Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 27, 2016	Mar. 29, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	$ (67,842)	$ (60,249)
CASH FLOWS FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Intercompany receivables (payments) receipts	0	0
Purchase of preferred equity investment	0	(2,000)
Capital expenditures	(52,221)	(59,730)
Net cash for investing activities	(52,221)	(61,730)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans	65,000	57,000
Distributions paid to partners	0	(42,052)
Intercompany payables (payments) receipts	0	0
Tax Effect of Units Involved in Option Exercises And Treasury Unit Transactions	(1,549)	(1,299)
Net cash from financing activities	63,451	13,649
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	1,606	(3,785)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(55,006)	(112,115)
Balance, beginning of period	119,557	131,840
Balance, end of period	64,551	19,725
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(25,319)	(17,967)
CASH FLOWS FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Intercompany receivables (payments) receipts	0	0
Purchase of preferred equity investment		0
Capital expenditures	0	0
Net cash for investing activities	0	0
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans	65,000	57,000
Distributions paid to partners		(42,618)
Intercompany payables (payments) receipts	(116,688)	(76,415)
Tax Effect of Units Involved in Option Exercises And Treasury Unit Transactions	0	0
Net cash from financing activities	(51,688)	(62,033)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(77,007)	(80,000)
Balance, beginning of period	77,007	80,000
Balance, end of period	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries Co Issuer Subsidiary Magnum [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(52,051)	(44,980)
CASH FLOWS FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Intercompany receivables (payments) receipts	0	0
Purchase of preferred equity investment		(2,000)
Capital expenditures	0	0
Net cash for investing activities	0	(2,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans	0	0
Distributions paid to partners		0
Intercompany payables (payments) receipts	53,600	47,897
Tax Effect of Units Involved in Option Exercises And Treasury Unit Transactions	(1,549)	(1,299)
Net cash from financing activities	52,051	46,598
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	0	(382)
Balance, beginning of period	0	382
Balance, end of period	0	0
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(214)	(6,910)
CASH FLOWS FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Intercompany receivables (payments) receipts	0	(10,594)
Purchase of preferred equity investment		0
Capital expenditures	(2,247)	(1,500)
Net cash for investing activities	(2,247)	(12,094)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans	0	0
Distributions paid to partners		0
Intercompany payables (payments) receipts	0	(7,849)
Tax Effect of Units Involved in Option Exercises And Treasury Unit Transactions	0	0
Net cash from financing activities	0	(7,849)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	1,606	(3,785)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(855)	(30,638)
Balance, beginning of period	39,106	45,519
Balance, end of period	38,251	14,881
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	11,645	10,174
CASH FLOWS FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Intercompany receivables (payments) receipts	63,088	46,961
Purchase of preferred equity investment		0
Capital expenditures	(49,974)	(58,230)
Net cash for investing activities	13,114	(11,269)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans	0	0
Distributions paid to partners		0
Intercompany payables (payments) receipts	0	0
Tax Effect of Units Involved in Option Exercises And Treasury Unit Transactions	0	0
Net cash from financing activities	0	0
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	24,759	(1,095)
Balance, beginning of period	3,444	5,939
Balance, end of period	28,203	4,844
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(1,903)	(566)
CASH FLOWS FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Intercompany receivables (payments) receipts	(63,088)	(36,367)
Purchase of preferred equity investment		0
Capital expenditures	0	0
Net cash for investing activities	(63,088)	(36,367)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Net borrowings on revolving credit loans	0	0
Distributions paid to partners		566
Intercompany payables (payments) receipts	63,088	36,367
Tax Effect of Units Involved in Option Exercises And Treasury Unit Transactions	0	0
Net cash from financing activities	63,088	36,933
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Net increase (decrease) for the period	(1,903)	0
Balance, beginning of period	0	0
Balance, end of period	$ (1,903)	$ 0