While you do make compelling points Phee, I do think that it worked. You are correct in the “signs of the hats magic” thing, but I do not believe there was enough magic in the hat to thoroughly go between worlds, because, as you said, Emma was not thoroughly convinced, which held back her powers. However, there was, as you said, a “whooshing sound”, which makes me believe that something magical did indeed happen. Besides, if someone just karate kicked me out of a window, and fell 2-3 stories with shard of glass all around me, I wouldn’t immediately be on my feet. That sound was magic. How strong, we don’t know. He could have gone to a different part of Storybrooke, or to a different time, maybe a few hours later in that spot. He could have even literally gone into the hat, with just enough magic to shrink him, but not enough to actually open the portal to the Hall of Doors (https://oncepodcast.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=477&hilit=hat#p3634) and then had to wait until the spell wore off. The point I’m trying to make is there was SOMETHING magical that happened with that hat, and perhaps the Fairydust is all that’s needed to access it’s full potential.