Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 26, 2016	Jun. 28, 2015	Jun. 26, 2016	Jun. 28, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 388,034	$ 377,408	$ 446,472	$ 424,225
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	34,566	33,106	40,803	38,694
Operating expenses	157,525	157,325	242,129	235,455
Selling, general and administrative	51,371	46,065	76,983	71,883
Depreciation and amortization	48,299	47,105	53,490	51,116
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	1,415	780	4,027	3,683
Total costs and expenses	293,176	284,381	417,432	400,831
Operating income	94,858	93,027	29,040	23,394
Interest expense (income), net	21,117	21,468	40,886	41,960
Net effect of swaps	5,410	(1,407)	7,252	(1,523)
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain	(11,455)	(7,911)	(31,016)	30,307
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before taxes	79,786	80,877	11,918	(47,350)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	21,803	23,294	2,421	(21,100)
Net income (loss)	57,983	57,583	9,497	(26,250)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	(2,449)	(1,758)	(6,844)	5,456
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	1,993	1,841	(638)	(598)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	(456)	83	(7,482)	4,858
Total comprehensive income (loss)	57,527	57,666	2,015	(21,392)
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	41,344	38,071	38,844	36,688
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	3	122	12	256
Selling, general and administrative	761	574	1,654	1,373
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	764	696	1,666	1,629
Operating income	40,580	37,375	37,178	35,059
Interest expense (income), net	7,754	8,158	15,792	15,994
Net effect of swaps	3,215	(757)	4,658	(743)
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	63	187	125	375
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	(31,140)	(30,931)	3,541	41,855
Income (loss) before taxes	60,688	60,718	13,062	(22,422)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	2,705	3,135	3,565	3,828
Net income (loss)	57,983	57,583	9,497	(26,250)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	(2,449)	(1,758)	(6,844)	5,456
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	1,993	1,841	(638)	(598)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	(456)	83	(7,482)	4,858
Total comprehensive income (loss)	57,527	57,666	2,015	(21,392)
Guarantor Subsidiaries Co Issuer Subsidiary Magnum [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	90,525	60,260	98,366	64,280
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	71	0	71
Operating expenses	87,506	51,419	127,484	74,476
Selling, general and administrative	14,709	8,996	27,895	22,271
Depreciation and amortization	9	9	18	18
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	102,224	60,495	155,397	96,836
Operating income	(11,699)	(235)	(57,031)	(32,556)
Interest expense (income), net	5,625	7,217	12,071	14,054
Net effect of swaps	2,195	(650)	2,594	(780)
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	(20,767)	(3,015)	(40,138)	(7,831)
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	(30,419)	(33,397)	(16,275)	18,348
Income (loss) before taxes	31,667	29,610	(15,283)	(56,347)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	531	(1,322)	(11,739)	(14,494)
Net income (loss)	31,136	30,932	(3,544)	(41,853)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	0	0	0	0
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	605	475	(151)	(302)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	605	475	(151)	(302)
Total comprehensive income (loss)	31,741	31,407	(3,695)	(42,155)
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	30,354	28,003	30,473	28,081
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	2,974	2,592	2,972	2,592
Operating expenses	13,087	14,390	18,364	19,361
Selling, general and administrative	3,581	2,464	4,344	4,207
Depreciation and amortization	5,398	5,496	5,398	5,496
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	5	104	26	104
Total costs and expenses	25,045	25,046	31,104	31,760
Operating income	5,309	2,957	(631)	(3,679)
Interest expense (income), net	6,313	6,305	12,349	12,425
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain	(11,455)	(7,911)	(31,016)	30,307
Other (income) expense	875	659	1,749	1,705
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	(8,909)	(8,591)	(5,434)	(5,088)
Income (loss) before taxes	18,485	12,495	21,721	(43,028)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	3,548	1,595	6,058	(18,429)
Net income (loss)	14,937	10,900	15,663	(24,599)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	(2,449)	(1,758)	(6,844)	5,456
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	(2,449)	(1,758)	(6,844)	5,456
Total comprehensive income (loss)	12,488	9,142	8,819	(19,143)
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	371,023	348,613	429,339	395,350
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	31,592	30,443	37,831	36,031
Operating expenses	202,141	88,759	246,819	141,362
Selling, general and administrative	32,320	34,031	43,090	44,032
Depreciation and amortization	42,892	41,600	48,074	45,602
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	1,410	676	4,001	3,579
Total costs and expenses	310,355	195,509	379,815	270,606
Operating income	60,668	153,104	49,524	124,744
Interest expense (income), net	1,425	(212)	674	(513)
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	19,829	2,169	38,264	5,751
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	(14,937)	(10,890)	(15,662)	24,599
Income (loss) before taxes	54,351	162,037	26,248	94,907
Provision (benefit) for taxes	15,019	19,886	4,537	7,995
Net income (loss)	39,332	142,151	21,711	86,912
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	0	0	0	0
Unrealized gain (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)	39,332	142,151	21,711	86,912
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(145,212)	(97,539)	(150,550)	(100,174)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	(145,212)	2,635	(150,550)	0
Selling, general and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	(145,212)	2,635	(150,550)	0
Operating income	0	(100,174)	0	(100,174)
Interest expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency gain	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
(Income) loss from investment in affiliates	85,405	83,809	33,830	(79,714)
Income (loss) before taxes	(85,405)	(183,983)	(33,830)	(20,460)
Provision (benefit) for taxes	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	(85,405)	(183,983)	(33,830)	(20,460)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	2,449	1,758	6,844	(5,456)
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	(605)	(475)	151	302
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	1,844	1,283	6,995	(5,154)
Total comprehensive income (loss)	$ (83,561)	$ (182,700)	$ (26,835)	$ (25,614)