Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Cash Flows (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ (83,256)	$ (68,667)	$ 309,082	$ 297,947
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from Sales of Assets, Investing Activities	0	0	15,297	16,058
Capital expenditures	(40,342)	(35,829)	(124,826)	(103,262)
Net cash for investing activities	(40,342)	(35,829)	(109,529)	(87,204)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Other Long-term Debt	55,000	96,000	(41,000)	(59,004)
Term debt borrowings	0	630,000	0	630,000
Note borrowings	0	500,000	0	500,000
Repayments of Related Party Debt				0
Repayments of Long-term Debt	0	(1,131,100)	(11,150)	(1,156,100)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts				0
Distributions (paid) received	(39,091)	(34,820)	(147,728)	(101,482)
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs	0	(23,491)	242	(23,491)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options	0	28	24	57
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation	(568)	(127)	414	1,519
Net cash from (for) financing activities	15,341	36,490	(199,198)	(208,501)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(932)	(786)	(1,526)	477
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(109,189)	(68,792)	(1,171)	2,719
Balance, beginning of period	118,056	78,830	10,038	7,319
Balance, end of period	8,867	10,038	8,867	10,038
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(73,627)	(52,034)	253,410	231,264
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from Sales of Assets, Investing Activities			0	1,173
Capital expenditures	(16,379)	(17,866)	(54,767)	(43,156)
Net cash for investing activities	(16,379)	(17,866)	(54,767)	(41,983)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Other Long-term Debt	55,000	96,000	(41,000)	(57,000)
Term debt borrowings		359,022		359,022
Note borrowings		294,897		294,897
Repayments of Related Party Debt				0
Repayments of Long-term Debt		(654,568)	(6,612)	(669,035)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts				0
Distributions (paid) received	(39,994)	(35,688)	(151,259)	(102,402)
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		(14,763)	228	(14,763)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options		0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation	0	0	0	0
Net cash from (for) financing activities	15,006	44,900	(198,643)	(189,281)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(75,000)	(25,000)	0	0
Balance, beginning of period	75,000	25,000	0	0
Balance, end of period	0	0	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries Co Issuer Subsidiary Magnum [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(3,001)	8,508	3,318	(87,117)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from Sales of Assets, Investing Activities			0	0
Capital expenditures	(4)	0	(4)	(8)
Net cash for investing activities	(4)	0	(4)	104,157
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Other Long-term Debt	0	0	0	0
Term debt borrowings		256,500		256,500
Note borrowings		205,103		205,103
Repayments of Related Party Debt				0
Repayments of Long-term Debt		(462,054)	(4,281)	(472,267)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts				104,165
Distributions (paid) received	0	868	0	920
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		(8,538)	368	(8,537)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options		28	24	57
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation	(568)	(127)	414	1,519
Net cash from (for) financing activities	(568)	(8,220)	(3,475)	(16,705)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(3,573)	288	(161)	335
Balance, beginning of period	4,144	444	732	397
Balance, end of period	571	732	571	732
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(26,042)	(44,472)	15,737	14,067
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from Sales of Assets, Investing Activities			0	0
Capital expenditures	(5,077)	(600)	(14,201)	(8,023)
Net cash for investing activities	(5,077)	(600)	(14,201)	(8,023)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Other Long-term Debt	0	0	0	(2,004)
Term debt borrowings		14,478		14,478
Note borrowings		0		0
Repayments of Related Party Debt				0
Repayments of Long-term Debt		(14,478)	(257)	(14,798)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts				0
Distributions (paid) received	0	0	0	0
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		(190)	(354)	(191)
Exercise of limited partnership unit options		0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation	0	0	0	0
Net cash from (for) financing activities	0	(190)	(611)	(2,515)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(932)	(786)	(1,526)	477
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(32,051)	(46,048)	(601)	4,006
Balance, beginning of period	35,575	50,173	4,125	119
Balance, end of period	3,524	4,125	3,524	4,125
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	20,317	19,331	40,148	139,733
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from Sales of Assets, Investing Activities			15,297	14,885
Capital expenditures	(18,882)	(17,363)	(55,854)	(52,075)
Net cash for investing activities	(18,882)	(17,363)	(40,557)	(37,190)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Other Long-term Debt	0	0	0	0
Term debt borrowings		0		0
Note borrowings		0		0
Repayments of Related Party Debt				(104,165)
Repayments of Long-term Debt		0	0	0
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts				0
Distributions (paid) received	0	0	0	0
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		0	0	0
Exercise of limited partnership unit options		0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation	0	0	0	0
Net cash from (for) financing activities	0	0	0	(104,165)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	1,435	1,968	(409)	(1,622)
Balance, beginning of period	3,337	3,213	5,181	6,803
Balance, end of period	4,772	5,181	4,772	5,181
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(903)	0	(3,531)	0
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from Sales of Assets, Investing Activities			0	0
Capital expenditures	0	0	0	0
Net cash for investing activities	0	0	0	(104,165)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Other Long-term Debt	0	0	0	0
Term debt borrowings		0		0
Note borrowings		0		0
Repayments of Related Party Debt				104,165
Repayments of Long-term Debt		0	0	0
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts				104,165
Distributions (paid) received	903	0	3,531	0
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		0	0	0
Exercise of limited partnership unit options		0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation	0	0	0	0
Net cash from (for) financing activities	903	0	3,531	104,165
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	0	0	0	0
Balance, beginning of period	0	0	0	0
Balance, end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0