@clockwatcher:
If one door does indeed lead to say Oz or Narnia, I’m pretty sure that would confirm the alternative reality theory. Because, whether it be a dream ( like Oz was ) or truly another world, time passes at a different rate in those worlds. In fact, in Narnia you can be gone months & in the ‘real world’ – only have been gone around a few moments or days tops.
So I think it’s a possibility that the character’s could be in both worlds at the same time, since time is subjective & really it’s only a construct that humanity has invented; which is the case whether the world is the ‘real world’ or not.
I think a huge ulterior motive for Rumple if this turns out to even be plausible would be to either find Baelfire after he became the Dark one. Or perhaps go a step further & fix his ‘cowardly’ actions in reference to the first Ogre Wars.
Either way, this is all just speculation for fun. But I for one would think it would make an interesting plot point if either Regina or Rumple could go back & change the thing that made them ‘evil’ – just to see how differently things might play out.