Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012	May 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 78,830		$ 35,524	$ 9,765	$ 11,928
Receivables	18,192		7,611
Inventories	27,840		33,069
Current deferred tax asset	8,184		10,345
Other current assets	8,060		11,966
Total current assets	141,106		98,515
Property and equipment (net)	1,544,272		1,610,702
Investment In Park	0		0
Intercompany Note Receivable			0
Goodwill	246,221		243,490		246,259
Other intangibles, net	40,652		40,273
Deferred Tax Asset	0		0
Intercompany Receivable	0		0
Other Assets	47,614		54,188
Assets	2,019,865		2,047,168
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	16,000	15,921
Accounts payable	10,734		12,856
Deferred revenue	39,485		29,594
Accrued interest	15,512		15,762
Accrued taxes	17,813		16,008
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	24,836		33,388
Self-insurance reserves	23,906		21,243
Current derivative liability	0		50,772
Other accrued liabilities	5,916		7,899
Total current liabilities	138,202		203,443
Deferred Tax Liability	153,792		130,427
Derivative Liability	32,260		32,400
Other Liabilities	8,980		4,090
Intercompany Note Payable			0
Long-Term Debt:
Term debt	1,131,100		1,140,179
Notes	401,080		400,279
Long-term debt, noncurrent	1,532,180		1,540,458
Equity	154,451		136,350	121,628
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	2,019,865		2,047,168
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	25,000		0	0	0
Receivables	4		0
Inventories	0		0
Current deferred tax asset	0		0
Other current assets	563		508
Total current assets	25,567		508
Property and equipment (net)	439,506		455,579
Investment In Park	485,136		513,369
Intercompany Note Receivable			0
Goodwill	9,061		9,061
Other intangibles, net	0		0
Deferred Tax Asset	0		0
Intercompany Receivable	877,612		887,344
Other Assets	22,048		27,641
Assets	1,858,930		1,893,502
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt			15,921
Accounts payable	147,264		175,968
Deferred revenue	0		0
Accrued interest	98		198
Accrued taxes	4,518		3,909
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	0		0
Self-insurance reserves	0		0
Current derivative liability			0
Other accrued liabilities	1,110		1,247
Total current liabilities	152,990		197,243
Deferred Tax Liability	0		0
Derivative Liability	19,309		19,451
Other Liabilities	0		0
Intercompany Note Payable			0
Long-Term Debt:
Term debt	1,131,100		1,140,179
Notes	401,080		400,279
Long-term debt, noncurrent	1,532,180		1,540,458
Equity	154,451		136,350
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	1,858,930		1,893,502
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Magnum) [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	444		512	1,461	1,243
Receivables	101,093		62,408
Inventories	1,724		1,547
Current deferred tax asset	3,705		6,239
Other current assets	17,858		13,461
Total current assets	124,824		84,167
Property and equipment (net)	1,013		1,044
Investment In Park	772,183		655,801
Intercompany Note Receivable			93,845
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangibles, net	0		0
Deferred Tax Asset	36,443		47,646
Intercompany Receivable	1,070,125		1,084,112
Other Assets	14,832		16,158
Assets	2,019,420		1,982,773
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt			15,921
Accounts payable	213,279		144,868
Deferred revenue	0		0
Accrued interest	64		131
Accrued taxes	0		0
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	17,932		26,916
Self-insurance reserves	5,528		3,977
Current derivative liability			0
Other accrued liabilities	2,502		5,568
Total current liabilities	239,305		197,381
Deferred Tax Liability	0		0
Derivative Liability	12,951		12,949
Other Liabilities	5,480		4,090
Intercompany Note Payable			0
Long-Term Debt:
Term debt	1,131,100		1,140,179
Notes	401,080		400,279
Long-term debt, noncurrent	1,532,180		1,540,458
Equity	229,504		227,895
