Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers 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]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 285,933	$ 218,177	$ 182,115
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	0	0	0
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	16,058
Capital expenditures	(96,232)	(90,190)	(71,706)
Net cash from (for) investing activities	(80,174)	(90,190)	(71,706)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Payments for (Proceeds from) Derivative Instrument, Financing Activities	(50,450)	0	0
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans		(23,200)	(63,100)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			0
Term debt borrowings	0	22,938	1,175,000
Note borrowings	0	0	399,383
Term debt payments, including early termination penalties	(25,000)	(23,900)	(1,566,890)
Intercompany (payments) receipts	0	0
Distributions (paid) received	(88,813)	(55,347)	(13,834)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent	0
Return of capital			0
Payment of debt issuance costs	0	(21,214)	(43,264)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options	76	5	7
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	1,208	0	0
Net cash (for) financing activities	(162,979)	(100,718)	(112,698)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	526	(1,510)	126
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	43,306	25,759	(2,163)
Balance, beginning of period	35,524	9,765	11,928
Balance, end of period	78,830	35,524	9,765
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	129,402	147,385	82,230
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	31,496	(14,404)	14,840
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	(1,173)
Capital expenditures	(33,664)	(41,851)	(26,165)
Net cash from (for) investing activities	(995)	(56,255)	(11,325)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Payments for (Proceeds from) Derivative Instrument, Financing Activities	0
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans		(23,200)	(63,100)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			699,625
Term debt borrowings		13,246	680,000
Note borrowings			0
Term debt payments, including early termination penalties	(14,468)	(13,831)	(1,351,464)
Intercompany (payments) receipts	0	0
Distributions (paid) received	(88,939)	(55,562)	(13,891)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent	0
Return of capital			0
Payment of debt issuance costs		(11,783)	(22,075)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options	0	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	0
Net cash (for) financing activities	(103,407)	(91,130)	(70,905)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	25,000	0	0
Balance, beginning of period	0	0	0
Balance, end of period	25,000	0	0
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Magnum) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	30,355	(149,801)	(62,109)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	(55,458)	(18,973)	222,495
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	0
Capital expenditures	(8)	0	0
Net cash from (for) investing activities	(55,466)	(18,973)	222,495
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Payments for (Proceeds from) Derivative Instrument, Financing Activities	0
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans		0	0
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			(696,875)
Term debt borrowings		9,357	480,000
Note borrowings			0
Term debt payments, including early termination penalties	(10,212)	(9,763)	(7,327)
Intercompany (payments) receipts	93,845	176,343
Distributions (paid) received	126	215	57
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent	(60,000)
Return of capital			75,247
Payment of debt issuance costs		(8,332)	(11,277)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options	76	5	7
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	1,208
Net cash (for) financing activities	25,043	167,825	(160,168)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(68)	(949)	218
Balance, beginning of period	512	1,461	1,243
Balance, end of period	444	512	1,461
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	20,829	51,510	(3,649)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	2,599	(4,989)	(113,173)
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	0
Capital expenditures	(14,551)	(19,344)	(7,433)
Net cash from (for) investing activities	(11,952)	(24,333)	(120,606)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Payments for (Proceeds from) Derivative Instrument, Financing Activities	(50,450)
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans		0	0
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			0
Term debt borrowings		335	15,000
Note borrowings			399,383
Term debt payments, including early termination penalties	(320)	(306)	(208,099)
Intercompany (payments) receipts	0	0
Distributions (paid) received	0	0	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent	60,000
Return of capital			(75,247)
Payment of debt issuance costs		(1,099)	(9,912)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options	0	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	0
Net cash (for) financing activities	9,230	(1,070)	121,125
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	526	(1,510)	126
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	18,633	24,597	(3,004)
Balance, beginning of period	31,540	6,943	9,947
Balance, end of period	50,173	31,540	6,943
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	143,062	187,328	41,710
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	(16,352)	20,121	(229)
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	14,885
Capital expenditures	(48,009)	(28,995)	(38,108)
Net cash from (for) investing activities	(49,476)	(8,874)	(38,337)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Payments for (Proceeds from) Derivative Instrument, Financing Activities	0
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans		0	0
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			(2,750)
Term debt borrowings		0	0
Note borrowings			0
Term debt payments, including early termination penalties	0	0	0
Intercompany (payments) receipts	(93,845)	(176,343)
Distributions (paid) received	0	0	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent	0
Return of capital			0
Payment of debt issuance costs		0	0
Exercise of limited partnership unit options	0	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	0
Net cash (for) financing activities	(93,845)	(176,343)	(2,750)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(259)	2,111	623
Balance, beginning of period	3,472	1,361	738
Balance, end of period	3,213	3,472	1,361
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(37,715)	(18,245)	123,933
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	37,715	18,245	(123,933)
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	0
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Net cash from (for) investing activities	37,715	18,245	(123,933)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Payments for (Proceeds from) Derivative Instrument, Financing Activities	0
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans		0	0
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			0
Term debt borrowings		0	0
Note borrowings			0
Term debt payments, including early termination penalties	0	0	0
Intercompany (payments) receipts	0	0
Distributions (paid) received	0	0	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent	0
Return of capital			0
Payment of debt issuance costs		0	0
Exercise of limited partnership unit options	0	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	0
Net cash (for) financing activities	0	0	0
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	0	0	0
Balance, beginning of period	0	0	0
Balance, end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0