Organization and Description of Business	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Organization and Description of Business [Abstract]
Organization and Description of Business	Note 1 — Organization and Description of Business Amscan Holdings, Inc. (“Amscan” or the “Company” or “AHI”) designs, manufactures, contracts for manufacture and distributes party goods, including paper and plastic tableware, metallic and latex balloons, accessories, novelties, costumes, other garments, gifts and stationery throughout the world. In addition, the Company operates specialty retail party supply stores in the United States and Canada, principally under the names Party City, Halloween City and Party Packagers Inc. (“Party Packagers”) and operates its e-commerce website, PartyCity.com. The Company also franchises both individual stores and franchise areas throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, principally under the name Party City. The Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Party City Holdings Inc. (“PCHI”), formerly known as AAH Holdings Corporation (“AAH”).

The entire disclosure for the nature of an entity's business, the major products or services it sells or provides and its principal markets, including the locations of those markets. If the entity operates in more than one business, the disclosure also indicates the relative importance of its operations in each business and the basis for the determination (for example, assets, revenues, or earnings).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Name Statement of Position (SOP)

-Publisher AICPA

-Number 94-6

-Paragraph 10

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 275

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6003-108592

Name:	us-gaap_NatureOfOperations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration