Toronto/Entertainment Crew

Pre-Arrival: Toronto

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Important Documents

The below list are documents that will be very important to have on hand when you are traveling to Toronto.

Passport
C1/D visa, if applicable
Canadian work visa, if applicable (excluding candidates from Canada and the U.S.)
Confirmation of Employment letter, if applicable
Signed Rehearsal & Performance Contracts
Toronto Customs & Immigrations Port of Entry Letter
Medical and C1/D Visa receipts
Original safety certificates (Personal Survival Techniques, Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities, Crowd Management) – you do not need these traveling to Toronto but do need them when traveling to the ship.

Important Air/Ground Transportation Information - Toronto

Air Travel

Air travel will be provided in Economy class from city-of-origin to Toronto and Toronto to port city, as needed.
While luggage allowance for flights from city-of-origin to Toronto and from Toronto to home or vessel is set by the airline, each performer will be able to bring at least two pieces of checked luggage. If the airline does not offer checked baggage included with the fare, then the performer will be eligible for reimbursement, up to a maximum of 2 pieces, and a maximum of 23kgs per bag for the second bag, regardless of the weight limit set by the airline for the first bag. This reimbursement will be provided upon embarking a Disney Cruise Line vessel by submitting a request with proper receipt. Any additional charges based on weight or additional pieces of luggage are the performer's responsibility. An additional luggage allowance or reimbursement may be available for a Musician traveling with instruments.

Ground Transportation

For those utilizing air travel, ground transfers will be arranged upon arrival in Toronto and port city, to and from airport.
The performer is responsible for all local transportation (subway, street cars, buses) in Toronto, as desired; housing is located directly across the street from the rehearsal facility.

Entertainment Cast - Rehearsal Facility (Toronto)

The first part of your Disney Cruise Line contract will take place in Toronto, Canada. As part of the Cast, you will take part in training during your rehearsal period in preparation for your ship embarkation. This mandatory training will be facilitated by your Toronto leadership team, and will begin to outline the company's expectations and help you understand the role you play in ensuring the ship is a safe and secure environment.

Standard Clothing

When packing personal clothing for Toronto, keep the weather in mind. Toronto has four seasons with changing weather. Canada records and communicates temperatures using 'Celsius.'

Depending on the time of year, the average temperature range can vary. Please check the local weather before you travel. Please remember that you might be packing for more than one season.

Other Rehearsal Supplies & Items to Remember

- A portable recording device (tape player, digital recorder, MP3 player, etc.) for vocal/music rehearsals

- A notebook to keep all notes you may receive during the rehearsal process.

- Extra money for travel and personal use

Rehearsal Shoes

Women: Character shoes are recommended; 2.5" heel, closed toe, and please no latins. Jazz shoes and dance sneakers may also be worn during appropriate staging/choreography rehearsals. Shoes must be worn at all times during rehearsals. Sandals, flip flops, winter boots, etc. are not acceptable. Please be prepared for rehearsals beginning the first day.
Men: You may wear tennis shoes, dance sneakers, jazz shoes, or ballet slippers. Shoes must be worn at all times during rehearsals. Sandals, flip fops, winter boots, etc. are not acceptable. Please be prepared for rehearsals beginning the first day.

*Note: All studios have sprung dance floors with a marley surface, which may make it difficult in certain shoes.

Rehearsal Clothing

All Cast members are required to wear nonrestrictive rehearsal clothing for all rehearsals other than vocal rehearsals. Jeans are only acceptable in vocal rehearsals.

Role Riders

Each member of the Cast will receive a 'Role Rider' upon completion of the rehearsal period. A Role Rider outlines what each individual will be doing in each show for the duration of their performance contract.

This includes regular roles for each production show, deck party and/or theme night. Where applicable, this also includes any potential understudy role(s) and understudy pay, stunt role(s) and stunt pay, and/or premium role(s) and premium pay for a leadership role or other.

You will be provided two copies – one copy for your personal records and one copy for Company record. Should a role change midway through a performance based on operational need, appropriate revisions are determined by the Stage Manager, Artistic & Production Director and/or Resident Director.

Payroll & Taxes - Toronto

Payroll

Pay is distributed every other week and paid in U.S. dollars.
Direct Deposit is available to U.S. bank accounts while in Canada.
Wire transfers are available for a small fee to international or domestic bank accounts.

Taxes

All Crew Members:

Tax Withholding: All Crew members are responsible for paying their own taxes and for complying with all laws of their country of residence, including without limitation, those relating to income taxes, social security taxes and fees.
When in Canada all Crew members are subject to Canadian tax withholding with the exception of US residents.

US Residents:

Will be placed on Disney International Employment Services, Inc. (DIESI) payroll.
Are paid in USD, subject to US income, Social Security and Medicare tax withholding based on your payroll Form W-4.
Will receive a W-2 from DIESI to report wages earned while on assignment to Canada.

Non-Canadian, Non-United States Citizens:

If spending time in Toronto you will be required to apply for an Individual Tax Number (ITN) with the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA).
This application is an obligation of the employee and must be completed by everyone who meets this nationality designation and will be on contract in Canada.
Your Individual Tax Number will be required to produce tax documents at the end of the calendar year.
Any questions regarding Individual Tax Numbers should be reviewed with your personal tax professional. Recruiting, Payroll, Leadership, and HR teams are not able to provide tax guidance.
The Individual Tax Number application can be found at the following website: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency.html
Once you obtain your Individual Tax Number, please send it to the following email inbox for entry into your personnel records: dcl.personnel.mailbox@disney.com

Transitioning to the Ship

Departing Toronto/Joining the Ship

Your port of embarkation is based on the ship you are joining. You will be informed of your flight departure time several days in advance by the Toronto Operations team. Typically, the entire Cast travels together on the same flight.

Luggage

Please refer to the airline's website for information regarding how many bags they allow. If your airline does not include baggage, then a $35.00 USD luggage reimbursement (up to a maximum of 2 pieces) will be provided upon embark with proper receipt. Any additional charges based on weight or additional pieces of luggage are the Cast Member's responsibility.

Crossover

Crossover is the two-week period when a new Cast will transition onto the ship while the previous Cast is preparing to transition off the ship. Although you are onboard, this is still a rehearsal period. During crossover, the newly embarked Cast will focus on "teaching" the shows in the theatre, shadow Character and Greeter sets, watch various performances, shadow backstage, and participate in required shipboard classes required of all new hires. Content will cover onboard policies and procedures, as well as safety and security. During this time, some performers from both the newly embarked Cast and the disembarking Cast will reside in a shared guest stateroom, whereas some individuals from the newly embarked Cast will move right into their crew cabin.

During the second week of crossover, the newly embarked Cast may also "soft open" a deck party and/or theme night. A "soft open" can be very beneficial as it helps you ease into the amount of material you will be expected to open during the third week onboard. Getting a few shows under your belt and having the disembarking Cast as a supportive audience can offer encouragement! In turn, the disembarking Cast also has an opportunity to enjoy being an audience member. It creates a win-win situation for you and your fellow Cast.

Once you reach your third week onboard, your Cast will officially take over all performance duties. Tech rehearsals will continue to take place during this week prior to opening each show.