Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Cash Flows (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Feb. 26, 2012	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES		$ 316,955	$ 276,744	$ 324,848	$ 272,554
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates		0	0	0	0
Sale of other assets		15,297	1,173	30,182	1,173
Capital expenditures		(97,534)	(75,810)	(116,761)	(93,120)
Net cash for investing activities		(82,237)	(74,637)	(86,579)	(91,947)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Term debt borrowings		630,000	0	630,000	0
Note borrowings		500,000	0	500,000	0
Derivative settlement	(50,500)	0	(50,450)	0	(50,450)
Repayments of Long-term Debt		(1,132,675)	(25,000)	(1,132,675)	(25,000)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			0		0
Distributions (paid) received		(104,458)	(66,565)	(126,706)	(105,308)
Capital (contribution) infusion			0		0
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		22,812	0	22,812	723
Exercise of limited partnership unit options		43	47	43	53
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation		(148)	(454)	1,515	(454)
Net cash for financing activities		(130,050)	(142,422)	(150,635)	(181,882)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS		(16)	893	(254)	1,065
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period		104,652	60,578	87,380	(210)
Balance, beginning of period		78,830	35,524	96,102	96,312
Balance, end of period		183,482	96,102	183,482	96,102
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES		337,821	209,022	258,843	181,718
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates		(63,105)	(56,757)	24,507	(35,830)
Sale of other assets		0	1,173	0	1,173
Capital expenditures		(43,568)	(29,295)	(47,938)	(33,025)
Net cash for investing activities		(106,673)	(84,879)	(23,431)	(67,682)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Term debt borrowings		359,022		359,022
Note borrowings		294,897		294,897
Derivative settlement			0		0
Repayments of Long-term Debt		(655,723)	(14,468)	(655,723)	(14,467)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			0		0
Distributions (paid) received		(107,013)	(66,675)	(129,277)	(105,569)
Capital (contribution) infusion			0		0
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		14,331		14,331	0
Exercise of limited partnership unit options		0	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation		0	0	0	0
Net cash for financing activities		(123,148)	(81,143)	(145,412)	(120,036)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS		0	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period		108,000	43,000	90,000	(6,000)
Balance, beginning of period		25,000	0	43,000	49,000
Balance, end of period		133,000	43,000	133,000	43,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries Co Issuer Subsidiary Magnum [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES		60,434	49,092	42,367	(157,023)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates		(52,172)	(70,669)	(37,602)	(42,342)
Sale of other assets		0	0	0	0
Capital expenditures		0	(8)	(1)	(8)
Net cash for investing activities		(52,172)	(70,677)	(37,603)	(42,350)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Term debt borrowings		256,500		256,500
Note borrowings		205,103		205,103
Derivative settlement			0		0
Repayments of Long-term Debt		(462,438)	(10,212)	(462,438)	(10,213)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			93,845		269,500
Distributions (paid) received		2,555	110	2,571	261
Capital (contribution) infusion			(60,000)		(60,000)
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		8,028		8,028	0
Exercise of limited partnership unit options		43	47	43	53
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation		(148)	(454)	1,515	(454)
Net cash for financing activities		(6,413)	23,336	(4,734)	199,147
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS		0	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period		1,849	1,751	30	(226)
Balance, beginning of period		444	512	2,263	2,489
Balance, end of period		2,293	2,263	2,293	2,263
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES		21,615	9,484	32,927	8,795
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates		(29,579)	3,557	(30,743)	8,488
Sale of other assets		0	0	0	0
Capital expenditures		(5,517)	(14,426)	(5,532)	(23,050)
Net cash for investing activities		(35,096)	(10,869)	(36,275)	(14,562)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Term debt borrowings		14,478		14,478
Note borrowings		0		0
Derivative settlement			(50,450)		(50,450)
Repayments of Long-term Debt		(14,514)	(320)	(14,514)	(320)
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			0		0
Distributions (paid) received		0	0	0	0
Capital (contribution) infusion			60,000		60,000
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		453		453	723
Exercise of limited partnership unit options		0	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation		0	0	0	0
Net cash for financing activities		(489)	9,230	(489)	8,507
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS		(16)	893	(254)	1,065
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period		(13,986)	8,738	(4,091)	3,805
Balance, beginning of period		50,173	31,540	40,278	36,473
Balance, end of period		36,187	40,278	36,187	40,278
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES		66,757	156,240	52,457	314,835
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates		(24,816)	(23,225)	(17,908)	(6,087)
Sale of other assets		15,297	0	30,182	0
Capital expenditures		(48,449)	(32,081)	(63,290)	(37,037)
Net cash for investing activities		(57,968)	(55,306)	(51,016)	(43,124)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Term debt borrowings		0		0
Note borrowings		0		0
Derivative settlement			0		0
Repayments of Long-term Debt		0	0	0	0
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			(93,845)		(269,500)
Distributions (paid) received		0	0	0	0
Capital (contribution) infusion			0		0
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		0		0	0
Exercise of limited partnership unit options		0	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation		0	0	0	0
Net cash for financing activities		0	(93,845)	0	(269,500)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS		0	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period		8,789	7,089	1,441	2,211
Balance, beginning of period		3,213	3,472	10,561	8,350
Balance, end of period		12,002	10,561	12,002	10,561
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH (FOR) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES		(169,672)	(147,094)	(61,746)	(75,771)
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investment in joint ventures and affiliates		169,672	147,094	61,746	75,771
Sale of other assets		0	0	0	0
Capital expenditures		0	0	0	0
Net cash for investing activities		169,672	147,094	61,746	75,771
CASH FLOWS FROM (FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Term debt borrowings		0		0
Note borrowings		0		0
Derivative settlement			0		0
Repayments of Long-term Debt		0	0	0	0
Intercompany term debt (payments) receipts			0		0
Distributions (paid) received		0	0	0	0
Capital (contribution) infusion			0		0
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		0		0	0
Exercise of limited partnership unit options		0	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from unit-based compensation		0	0	0	0
Net cash for financing activities		0	0	0	0
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS		0	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period		0	0	0	0
Balance, beginning of period		0	0	0	0
Balance, end of period		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0