Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-24589671-20141026162403/@comment-24674051-20141027171748

Rumple sending Anna back to Arendelle is not the same a portaling between the EF and the LWM. There has been enough evidence provided to lead me to believe that Arendelle and Mist Haven (aka the Enchanted Forest) are actualy 2 parts of the same world, and that people can travel back and forth when necessary. Rumple and Regina (and any other wizard type that can teleport) can easily teleport between these realms, so it is not a stretch, imo, to be able to teleport others between these realms.

Portaling between disconnected realms (like Neverland, the LWM, Wonderland, and maybe even Oz) generally requires some type of special magic. Magic beans are the most common refered to, though we have also seen the Mad Hatter's hat, the Looking Glass, and a Magic Wardrobe. But I get the impression that these are very special, very specific, and very powerful enchantments that require a lot of magic (which as we all know, comes with a price), and except for the Hat, these all seemed to be one-shot items.

When Emma and Mary Margaret returned from the EF to Storybrooke in Season 2, it took taking the remains of the wardrobe to Lake Nostus to return it's power and a special compass (obtained from a giant) in order top open a portal back to Storybrooke. And even Hook needed Magic Beans any time he wanted to sail to a different realm (the Jolly Roger just made it easier to bring a whole crew with him).