Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jul. 01, 2012	May 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 26, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 27, 2010
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 35,929		$ 35,524	$ 35,679	$ 9,765	$ 23,930
Receivables	42,953		7,611	27,436
Inventories	51,236		33,069	52,264
Current deferred tax asset	10,345		10,345	12,867
Prepaid Insurance	16,250		812	5,811
Income Taxes Receivable, Current	10,083		0	0
Other current assets	9,339		11,154	8,077
Total current assets	176,135		98,515	142,134
Property and equipment (net)	1,629,733		1,619,492	1,666,952
Investment In Park	0		0	0
Intercompany Note Receivable	0		0	0
Goodwill	243,239		243,490	247,500
Other intangibes, net	40,249		40,273	40,819
Deferred Tax Asset	0		0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0		0	0
Other Assets	52,542		54,188	58,906
Assets	2,141,898		2,055,958	2,156,311
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	16,000	15,921	11,800
Accounts payable	38,292		12,856	43,240
Deferred revenue	108,467		29,594	95,734
Accrued interest	16,029		15,762	23,870
Accrued taxes	10,740		16,008	6,703
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	37,709		33,388	28,379
Self-insurance reserves	23,198		21,243	21,947
Current derivative liability	0		50,772	77,573
Other accrued liabilities	8,652		7,899	12,061
Total current liabilities	243,087		203,443	321,307
Deferred Tax Liability	137,288		133,767	128,203
Derivative Liability	35,146		32,400	16,750
Other Liabilities	7,121		4,090	3,963
Intercompany Note Payable	0		0	0
Long-Term Debt:
Revolving credit loans	111,000		0	85,000
Term debt	1,140,100		1,140,179	1,165,250
Notes	400,647		400,279	399,756
Total long-term debt	1,651,747		1,540,458	1,650,006
Equity	67,509		141,800	36,082
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	2,141,898		2,055,958	2,156,311
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	6,000	0	0
Receivables	0		0	584
Inventories	0		0	0
Current deferred tax asset	0		0	0
Income Taxes Receivable, Current	0
Other current assets	800		508	574
Total current assets	800		508	7,158
Property and equipment (net)	465,146		455,579	468,308
Investment In Park	476,442		518,819	440,804
Intercompany Note Receivable	0		0	0
Goodwill	9,061		9,061	9,061
Other intangibes, net	0		0	0
Deferred Tax Asset	0		0	0
Intercompany Receivable	880,971		887,344	895,647
Other Assets	24,678		27,641	30,285
Assets	1,857,098		1,898,952	1,851,263
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt			15,921	11,800
Accounts payable	108,234		175,968	107,705
Deferred revenue	0		0	0
Accrued interest	481		198	6,497
Accrued taxes	7,083		3,909	5,849
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	1		0	0
Self-insurance reserves	0		0	0
Current derivative liability			0	20,193
Other accrued liabilities	953		1,247	2,677
Total current liabilities	116,752		197,243	154,721
Deferred Tax Liability	0		0	0
Derivative Liability	21,090		19,451	10,454
Other Liabilities	0		0	0
Intercompany Note Payable	0		0	0
Long-Term Debt:
Revolving credit loans	111,000			85,000
Term debt	1,140,100		1,140,179	1,165,250
Notes	400,647		400,279	399,756
Total long-term debt	1,651,747		1,540,458	1,650,006
Equity	67,509		141,800	36,082
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	1,857,098		1,898,952	1,851,263
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Magnum) [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		512	2,962	1,461	4,040
Receivables	71,210		62,408	37,591
Inventories	4,861		1,547	4,187
Current deferred tax asset	6,239		6,239	8,679
Income Taxes Receivable, Current	0
Other current assets	2,971		13,008	2,291
Total current assets	95,462		84,167	57,244
Property and equipment (net)	1,025		1,044	1,067
Investment In Park	709,219		661,251	607,199
Intercompany Note Receivable	86,362		93,845	269,500
Goodwill	0		0	0
Other intangibes, net	0		0	0
Deferred Tax Asset	43,471		47,646	47,300
Intercompany Receivable	1,186,016		1,084,112	1,180,981
Other Assets	16,454		16,158	17,613
Assets	2,138,009		1,988,223	2,180,904
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt			15,921	11,800
Accounts payable	233,508		144,868	325,267
Deferred revenue	0		0	0
Accrued interest	195		131	1,442
Accrued taxes	571		0	243
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	26,108		26,916	20,560
Self-insurance reserves	4,280		3,977	3,489
Current derivative liability			0	0
Other accrued liabilities	4,489		5,568	5,808
Total current liabilities	269,151		197,381	368,609
Deferred Tax Liability	0		0	0
Derivative Liability	14,056		12,949	6,296
Other Liabilities	3,621		4,090	3,963
Intercompany Note Payable	0		0	0
Long-Term Debt:
Revolving credit loans	111,000			85,000
Term debt	1,140,100		1,140,179	1,165,250
Notes	400,647		400,279	399,756
Total long-term debt	1,651,747		1,540,458	1,650,006
