Stockholders Equity [Line Items]

No definition available.

Name:	seas_StockholdersEquityLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	seas_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate dividends declared during the period for each share of common stock outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date the declared dividend will be paid, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4304-108586

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendPayableDateToBePaidDayMonthAndYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date the holder must own the stock to be entitled to the dividend, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsPayableDateOfRecordDayMonthAndYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsAxis=seas_TwoThousandFifteenQuarterFourDeclarationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsAxis=seas_TwoThousandSixteenQuarterOneDeclarationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsAxis=seas_TwoThousandSixteenQuarterTwoDeclarationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsAxis=seas_TwoThousandSixteenQuarterThreeDeclarationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Stockholders' Equity - Schedule of Quarterly Cash Dividends to Common Stockholders (Detail) - $ / shares					3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 19, 2016	Jun. 08, 2016	Feb. 22, 2016	Jan. 05, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Stockholders Equity [Line Items]
Cash dividends record date	Sep. 29, 2016	Jun. 20, 2016	Mar. 14, 2016	Jan. 15, 2016
Cash dividends payable date	Oct. 07, 2016	Jul. 01, 2016	Apr. 01, 2016	Jan. 22, 2016
Cash dividends declared per share	$ 0.10	$ 0.21	$ 0.21	$ 0.21	$ 0.10	$ 0.21	$ 0.73	$ 0.84
Q4 2015 Declaration [Member]
Stockholders Equity [Line Items]
Cash dividends record date							Jan. 15, 2016
Cash dividends payable date							Jan. 22, 2016
Cash dividends declared per share							$ 0.21
Q1 2016 Declaration [Member]
Stockholders Equity [Line Items]
Cash dividends record date							Mar. 14, 2016
Cash dividends payable date							Apr. 01, 2016
Cash dividends declared per share							$ 0.21
Q2 2016 Declaration [Member]
Stockholders Equity [Line Items]
Cash dividends record date							Jun. 20, 2016
Cash dividends payable date							Jul. 01, 2016
Cash dividends declared per share							$ 0.21
Q3 2016 Declaration [Member]
Stockholders Equity [Line Items]
Cash dividends record date							Sep. 29, 2016
Cash dividends payable date							Oct. 07, 2016
Cash dividends declared per share	$ 0.10						$ 0.10