Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 28, 2015	Jun. 29, 2014	Jun. 28, 2015	Jun. 29, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 377,408	$ 363,014	$ 424,225	$ 403,480
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	33,106	31,090	38,694	36,075
Operating expenses	157,325	147,192	235,455	227,542
Selling, general and administrative	46,065	46,617	71,883	68,021
Depreciation and amortization	47,105	46,974	51,116	51,281
Gain on sale of other assets	0	(921)	0	(921)
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	780	215	3,683	1,212
Total costs and expenses	284,381	271,167	400,831	383,210
Operating income	93,027	91,847	23,394	20,270
Interest expense (income), net	21,468	27,901	41,960	52,560
Net effect of swaps	(1,407)	(315)	(1,523)	56
Loss on early debt extinguishment	0	(29,273)	0	(29,273)
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	(7,911)	(16,102)	30,307	1,082
Other Income Expense	0	0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before taxes	80,877	51,090	(47,350)	(62,701)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	23,294	7,188	(21,100)	(23,063)
Net income (loss)	57,583	43,902	(26,250)	(39,638)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	(1,758)	(2,317)	5,456	(696)
Unrealized income (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	1,841	(2,241)	(598)	(2,891)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	83	(4,558)	4,858	(3,587)
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	57,666	39,344	(21,392)	(43,225)
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	38,071	43,084	36,688	47,839
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	122	1,312	256	2,660
Selling, general and administrative	574	1,467	1,373	2,863
Depreciation and amortization	0	14,011	0	14,485
Gain on sale of other assets		0		0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0	0	249
Total costs and expenses	696	16,790	1,629	20,257
Operating income	37,375	26,294	35,059	27,582
Interest expense (income), net	8,158	10,533	15,994	20,732
Net effect of swaps	(757)	(178)	(743)	16
Loss on early debt extinguishment		0		0
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	0	0	0	0
Other Income Expense	187	188	375	375
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	(30,931)	(30,914)	41,855	42,674
Income (loss) before taxes	60,718	46,665	(22,422)	(36,215)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	3,135	2,763	3,828	3,423
Net income (loss)	57,583	43,902	(26,250)	(39,638)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	(1,758)	(2,317)	5,456	(696)
Unrealized income (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	1,841	(2,241)	(598)	(2,891)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	83	(4,558)	4,858	(3,587)
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	57,666	39,344	(21,392)	(43,225)
Guarantor Subsidiaries Co Issuer Subsidiary Magnum [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	60,260	79,737	64,280	88,416
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	71	79	71	79
Operating expenses	51,419	54,893	74,476	77,355
Selling, general and administrative	8,996	27,495	22,271	44,167
Depreciation and amortization	9	94	18	103
Gain on sale of other assets		0		0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	(1)	0	(1)
Total costs and expenses	60,495	82,560	96,836	121,703
Operating income	(235)	(2,823)	(32,556)	(33,287)
Interest expense (income), net	7,217	7,354	14,054	14,365
Net effect of swaps	(650)	(137)	(780)	40
Loss on early debt extinguishment		0		0
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	0	0	0	0
Other Income Expense	(3,015)	(2,415)	(7,831)	(5,689)
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	(33,397)	(21,721)	18,348	25,422
Income (loss) before taxes	29,610	14,096	(56,347)	(67,425)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	(1,322)	(3,481)	(14,494)	(13,903)
Net income (loss)	30,932	17,577	(41,853)	(53,522)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	0	0	0	0
Unrealized income (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	475	(644)	(302)	(817)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	475	(644)	(302)	(817)
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	31,407	16,933	(42,155)	(54,339)
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	28,003	33,878	28,081	34,029
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	2,592	2,881	2,592	2,882
Operating expenses	14,390	15,124	19,361	22,061
Selling, general and administrative	2,464	3,886	4,207	4,759
Depreciation and amortization	5,496	6,502	5,496	6,502
Gain on sale of other assets		0		0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	104	0	104	0
Total costs and expenses	25,046	28,393	31,760	36,204
Operating income	2,957	5,485	(3,679)	(2,175)
Interest expense (income), net	6,305	11,933	12,425	21,401
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Loss on early debt extinguishment		(29,273)		(29,273)
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	(7,911)	(16,102)	30,307	1,082
Other Income Expense	659	531	1,705	905
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	(8,591)	(10,576)	(5,088)	(6,512)
Income (loss) before taxes	12,495	(9,574)	(43,028)	(48,324)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	1,595	(7,645)	(18,429)	(18,151)
Net income (loss)	10,900	(1,929)	(24,599)	(30,173)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	(1,758)	(2,317)	5,456	(696)
Unrealized income (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	(1,758)	(2,317)	5,456	(696)
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	9,142	(4,246)	(19,143)	(30,869)
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	348,613	328,013	395,350	368,325
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	30,443	28,130	36,031	33,114
Operating expenses	88,759	197,561	141,362	260,595
Selling, general and administrative	34,031	13,769	44,032	16,232
Depreciation and amortization	41,600	26,367	45,602	30,191
Gain on sale of other assets		(921)		(921)
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	676	216	3,579	964
Total costs and expenses	195,509	265,122	270,606	340,175
Operating income	153,104	62,891	124,744	28,150
Interest expense (income), net	(212)	(1,919)	(513)	(3,938)
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Loss on early debt extinguishment		0		0
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	0	0	0	0
Other Income Expense	2,169	1,696	5,751	4,409
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	(10,890)	1,929	24,599	30,173
Income (loss) before taxes	162,037	61,185	94,907	(2,494)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	19,886	15,551	7,995	5,568
Net income (loss)	142,151	45,634	86,912	(8,062)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	0	0	0	0
Unrealized income (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	0	0	0	0
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	142,151	45,634	86,912	(8,062)
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(97,539)	(121,698)	(100,174)	(135,129)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	2,635	(121,698)	0	(135,129)
Selling, general and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of other assets		0		0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	2,635	(121,698)	0	(135,129)
Operating income	(100,174)	0	(100,174)	0
Interest expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Loss on early debt extinguishment		0		0
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	0	0	0	0
Other Income Expense	0	0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	83,809	61,282	(79,714)	(91,757)
Income (loss) before taxes	(183,983)	(61,282)	(20,460)	91,757
Provision (benefit) for taxes	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	(183,983)	(61,282)	(20,460)	91,757
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	1,758	2,317	(5,456)	696
Unrealized income (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	(475)	644	302	817
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	1,283	2,961	(5,154)	1,513
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	$ (182,700)	$ (58,321)	$ (25,614)	$ 93,270