Equity	199,434		233,345	152,030
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	2,138,009		1,988,223	2,180,904
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	13,974		31,540	9,902	6,943	3,313
Receivables	64,931		69,285	73,594
Inventories	4,663		2,703	4,954
Current deferred tax asset	772		772	779
Income Taxes Receivable, Current	10,083
Other current assets	908		977	3,350
Total current assets	95,927		105,327	93,360
Property and equipment (net)	272,511		266,111	272,095
Investment In Park	118,265		118,385	118,428
Intercompany Note Receivable	0		0	0
Goodwill	122,960		123,210	127,220
Other intangibes, net	17,412		17,448	18,016
Deferred Tax Asset	0		0	0
Intercompany Receivable	1,236,507		1,141,302	1,246,984
Other Assets	9,010		9,353	9,795
Assets	1,872,592		1,781,136	1,885,898
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt			15,921	11,800
Accounts payable	14,320		25,631	9,770
Deferred revenue	19,946		2,891	18,955
Accrued interest	15,353		15,433	15,931
Accrued taxes	59		7,374	0
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	2,410		1,076	1,641
Self-insurance reserves	1,771		1,711	1,689
Current derivative liability			50,772	57,380
Other accrued liabilities	935		252	658
Total current liabilities	54,794		121,061	117,824
Deferred Tax Liability	58,162		58,463	62,779
Derivative Liability	0		0	0
Other Liabilities	0		0	0
Intercompany Note Payable	0		0	0
Long-Term Debt:
Revolving credit loans	111,000			85,000
Term debt	1,140,100		1,140,179	1,165,250
Notes	400,647		400,279	399,756
Total long-term debt	1,651,747		1,540,458	1,650,006
Equity	107,889		61,154	55,289
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	1,872,592		1,781,136	1,885,898
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	27,476		3,472	16,815	1,361	16,577
Receivables	436,324		412,095	519,644
Inventories	41,712		28,819	43,123
Current deferred tax asset	3,334		3,334	3,409
Income Taxes Receivable, Current	0
Other current assets	4,660		7,513	4,723
Total current assets	518,979		455,542	591,210
Property and equipment (net)	891,051		896,758	925,482
Investment In Park	26,807		40,481	34,095
Intercompany Note Receivable	0		0	0
Goodwill	111,218		111,219	111,219
Other intangibes, net	22,837		22,825	22,803
Deferred Tax Asset	0		0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0		0	0
Other Assets	2,400		1,036	1,213
Assets	1,573,292		1,527,861	1,686,022
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt			0	0
Accounts payable	217,263		202,566	204,475
Deferred revenue	88,521		26,703	76,779
Accrued interest	0		0	0
Accrued taxes	3,027		15,577	3,472
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	9,190		5,396	6,178
Self-insurance reserves	17,147		15,555	16,769
Current derivative liability			0	0
Other accrued liabilities	2,275		832	2,918
Total current liabilities	337,423		266,629	310,591
Deferred Tax Liability	122,597		122,950	112,724
Derivative Liability	0		0	0
Other Liabilities	3,500		0	0
Intercompany Note Payable	86,362		93,845	269,500
Long-Term Debt:
Revolving credit loans	0			0
Term debt	0		0	0
Notes	0		0	0
Total long-term debt	0		0	0
Equity	1,023,410		1,044,437	993,207
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	1,573,292		1,527,861	1,686,022
Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	(5,521)		0	0	0	0
Receivables	(529,512)		(536,177)	(603,977)
Inventories	0		0	0
Current deferred tax asset	0		0	0
Income Taxes Receivable, Current	0
Other current assets	0		(10,852)	(2,861)
Total current assets	(535,033)		(547,029)	(606,838)
Property and equipment (net)	0		0	0
Investment In Park	(1,330,733)		(1,338,936)	(1,200,526)
Intercompany Note Receivable	(86,362)		(93,845)	(269,500)
Goodwill	0		0	0
Other intangibes, net	0		0	0
Deferred Tax Asset	(43,471)		(47,646)	(47,300)
Intercompany Receivable	(3,303,494)		(3,112,758)	(3,323,612)
Other Assets	0		0	0
Assets	(5,299,093)		(5,140,214)	(5,447,776)
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt			(31,842)	(23,600)
Accounts payable	(535,033)		(536,177)	(603,977)
Deferred revenue	0		0	0
Accrued interest	0		0	0
Accrued taxes	0		(10,852)	(2,861)
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	0		0	0
Self-insurance reserves	0		0	0
Current derivative liability			0	0
Other accrued liabilities	0		0	0
Total current liabilities	(535,033)		(578,871)	(630,438)
Deferred Tax Liability	(43,471)		(47,646)	(47,300)
Derivative Liability	0		0	0
Other Liabilities	0		0	0
Intercompany Note Payable	(86,362)		(93,845)	(269,500)
Long-Term Debt:
Revolving credit loans	(222,000)			(170,000)
Term debt	(2,280,200)		(2,280,358)	(2,330,500)
Notes	(801,294)		(800,558)	(799,512)
Total long-term debt	(3,303,494)		(3,080,916)	(3,300,012)
Equity	(1,330,733)		(1,338,936)	(1,200,526)
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	$ (5,299,093)		$ (5,140,214)	$ (5,447,776)