Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Cash Flows (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 285,933,000	$ 218,177,000	$ 182,115,000
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	0	0	0
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	16,058,000
Capital expenditures	(96,232,000)	(90,190,000)	(71,706,000)
Net cash from (for) investing activities	(80,174,000)	(90,190,000)	(71,706,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Payments for (Proceeds from) Derivative Instrument, Financing Activities	(50,450,000)	0	0
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans		(23,200,000)	(63,100,000)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			0
Term debt borrowings	0	22,938,000	1,175,000,000
Note borrowings	0	0	399,383,000
Term debt payments, including early termination penalties	(25,000,000)	(23,900,000)	(1,566,890,000)
Intercompany (payments) receipts	0	0
Distributions (paid) received	(88,813,000)	(55,347,000)	(13,834,000)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent	0
Return of capital			0
Payment of debt issuance costs	0	(21,214,000)	(43,264,000)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options	76,000	5,000	7,000
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	1,208,000	0	0
Net cash (for) financing activities	(162,979,000)	(100,718,000)	(112,698,000)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	526,000	(1,510,000)	126,000
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	43,306,000	25,759,000	(2,163,000)
Balance, beginning of period	35,524,000	9,765,000	11,928,000
Balance, end of period	78,830,000	35,524,000	9,765,000
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	130,043,000	141,935,000	82,230,000
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	30,855,000	(8,954,000)	14,840,000
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	(1,173,000)
Capital expenditures	(33,664,000)	(41,851,000)	(26,165,000)
Net cash from (for) investing activities	(1,636,000)	(50,805,000)	(11,325,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Payments for (Proceeds from) Derivative Instrument, Financing Activities	0
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans		(23,200,000)	(63,100,000)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			699,625,000
Term debt borrowings		13,246,000	680,000,000
Note borrowings			0
Term debt payments, including early termination penalties	(14,468,000)	(13,831,000)	(1,351,464,000)
Intercompany (payments) receipts	0	0
Distributions (paid) received	(88,939,000)	(55,562,000)	(13,891,000)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent	0
Return of capital			0
Payment of debt issuance costs		(11,783,000)	(22,075,000)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options	0	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	0
Net cash (for) financing activities	(103,407,000)	(91,130,000)	(70,905,000)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	25,000,000	0	0
Balance, beginning of period	0	0	0
Balance, end of period	25,000,000	0	0
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Magnum) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	30,996,000	(155,251,000)	(62,109,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	(56,099,000)	(13,523,000)	222,495,000
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	0
Capital expenditures	(8,000)	0	0
Net cash from (for) investing activities	(56,107,000)	(13,523,000)	222,495,000
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			(696,875,000)
Term debt borrowings		9,357,000	480,000,000
Note borrowings			0
Term debt payments, including early termination penalties	(10,212,000)	(9,763,000)	(7,327,000)
Intercompany (payments) receipts	93,845,000	176,343,000
Distributions (paid) received	126,000	215,000	57,000
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent	(60,000,000)
Return of capital			75,247,000
Payment of debt issuance costs		(8,332,000)	(11,277,000)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options	76,000	5,000	7,000
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	1,208,000
Net cash (for) financing activities	25,043,000	167,825,000	(160,168,000)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(68,000)	(949,000)	218,000
Balance, beginning of period	512,000	1,461,000	1,243,000
Balance, end of period	444,000	512,000	1,461,000
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	21,256,000	47,935,000	(3,649,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	2,172,000	(1,414,000)	(113,173,000)
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	0
Capital expenditures	(14,551,000)	(19,344,000)	(7,433,000)
Net cash from (for) investing activities	(12,379,000)	(20,758,000)	(120,606,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Payments for (Proceeds from) Derivative Instrument, Financing Activities	(50,450,000)
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans		0	0
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			0
Term debt borrowings		335,000	15,000,000
Note borrowings			399,383,000
Term debt payments, including early termination penalties	(320,000)	(306,000)	(208,099,000)
Intercompany (payments) receipts	0	0
Distributions (paid) received	0	0	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent	60,000,000
Return of capital			(75,247,000)
Payment of debt issuance costs		(1,099,000)	(9,912,000)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options	0	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	0
Net cash (for) financing activities	9,230,000	(1,070,000)	121,125,000
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	526,000	(1,510,000)	126,000
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	18,633,000	24,597,000	(3,004,000)
Balance, beginning of period	31,540,000	6,943,000	9,947,000
Balance, end of period	50,173,000	31,540,000	6,943,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	143,489,000	183,753,000	41,710,000
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	(16,779,000)	23,696,000	(229,000)
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	14,885,000
Capital expenditures	(48,009,000)	(28,995,000)	(38,108,000)
Net cash from (for) investing activities	(49,903,000)	(5,299,000)	(38,337,000)
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			(2,750,000)
Term debt borrowings		0	0
Note borrowings			0
Term debt payments, including early termination penalties	0	0	0
Intercompany (payments) receipts	(93,845,000)	(176,343,000)
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	(93,845,000)	(176,343,000)	(2,750,000)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(259,000)	2,111,000	623,000
Balance, beginning of period	3,472,000	1,361,000	738,000
Balance, end of period	3,213,000	3,472,000	1,361,000
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(39,851,000)	(195,000)	123,933,000
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates	39,851,000	195,000	(123,933,000)
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties	0
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Net cash from (for) investing activities	39,851,000	195,000	(123,933,000)
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