Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 27, 2016	Mar. 29, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 58,438	$ 46,817
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	6,237	5,588
Operating expenses	84,604	78,130
Selling, general and administrative	25,612	25,818
Depreciation and amortization	5,191	4,011
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	2,612	2,903
Total costs and expenses	124,256	116,450
Operating loss	(65,818)	(69,633)
Interest expense (income), net	19,769	20,492
Net effect of swaps	1,842	(116)
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	(19,561)	38,218
Other Income Expense	0	0
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	0	0
Loss before taxes	(67,868)	(128,227)
Benefit for taxes	(19,382)	(44,394)
Net loss	(48,486)	(83,833)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	(4,395)	7,214
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedging derivatives	(2,631)	(2,439)
Other comprehensive loss, (net of tax)	(7,026)	4,775
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(55,512)	(79,058)
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(2,500)	(1,383)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0
Operating expenses	10	134
Selling, general and administrative	894	799
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0
Total costs and expenses	904	933
Operating loss	(3,404)	(2,316)
Interest expense (income), net	8,038	7,836
Net effect of swaps	1,442	14
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	0	0
Other Income Expense	62	188
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	34,681	72,786
Loss before taxes	(47,627)	(83,140)
Benefit for taxes	859	693
Net loss	(48,486)	(83,833)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	(4,395)	7,214
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedging derivatives	(2,631)	(2,439)
Other comprehensive loss, (net of tax)	(7,026)	4,775
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(55,512)	(79,058)
Guarantor Subsidiaries Co Issuer Subsidiary Magnum [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	7,841	4,020
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0
Operating expenses	39,978	23,057
Selling, general and administrative	13,186	13,275
Depreciation and amortization	9	9
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0
Total costs and expenses	53,173	36,341
Operating loss	(45,332)	(32,321)
Interest expense (income), net	6,445	6,837
Net effect of swaps	400	(130)
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	0	0
Other Income Expense	(19,371)	(4,816)
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	14,144	51,745
Loss before taxes	(46,950)	(85,957)
Benefit for taxes	(12,270)	(13,172)
Net loss	(34,680)	(72,785)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	0	0
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedging derivatives	(756)	(777)
Other comprehensive loss, (net of tax)	(756)	(777)
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(35,436)	(73,562)
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	119	78
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	(2)	0
Operating expenses	5,277	4,971
Selling, general and administrative	763	1,743
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	21	0
Total costs and expenses	6,059	6,714
Operating loss	(5,940)	(6,636)
Interest expense (income), net	6,036	6,120
Net effect of swaps	0	0
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	(19,561)	38,218
Other Income Expense	874	1,046
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	3,475	3,503
Loss before taxes	3,236	(55,523)
Benefit for taxes	2,510	(20,024)
Net loss	726	(35,499)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	(4,395)	7,214
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedging derivatives	0	0
Other comprehensive loss, (net of tax)	(4,395)	7,214
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(3,669)	(28,285)
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	58,317	46,737
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	6,239	5,588
Operating expenses	44,678	52,603
Selling, general and administrative	10,769	10,001
Depreciation and amortization	5,182	4,002
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	2,591	2,903
Total costs and expenses	69,459	75,097
Operating loss	(11,142)	(28,360)
Interest expense (income), net	(750)	(301)
Net effect of swaps	0	0
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	0	0
Other Income Expense	18,435	3,582
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	(725)	35,489
Loss before taxes	(28,102)	(67,130)
Benefit for taxes	(10,481)	(11,891)
Net loss	(17,621)	(55,239)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	0	0
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedging derivatives	0	0
Other comprehensive loss, (net of tax)	0	0
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(17,621)	(55,239)
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(5,339)	(2,635)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues	0	0
Operating expenses	(5,339)	(2,635)
Selling, general and administrative	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net	0	0
Total costs and expenses	(5,339)	(2,635)
Operating loss	0	0
Interest expense (income), net	0	0
Net effect of swaps	0	0
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	0	0
Other Income Expense	0	0
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	(51,575)	(163,523)
Loss before taxes	51,575	163,523
Benefit for taxes	0	0
Net loss	51,575	163,523
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment	4,395	(7,214)
Unrealized loss on cash flow hedging derivatives	756	777
Other comprehensive loss, (net of tax)	5,151	(6,437)
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss)	$ 56,726	$ 157,086