Consolidating Financial Information Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 52,879	$ 121,686	$ 179,282
Additions to property and equipment	(16,952)	(26,332)	(18,677)
Principal receipts from long-term receivables	12,250	13,122	19,452
Proceeds from sale of assets	168,881	115,642	51,642
Other	1,238	(753)	1,087
Cash flows provided by investing activities	165,417	101,679	53,504
Borrowings under revolving credit facilities	50,000	40,000	0
Revolving credit repayments	(50,000)	(40,000)	0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0	0	1,725,000
Payment of debt	(226,886)	(239,072)	(1,794,106)
Payment of debt issuance costs	0	(12,295)	(57,602)
Purchase of DineEquity common stock	0	(21,170)	0
Redemption of Series A Preferred Stock	0	0	190,000
Dividends	0	0	(26,117)
Restricted cash	(747)	466	119,133
Other	13,183	7,088	10,859
Intercompany transfers	0	0	0
Cash flows used in financing activities	(214,450)	(264,983)	(212,791)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	3,846	(41,618)	19,995
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	60,691	102,309	82,314
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	64,537	60,691	102,309
Parent
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	(130,100)	(139,400)	21,000
Additions to property and equipment	(4,900)	(6,700)	(8,500)
Principal receipts from long-term receivables	0	0	3,000
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0
Cash flows provided by investing activities	(4,900)	(6,700)	(5,500)
Borrowings under revolving credit facilities	50,000	40,000
Revolving credit repayments	(50,000)	(40,000)
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt			1,725,000
Payment of debt	(216,000)	(225,700)	(56,000)
Payment of debt issuance costs	0	(12,300)	(57,600)
Purchase of DineEquity common stock	0	(21,200)
Redemption of Series A Preferred Stock			190,000
Dividends			(26,100)
Restricted cash	0	0	0
Other	11,800	6,200	9,800
Intercompany transfers	339,200	385,600	(1,397,200)
Cash flows used in financing activities	135,000	132,600	7,900
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	(13,500)	23,400
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	9,900	23,400	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	9,900	9,900	23,400
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	182,500	261,400	159,800
Additions to property and equipment	(12,000)	(19,600)	(10,200)
Principal receipts from long-term receivables	12,200	13,100	16,500
Proceeds from sale of assets	168,900	115,600	48,900
Other	1,200	(700)	1,100
Cash flows provided by investing activities	170,300	108,400	56,300
Borrowings under revolving credit facilities	0	0
Revolving credit repayments	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt			0
Payment of debt	(10,900)	(13,400)	(1,738,100)
Payment of debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Purchase of DineEquity common stock	0	0
Redemption of Series A Preferred Stock			0
Dividends			0
Restricted cash	(700)	500	119,100
Other	1,400	900	1,100
Intercompany transfers	(339,000)	(384,700)	1,398,200
Cash flows used in financing activities	(349,200)	(396,700)	(219,700)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	3,600	(26,900)	(3,600)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	50,400	77,300	80,900
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	54,000	50,400	77,300
Combined Non-guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	400	(300)	(1,500)
Additions to property and equipment	0	0	0
Principal receipts from long-term receivables	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0	2,700
Other	0	0	0
Cash flows provided by investing activities	0	0	2,700
Borrowings under revolving credit facilities	0	0
Revolving credit repayments	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt			0
Payment of debt	0	0	0
Payment of debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Purchase of DineEquity common stock	0	0
Redemption of Series A Preferred Stock			0
Dividends			0
Restricted cash	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0
Intercompany transfers	(200)	(900)	(1,000)
Cash flows used in financing activities	(200)	(900)	(1,000)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	200	(1,200)	200
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	400	1,600	1,400
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	600	400	1,600
Eliminations and Reclassification
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0	0
Additions to property and equipment		0	0
Principal receipts from long-term receivables	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0
Cash flows provided by investing activities	0	0	0
Borrowings under revolving credit facilities	0	0
Revolving credit repayments	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt			0
Payment of debt	0	0	0
Payment of debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Purchase of DineEquity common stock	0	0
Redemption of Series A Preferred Stock			0
Dividends			0
Restricted cash	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0
Intercompany transfers	0	0	0
Cash flows used in financing activities	0	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0