Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2017	Sep. 25, 2016	Sep. 24, 2017	Sep. 25, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 652,689	$ 650,283	$ 1,093,805	$ 1,096,755
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	52,647	52,057	92,376	92,860
Operating expenses	202,710	199,292	447,379	441,421
Selling, general and administrative	71,663	65,099	151,142	142,082
Depreciation and amortization	70,060	64,685	126,237	118,175
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	1,347	1,355	3,057	5,382
Gain on sale of investment	(1,877)	0	(1,877)	0
Total costs and expenses	396,550	382,488	818,314	799,920
Operating income	256,139	267,795	275,491	296,835
Interest expense, net	21,287	20,899	62,073	61,785
Net effect of swaps	(952)	1,650	3,717	8,902
Loss on early debt extinguishment	0	0	23,115	0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	(29,193)	7,341	(35,047)	(23,675)
Other (income) expense	(65)	0	(65)	0
Income from investment in affiliates	0	0	0	0
Income before taxes	265,062	237,905	221,698	249,823
Provision for taxes	73,747	62,918	63,769	65,339
Net income	191,315	174,987	157,929	184,484
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(11,143)	1,397	(13,085)	(5,447)
Unrealized gain on cash flow hedging derivatives	1,994	1,994	5,981	1,356
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	(9,149)	3,391	(7,104)	(4,091)
Total comprehensive income	182,166	178,378	150,825	180,393
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(269,539)	(298,778)	(395,146)	(449,328)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	(269,539)	(298,778)	(395,146)	(449,328)
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
Gain on sale of investment	0		0
Total costs and expenses	(269,539)	(298,778)	(395,146)	(449,328)
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense, net	0	0	0	0
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Loss on early debt extinguishment			0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
Income from investment in affiliates	306,442	202,002	301,286	235,832
Income before taxes	(306,442)	(202,002)	(301,286)	(235,832)
Provision for taxes	0	0	0	0
Net income	(306,442)	(202,002)	(301,286)	(235,832)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Foreign currency translation adjustment	11,143	(1,397)	13,085	5,447
Unrealized gain on cash flow hedging derivatives	(605)	(606)	(1,816)	(455)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	10,538	(2,003)	11,269	4,992
Total comprehensive income	(295,904)	(204,005)	(290,017)	(230,840)
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	69,999	92,371	92,672	131,215
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	(10)	0	2
Selling, general and administrative	327	610	2,254	2,264
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of investment	0		0
Total costs and expenses	327	600	2,254	2,266
Operating income	69,672	91,771	90,418	128,949
Interest expense, net	4,857	7,984	18,285	23,776
Net effect of swaps	(578)	959	2,162	5,617
Loss on early debt extinguishment			11,773
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	62	62	187	187
Income from investment in affiliates	(132,699)	(98,451)	(108,835)	(94,910)
Income before taxes	198,030	181,217	166,846	194,279
Provision for taxes	6,715	6,230	8,917	9,795
Net income	191,315	174,987	157,929	184,484
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(11,143)	1,397	(13,085)	(5,447)
Unrealized gain on cash flow hedging derivatives	1,994	1,994	5,981	1,356
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	(9,149)	3,391	(7,104)	(4,091)
Total comprehensive income	182,166	178,378	150,825	180,393
Guarantor Subsidiaries Co Issuer Subsidiary Magnum [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	169,429	172,703	262,739	271,069
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	118,614	119,140	248,047	246,624
Selling, general and administrative	21,752	21,412	51,358	49,307
Depreciation and amortization	9	9	26	27
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of investment	(1,877)		(1,877)
Total costs and expenses	138,498	140,561	297,554	295,958
Operating income	30,931	32,142	(34,815)	(24,889)
Interest expense, net	4,305	5,759	13,893	17,830
Net effect of swaps	(374)	691	1,555	3,285
Loss on early debt extinguishment			8,188
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	(27)	0	(27)	0
Other (income) expense	(26,676)	(29,663)	(56,623)	(69,801)
Income from investment in affiliates	(98,522)	(62,240)	(109,414)	(78,515)
Income before taxes	152,225	117,595	107,613	102,312
Provision for taxes	19,526	19,142	(1,223)	7,403
Net income	132,699	98,453	108,836	94,909
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Foreign currency translation adjustment	0	0	0	0
Unrealized gain on cash flow hedging derivatives	605	606	1,816	455
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	605	606	1,816	455
Total comprehensive income	133,304	99,059	110,652	95,364
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	85,963	77,164	114,141	107,637
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	7,735	6,417	10,569	9,389
Operating expenses	19,627	17,885	37,701	36,249
Selling, general and administrative	4,539	4,413	8,592	8,757
Depreciation and amortization	7,856	7,624	12,869	13,022
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	87	57	542	83
Gain on sale of investment	0		0
Total costs and expenses	39,844	36,396	70,273	67,500
Operating income	46,119	40,768	43,868	40,137
Interest expense, net	6,152	6,323	18,317	18,672
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Loss on early debt extinguishment			198
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	(29,166)	7,337	(35,020)	(23,679)
Other (income) expense	1,163	1,302	2,640	3,051
Income from investment in affiliates	(16,843)	(12,574)	(24,389)	(18,008)
Income before taxes	84,813	38,380	82,122	60,101
Provision for taxes	26,432	9,643	23,473	15,701
Net income	58,381	28,737	58,649	44,400
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(11,143)	1,397	(13,085)	(5,447)
Unrealized gain on cash flow hedging derivatives	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	(11,143)	1,397	(13,085)	(5,447)
Total comprehensive income	47,238	30,134	45,564	38,953
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	596,837	606,823	1,019,399	1,036,162
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	44,912	45,640	81,807	83,471
Operating expenses	334,008	361,055	556,777	607,874
Selling, general and administrative	45,045	38,664	88,938	81,754
Depreciation and amortization	62,195	57,052	113,342	105,126
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	1,260	1,298	2,515	5,299
Gain on sale of investment	0		0
Total costs and expenses	487,420	503,709	843,379	883,524
Operating income	109,417	103,114	176,020	152,638
Interest expense, net	5,973	833	11,578	1,507
Net effect of swaps	0	0	0	0
Loss on early debt extinguishment			2,956
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss	0	4	0	4
Other (income) expense	25,386	28,299	53,731	66,563
Income from investment in affiliates	(58,378)	(28,737)	(58,648)	(44,399)
Income before taxes	136,436	102,715	166,403	128,963
Provision for taxes	21,074	27,903	32,602	32,440
Net income	115,362	74,812	133,801	96,523
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Foreign currency translation adjustment	0	0	0	0
Unrealized gain on cash flow hedging derivatives	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax)	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	$ 115,362	$ 74,812	$ 133,801	$ 96,523