You don't need to support the engine from above to change the oilpan. You can jack it up via the tranny pan (with a piece of wood on your jack so you don't dent the pan) - don't forget to disconnect the mounts.
I don't think dropping the subframe really improves the access to the oilpan. The three biggest PITA bolts are the ones that hold the motor mount u-bracket to the side of the block. With the tranny connected to the bell-housing, there is about 2" of room to get a wrench in there. Expect about 30 min per bolt (you can rotate about 15* at a time, getting them tapped during reinstallation is 2x harder), lots of hand cramps, and lots of f-bombs.
Once you get this bracket loose, it's relatively smooth sailing.
