Oh, and one last thought: Origins has had a "Teacher's Hall Pass" for the past few years: Teachers (of all sorts, varieties and school types) get in free for the weekend. No promises that this will be the case again this year, (cuz I'm not the one who makes those decisions) but I'm pretty sure that will be the case again this year.
Looking at the origins website, yes, they are doing a Teacher's Hall Pass, and also they have "Early Bird Expose-a-friend" program. For every regular Early Bird ticket ($50) you can get a free "Expose a friend" ticket, as long as that friend has never been before. So, first timers, if you can find someone who's paying to go, you might be able to get a free ticket through them. Timothy