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	2,019,420		1,982,773
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	50,173		31,540	6,943	9,947
Receivables	71,099		69,285
Inventories	2,352		2,703
Current deferred tax asset	816		772
Other current assets	530		1,027
Total current assets	124,970		105,327
Property and equipment (net)	268,157		266,111
Investment In Park	115,401		114,810
Intercompany Note Receivable			0
Goodwill	125,942		123,210
Other intangibles, net	17,835		17,448
Deferred Tax Asset	0		0
Intercompany Receivable	1,116,623		1,141,302
Other Assets	8,419		9,353
Assets	1,777,347		1,777,561
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt			15,921
Accounts payable	16,101		25,631
Deferred revenue	4,996		2,891
Accrued interest	15,350		15,433
Accrued taxes	6,239		7,374
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	1,214		1,076
Self-insurance reserves	1,754		1,711
Current derivative liability			50,772
Other accrued liabilities	140		252
Total current liabilities	45,794		121,061
Deferred Tax Liability	63,460		58,463
Derivative Liability	0		0
Other Liabilities	0		0
Intercompany Note Payable			0
Long-Term Debt:
Term debt	1,131,100		1,140,179
Notes	401,080		400,279
Long-term debt, noncurrent	1,532,180		1,540,458
Equity	135,913		57,579
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	1,777,347		1,777,561
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	3,213		3,472	1,361	738
Receivables	498,555		412,095
Inventories	23,764		28,819
Current deferred tax asset	3,663		3,334
Other current assets	5,490		7,822
Total current assets	534,685		455,542
Property and equipment (net)	835,596		887,968
Investment In Park	53,790		36,906
Intercompany Note Receivable			0
Goodwill	111,218		111,219
Other intangibles, net	22,817		22,825
Deferred Tax Asset	90		0
Intercompany Receivable	0		0
Other Assets	2,315		1,036
Assets	1,560,511		1,515,496
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt			0
Accounts payable	286,649		202,566
Deferred revenue	34,489		26,703
Accrued interest	0		0
Accrued taxes	23,437		15,577
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	5,690		5,396
Self-insurance reserves	16,624		15,555
Current derivative liability			0
Other accrued liabilities	2,164		832
Total current liabilities	369,053		266,629
Deferred Tax Liability	126,865		119,610
Derivative Liability	0		0
Other Liabilities	3,500		0
Intercompany Note Payable			93,845
Long-Term Debt:
Term debt	0		0
Notes	0		0
Long-term debt, noncurrent	0		0
Equity	1,061,093		1,035,412
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	1,560,511		1,515,496
Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0	0
Receivables	(652,559)		(536,177)
Inventories	0		0
Current deferred tax asset	0		0
Other current assets	(16,381)		(10,852)
Total current assets	(668,940)		(547,029)
Property and equipment (net)	0		0
Investment In Park	(1,426,510)		(1,320,886)
Intercompany Note Receivable			(93,845)
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangibles, net	0		0
Deferred Tax Asset	(36,533)		(47,646)
Intercompany Receivable	(3,064,360)		(3,112,758)
Other Assets	0		0
Assets	(5,196,343)		(5,122,164)
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt			(31,842)
Accounts payable	(652,559)		(536,177)
Deferred revenue	0		0
Accrued interest	0		0
Accrued taxes	(16,381)		(10,852)
Accrued salaries, wages and benefits	0		0
Self-insurance reserves	0		0
Current derivative liability			0
Other accrued liabilities	0		0
Total current liabilities	(668,940)		(578,871)
Deferred Tax Liability	(36,533)		(47,646)
Derivative Liability	0		0
Other Liabilities	0		0
Intercompany Note Payable			(93,845)
Long-Term Debt:
Term debt	(2,262,200)		(2,280,358)
Notes	(802,160)		(800,558)
Long-term debt, noncurrent	(3,064,360)		(3,080,916)
Equity	(1,426,510)		(1,320,886)
Total Partners' Equity and Liabilities	$ (5,196,343)		$ (5,122,164)