Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Income Statement (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 revenues	$ 1,068,454	$ 1,028,472	$ 977,592
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise and games revenues	95,048	92,057	86,619
Operating expenses	451,403	430,851	411,402
Selling, general and administrative	138,311	140,426	134,001
Depreciation and amortization	126,306	125,837	128,856
Loss on impairment of goodwill and other intangibles	0	0	2,293
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	30,336	11,355	62,752
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Other Assets	(6,625)	0	0
Total costs and expenses	834,779	800,526	825,923
Operating income	233,675	227,946	151,669
Interest expense (income), net	110,551	157,028	149,131
Net effect of swaps	(1,492)	(13,119)	18,194
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0	35,289
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain (loss)	(8,998)	9,909	(20,563)
Other (income) expense	0	955	0
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	0	0	0
Income (loss) before taxes	133,614	73,173	(30,382)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	31,757	7,877	2,670
Net income (loss)	101,857	65,296	(33,052)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax	369	933	(6,475)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Derivatives Qualifying as Hedges, Net of Tax	139	3,767	60,048
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	508	4,700	53,573
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	102,365	69,996	20,521
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	145,715	141,149	136,386
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise and games revenues	0	0	0
Operating expenses	5,380	5,491	5,534
Selling, general and administrative	6,495	10,073	15,093
Depreciation and amortization	37,660	37,283	36,158
Loss on impairment of goodwill and other intangibles			0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	25,997	990	732
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Other Assets	(862)
Total costs and expenses	74,670	53,837	57,517
Operating income	71,045	87,312	78,869
Interest expense (income), net	48,524	84,391	85,313
Net effect of swaps	(138)	(12,214)	10,508
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			24,831
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain (loss)	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	749	1,705	750
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	(90,022)	(60,251)	(17,498)
Income (loss) before taxes	111,932	73,681	(25,035)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	10,075	8,385	8,017
Net income (loss)	101,857	65,296	(33,052)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax	369	933	(6,475)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Derivatives Qualifying as Hedges, Net of Tax	139	3,767	60,048
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	508	4,700	53,573
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	102,365	69,996	20,521
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Magnum) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	258,136	251,064	245,983
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise and games revenues	0	0	0
Operating expenses	176,356	165,409	164,750
Selling, general and administrative	86,615	84,270	71,454
Depreciation and amortization	40	47	95
Loss on impairment of goodwill and other intangibles			0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0	0
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Other Assets	0
Total costs and expenses	263,011	249,726	236,299
Operating income	(4,875)	1,338	9,684
Interest expense (income), net	29,328	15,030	31,460
Net effect of swaps	121	718	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain (loss)	0	0	(3,079)
Other (income) expense	(9,507)	(7,798)	(6,123)
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	(66,150)	(11,912)	993
Income (loss) before taxes	41,333	5,300	(13,567)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	(9,856)	(23,000)	(320)
Net income (loss)	51,189	28,300	(13,247)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax		0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Derivatives Qualifying as Hedges, Net of Tax		(9,499)	1,916
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	114	(9,499)	1,916
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	51,303	18,801	(11,331)
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	140,418	126,972	113,513
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise and games revenues	10,316	9,932	8,917
Operating expenses	47,863	45,765	42,551
Selling, general and administrative	11,135	11,314	10,839
Depreciation and amortization	18,199	17,325	16,246
Loss on impairment of goodwill and other intangibles			0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	6	(61)	20
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Other Assets	0
Total costs and expenses	87,519	84,275	78,573
Operating income	52,899	42,697	34,940
Interest expense (income), net	40,870	52,814	31,835
Net effect of swaps	(1,475)	(1,623)	7,686
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			10,458
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain (loss)	(8,998)	9,909	(17,484)
Other (income) expense	2,020	2,349	1,811
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	(14,597)	(6,945)	2,461
Income (loss) before taxes	35,079	(13,807)	(1,827)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	3,413	2,970	456
Net income (loss)	31,666	(16,777)	(2,283)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax		933	(6,475)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Derivatives Qualifying as Hedges, Net of Tax		291	8,906
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	390	1,224	2,431
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	32,056	(15,553)	148
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	927,668	901,120	863,677
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise and games revenues	84,732	82,125	77,702
Operating expenses	625,287	606,019	580,534
Selling, general and administrative	34,066	34,769	36,615
Depreciation and amortization	70,407	71,182	76,357
Loss on impairment of goodwill and other intangibles			2,293
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	4,333	10,426	62,000
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Other Assets	(5,763)
Total costs and expenses	813,062	804,521	835,501
Operating income	114,606	96,599	28,176
Interest expense (income), net	(8,171)	4,793	523
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain (loss)	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	6,738	4,699	3,562
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	(31,759)	15,573	2,215
Income (loss) before taxes	147,798	71,534	21,876
Provision (benefit) for taxes	28,125	19,522	(5,483)
Net income (loss)	119,673	52,012	27,359
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax		0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Derivatives Qualifying as Hedges, Net of Tax		0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	0	0	0
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	119,673	52,012	27,359
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(403,483)	(391,833)	(381,967)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise and games revenues	0	0	0
Operating expenses	(403,483)	(391,833)	(381,967)
Selling, general and administrative	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Loss on impairment of goodwill and other intangibles			0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0	0
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Other Assets	0
Total costs and expenses	(403,483)	(391,833)	(381,967)
Operating income	0	0	0
Interest expense (income), net	0	0	0
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain (loss)	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	0	0	0
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	202,528	63,535	11,829
Income (loss) before taxes	(202,528)	(63,535)	(11,829)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	(202,528)	(63,535)	(11,829)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax		(933)	6,475
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Derivatives Qualifying as Hedges, Net of Tax		9,208	(10,822)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	(504)	8,275	(4,347)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	$ (203,032)	$ (55,260)	$ (16,176)