Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)				12 Months Ended
	Apr. 22, 2020 USD ($)	Jun. 01, 2018 USD ($) item	Apr. 01, 1998 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) payment item	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2019 USD ($) item	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($) item	May 22, 2018 item
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Valuation allowance for slow moving inventory				$ 700,000	$ 400,000
Spare parts inventory for existing rides and attractions included in prepaid expenses and other current assets				21,600,000	22,900,000
Prepaid advertising				1,600,000	1,800,000
Advertising and promotions expense				19,600,000	69,500,000	$ 68,400,000
Amortization of debt issuance costs				$ 6,535,000	3,563,000	3,979,000
Number of reporting units | item				1
Number of upfront payments | payment				1
Initial membership term				12 months
Time period added to membership privileges				1 month
Number of contracts in a typical international agreement | item				1
Number of distinct promises within a typical international agreement | item				3
Repayments of Debt				$ 526,510,000	802,750,000	$ 274,000,000
Allowance for doubtful accounts				3,100,000	8,300,000
Valuation allowance				128,159,000	130,641,000
Accrued interest and penalties, income taxes				$ 0	0
Number of leased parks acquired | item		25
Number of parks owned or operated | item				26
Payments to acquire businesses			$ 976,000,000.0
Goodwill				$ 659,618,000	$ 659,618,000
Premier Parks, LLC
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Number of leased parks acquired | item		5									5
Payments to acquire businesses		$ 19,100,000
Consideration transferred		23,000,000.0
Goodwill		$ 29,400,000
Interest Rate Swap
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Notional amount										$ 300,000,000.0
Modified June 2019 Swap Agreement
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Notional amount				100,000,000.0				$ 100,000,000.0
Unmodified June 2019 Swap Agreements
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Notional amount				$ 200,000,000.0				$ 200,000,000.0
April 2020 Counter-agreements
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Notional amount							$ 300,000,000.0
Second Amended and Restated Term Loan B
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Repayments of Debt	$ 315,000,000.0
Second Amended and Restated Term Loan B | Interest Rate Swap
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Number of agreements | item									2	3
Notional amount									$ 400,000,000.0	$ 300,000,000.0
Minimum
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Property, plant and equipment, useful life				20 years
Maximum
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Property, plant and equipment, useful life				25 years
Rides and attractions | Minimum
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Property, plant and equipment, useful life				5 years
Rides and attractions | Maximum
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Property, plant and equipment, useful life				25 years
Land improvements | Minimum
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Property, plant and equipment, useful life				10 years
Land improvements | Maximum
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Property, plant and equipment, useful life				15 years
Buildings and improvements
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Property, plant and equipment, useful life				30 years
Furniture and Equipment | Minimum
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Property, plant and equipment, useful life				5 years
Furniture and Equipment | Maximum
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Property, plant and equipment, useful life				10 years