Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 25, 2016	Sep. 27, 2015	Sep. 25, 2016	Sep. 27, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 650,283	$ 644,637	$ 1,096,755	$ 1,068,862
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	52,057	52,174	92,860	90,868
Operating expenses	199,292	188,565	441,421	424,020
Selling, general and administrative	65,099	61,394	142,082	133,277
Depreciation and amortization	64,685	59,059	118,175	110,175
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	1,355	5,753	5,382	9,436
Total costs and expenses	382,488	366,945	799,920	767,776
Operating income	267,795	277,692	296,835	301,086
Interest expense (income), net	20,899	22,155	61,785	64,115
Net effect of swaps	1,650	(1,439)	8,902	(2,962)
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	7,341	33,891	(23,675)	64,198
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
Income from investment in affiliates	0	0	0	0
Income before taxes	237,905	223,085	249,823	175,735
Provision for taxes	62,918	58,934	65,339	37,834
Net income	174,987	164,151	184,484	137,901
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	1,397	7,688	(5,447)	13,144
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	1,994	(2,978)	1,356	(3,576)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	3,391	4,710	(4,091)	9,568
Total comprehensive income	178,378	168,861	180,393	147,469
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	92,371	96,104	131,215	132,792
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	(10)	1,167	2	1,423
Selling, general and administrative	610	483	2,264	1,856
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	600	1,650	2,266	3,279
Operating income	91,771	94,454	128,949	129,513
Interest expense (income), net	7,984	8,640	23,776	24,634
Net effect of swaps	959	(775)	5,617	(1,518)
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	62	189	187	564
Income from investment in affiliates	(98,451)	(84,099)	(94,910)	(42,244)
Income before taxes	181,217	170,499	194,279	148,077
Provision for taxes	6,230	6,348	9,795	10,176
Net income	174,987	164,151	184,484	137,901
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	1,397	7,688	(5,447)	13,144
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	1,994	(2,978)	1,356	(3,576)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	3,391	4,710	(4,091)	9,568
Total comprehensive income	178,378	168,861	180,393	147,469
Guarantor Subsidiaries Co Issuer Subsidiary Magnum [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	172,703	140,898	271,069	205,178
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	301	0	372
Operating expenses	119,140	67,890	246,624	142,366
Selling, general and administrative	21,412	16,979	49,307	39,250
Depreciation and amortization	9	10	27	28
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	140,561	85,180	295,958	182,016
Operating income	32,142	55,718	(24,889)	23,162
Interest expense (income), net	5,759	6,994	17,830	21,048
Net effect of swaps	691	(664)	3,285	(1,444)
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	(29,663)	(7,803)	(69,801)	(15,634)
Income from investment in affiliates	(62,240)	(48,408)	(78,515)	(30,060)
Income before taxes	117,595	105,599	102,312	49,252
Provision for taxes	19,142	21,979	7,403	7,485
Net income	98,453	83,620	94,909	41,767
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	0	0	0	0
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	606	(934)	455	(1,236)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	606	(934)	455	(1,236)
Total comprehensive income	99,059	82,686	95,364	40,531
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	77,164	74,383	107,637	102,464
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	6,417	5,911	9,389	8,503
Operating expenses	17,885	16,884	36,249	36,245
Selling, general and administrative	4,413	4,417	8,757	8,624
Depreciation and amortization	7,624	7,399	13,022	12,895
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	57	240	83	344
Total costs and expenses	36,396	34,851	67,500	66,611
Operating income	40,768	39,532	40,137	35,853
Interest expense (income), net	6,323	6,356	18,672	18,781
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	7,337	33,891	(23,679)	64,198
Other (income) expense	1,302	1,518	3,051	3,223
Income from investment in affiliates	(12,574)	(13,536)	(18,008)	(18,624)
Income before taxes	38,380	11,303	60,101	(31,725)
Provision for taxes	9,643	(1,207)	15,701	(19,636)
Net income	28,737	12,510	44,400	(12,089)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	1,397	7,688	(5,447)	13,144
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	1,397	7,688	(5,447)	13,144
Total comprehensive income	30,134	20,198	38,953	1,055
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	606,823	565,908	1,036,162	961,258
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	45,640	45,962	83,471	81,993
Operating expenses	361,055	102,624	607,874	243,986
Selling, general and administrative	38,664	39,515	81,754	83,547
Depreciation and amortization	57,052	51,650	105,126	97,252
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	1,298	5,513	5,299	9,092
Total costs and expenses	503,709	245,264	883,524	515,870
Operating income	103,114	320,644	152,638	445,388
Interest expense (income), net	833	165	1,507	(348)
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	4	0	4	0
Other (income) expense	28,299	6,096	66,563	11,847
Income from investment in affiliates	(28,737)	(12,510)	(44,399)	12,089
Income before taxes	102,715	326,893	128,963	421,800
Provision for taxes	27,903	31,814	32,440	39,809
Net income	74,812	295,079	96,523	381,991
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	74,812	295,079	96,523	381,991
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(298,778)	(232,656)	(449,328)	(332,830)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	(298,778)	0	(449,328)	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	(298,778)	0	(449,328)	0
Operating income	0	(232,656)	0	(332,830)
Interest expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
Income from investment in affiliates	202,002	158,553	235,832	78,839
Income before taxes	(202,002)	(391,209)	(235,832)	(411,669)
Provision for taxes	0	0	0	0
Net income	(202,002)	(391,209)	(235,832)	(411,669)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	(1,397)	(7,688)	5,447	(13,144)
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives	(606)	934	(455)	1,236
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	(2,003)	(6,754)	4,992	(11,908)
Total comprehensive income	$ (204,005)	$ (397,963)	$ (230,840)	$ (423,577)