OK, I’m assuming that you used the TPs from the book. As you said, they work, but you need to bear in mind that they are generic plans designed with the average WDW guest in mind, so they will not necessarily be the best plan for you and the days that you will be visiting.
Here is where the Personalized TPs come in. You enter the attractions you want to visit, the day you will be there, and even the times you plan on arriving/leaving, and the Optimizer will design the best plan for you based on projected wait times for that day. This plan will be even more helpful than the generic plan, regardless of whether you are there on a “1” day or a “10”. It also gives you recommendations for FPP reservations, but the process for working these reservations into your plan can be a little tricky, so you might want to check out Making Optimized Personalized Touring Plans with FastPass+ - #48 by Loras
Re UOR and Express Pass, my advice is to make a PTP and Optimize it both with and without XP and see if the additional expense is worth it to you. XP can be very expensive, and many people have found that it is cheaper to book a room at a deluxe UOR resort where you will get unlimited XP and Early Entry into the parks.