of both totem poles.

So, next time you’re at Wilderness Lodge, be sure to stop and take in the majesty and beauty of the Eagle and the Raven, and the fun detail of the character totem at the Mercantile.

What’s your favorite thing about the totems at Wilderness Lodge? Leave a comment below.

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