https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/base-system/dhcp_configuration#hostnames
https://forum.openwrt.org/t/cant-reach-public-ip-from-within-lan/110520
https://forum.openwrt.org/t/22-03-2-nat-reflection-hairpinning/146458
Had never gotten it working, then waited. Thought I'd check for an update and see if some of the options I was recommended would appear within gui. No avail, I still hadn't learned much more about my issue. Then I started searching again, and stumbled upon the links above and ended up just adding the domain name entries and set the ip for them:
uci add dhcp domain
uci set dhcp.@domain[-1].name="my.domain"
uci set dhcp.@domain[-1].ip="host.ip.address"
uci add dhcp domain
uci commit dhcp
service dnsmasq restart
I had to do this for my subdomains as well but I don't have that many so I didn't mind this option. It works and I don't have to mess with host files across multiple devices.
Despite this working, I was still interested in figuring out how the NAT hair pinning / reflection zone worked as it seemed the issue arises when using vlans. Either way, I would say this thread is done. Thanks for the help.