It is certainly NOT a fun job to pull the engine to pull the pan, but if you already have a hoist sitting around, you will save yourself a few headacks at the expense of a little work by pulling the engine.
To pull the pan with the engine in the car, you have to undo the motor mounts, jack up the engine, turn the crank to the exactly correct position and snake the pan out. Putting the gasklet back on is not fun at all