If you are planning to use public transit during the World Cup, you may have seen the promotional 3-day ORCA pass. While this pass can be a great way to explore the region, there are important details to keep in mind if you plan to ride Seattle Center Monorail.
Regional 3-Day ORCA Pass Limitations
The 3-day ORCA pass covers fares up to $3 for adults and $1 for reduced-fare cardholders. Because the Monorail fare exceeds these amounts, the ORCA pass will not fully cover your ride. This also applies to the King County Water Taxi and Sounder trains. Additionally, this pass is not valid on Washington State Ferries or Kitsap Transit Fast Ferries.
If you use the 3-day ORCA pass on the Monorail without adding extra e-purse funds to your card first, your account will go into a negative balance. Once an ORCA card reaches a balance of -$2.75, it is automatically blocked and cannot be used again until it is reloaded.
Easy Ways to Ride the Monorail
To ensure a smooth trip and avoid the hassle of a blocked ORCA card, we recommend one of the following options:
1. Seattle Center Monorail 3-Day Fan Pass
If you plan to make repeat visits to the Seattle Center fan celebration sites or exploring the incredible attractions at Seattle Center like the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, MOPOP, Seattle Children’s Museum, International Fountain, and more, this is your best value:
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Price: $20 per person.
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Benefits: Unlimited rides for three consecutive days.
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Convenience: Available online only at www.seattlemonorail.com/fan-pass. It is delivered as a QR code to your phone so you can skip the lines at ticket machines and scan directly at the faregates.
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Validity: Use it anytime from June 1 through July 15.
2. Pre-Purchase Single or Round-Trip Tickets
If you don’t need a multi-day pass, you can purchase one-way or round-trip tickets ahead of time at SeattleMonorail.com. This is the fastest way to board if you aren’t using a multi-day pass.
3. Standard ORCA Tap
You can still use your standard ORCA card by tapping at the faregates. Monorail fares are $4 for adults and $2 for reduced-rate cardholders. Just ensure your card has enough e-purse value loaded to cover the full fare.
By planning your fare ahead of time, you can move easily between downtown and Seattle Center and spend more time enjoying the festivities!
Additional ORCA Resources:
Add or reload e-Purse funds or passes to your ORCA card: https://www.myorca.com/reload-my-card/
Find a physical location to buy or reload your ORCA card: https://www.myorca.com/where-to-buy/
