Fair Value Measurements (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 27, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative liability		$ (32,260,000)		$ (32,400,000)
Current derivative liability		0		(50,772,000)
Net derivative liability		32,260,000		83,172,000
Increase in net derivative liability		900,000
Loss on impairment of goodwill and other intangibles		0		0		2,293,000
Trade-name impairment	1,400,000
Fair value of term debt		1,117,100,000		1,159,300,000
Fair value of notes		353,800,000		368,100,000
Wildwater Kingdom [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use		25,000,000
California's Great America [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use						62,000,000
Total [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Net derivative liability		(32,260,000)		(83,172,000)
Total [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Long-lived fixed assets		19,800,000
Level 2 [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Net derivative liability		(32,260,000)		(83,172,000)
Designated As Hedging [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Net derivative liability		32,260,000		32,400,000
Designated As Hedging [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative liability		(32,260,000)		(32,400,000)
Designated As Hedging [Member] | Total [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative liability		(32,260,000)	[1]	(32,400,000)	[1]
Designated As Hedging [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative liability		0		0
Designated As Hedging [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative liability		32,260,000		32,400,000
Designated As Hedging [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative liability		0		0
Not Designated As Hedging [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Net derivative liability		0		50,772,000
Not Designated As Hedging [Member] | Cross-Currency Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Current derivative liability		0		(37,617,000)
Not Designated As Hedging [Member] | Foreign Currency Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Current derivative liability		0		(13,155,000)
Not Designated As Hedging [Member] | Total [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Cross-Currency Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Current derivative liability				(37,617,000)	[2]
Not Designated As Hedging [Member] | Total [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Foreign Currency Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Current derivative liability				(13,155,000)	[2]
Not Designated As Hedging [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Cross-Currency Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Current derivative liability				0
Not Designated As Hedging [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Foreign Currency Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Current derivative liability				0
Not Designated As Hedging [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Cross-Currency Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Current derivative liability				37,617,000
Not Designated As Hedging [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Foreign Currency Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Current derivative liability				13,155,000
Not Designated As Hedging [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Cross-Currency Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Current derivative liability				0
Not Designated As Hedging [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Foreign Currency Swap [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Current derivative liability				$ 0

[1] Included in "Derivative Liability" on the Consolidated Balance Sheet

[2] Included in "Current derivative liability" on the Consolidated Balance Sheet