Long-Term Debt (Details Textuals) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Feb. 28, 2013 4 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2023 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 4 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2023 [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2012 4 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2023 [Member]	Mar. 07, 2013 9.75% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2016 [Member]	Feb. 19, 2013 9.75% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2016 [Member]	Jan. 22, 2013 9.75% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2016 [Member]	Feb. 19, 2013 9.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2016 [Member]	May 01, 2013 9.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2016 [Member]	Jan. 22, 2013 9.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2016 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Bank Credit Agreement [Member]	May 01, 2013 Bank Credit Agreement [Member]	Mar. 31, 2010 Bank Credit Agreement [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Bank Credit Agreement [Member] Minimum [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Bank Credit Agreement [Member] Maximum [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period One [Member] 4 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2023 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Two [Member] 4 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2023 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Three [Member] 4 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2023 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Four [Member] 4 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2023 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Initial Redemption Period with Proceeds from Equity Offering [Member] 4 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2023 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Initial Redemption Period with Make-Whole Premium [Member] 4 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2023 [Member]
Long Term Debt (Textuals) [Abstract]
Interest in guarantor subsidiaries	100.00%
Debt Instrument, Collateral	any subsidiaries of DRI other than the subsidiary guarantors are minor subsidiaries, and the guarantees of the notes are full and unconditional and joint and several
Face Value of Notes Issued			$ 1,200,000,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date				Jul. 15, 2023
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				4.625%
Selling Price Of Debt Instrument			100.00%
Proceeds from issuance of subordinated long term debt, net of commissions and fees				1,180,000,000
Debt Instrument, Frequency of Periodic Payment				January 15 and July 15 of each year, commencing July 15, 2013
Debt Instrument, Redemption Period, Start Date																	on or after January 15, 2018	on or after January 15, 2019	on or after January 15, 2020	on or after January 15, 2021	Prior to January 15, 2016	prior to January 15, 2018
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage						104.875%	105.425%		106.869%	104.75%							102.313%	101.542%	100.771%	100.00%	104.625%	100.00%
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage of Principal Amount Redeemed																					35.00%	100.00%
Debt Instrument, Restrictive Covenants				The indenture for the 2023 Notes (the "2023 Indenture") contains certain restrictions on our ability to take or permit certain actions, including restrictions on our ability to: (1) incur additional debt; (2) pay dividends on our common stock or redeem, repurchase or retire such stock or subordinated debt unless certain leverage ratios are met; (3) make investments; (4) create liens on our assets; (5) create restrictions on the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other payments to DRI or other restricted subsidiaries; (6) engage in transactions with our affiliates; (7) transfer or sell assets; and (8) consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of our assets and the assets of our subsidiaries. Although the covenants contained in our other senior subordinated notes indentures are generally consistent with those contained in our 2023 Indenture, the 2023 Indenture covenants permit us in certain circumstances to make restricted payments exceeding the amount allowed under our other senior subordinated notes indentures.  Under the 2023 Indenture, these restricted payments, which include share repurchases and dividend payments, do not reduce our restricted payment limitation, provided we maintain (both before and after giving effect to any such payment) a predefined leverage ratio of at least 2.5 to 1.
Leverage Ratio Requirement for Restricted Payments				at least 2.5 to 1
Subordinated Debt				1,200,000,000	0			426,400,000			224,900,000
Debt Instrument, Repurchased Face Amount						234,700,000	191,700,000		186,700,000	38,200,000
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	44,223,000	0
$1.6 Billion Revolving Credit Facility [Abstract]
Initiation date of Bank Credit Facility												Mar. 31, 2010
Borrowing Base of Denbury credit facility													$ 1,600,000,000	$ 1,600,000,000
Debt Instrument, Payment Terms												If the borrowing base were to be less than outstanding borrowings under the Bank Credit Agreement, we would be required to repay the deficit over a period not to exceed four months.
Weighted average interest rate on Bank Credit Facility												1.71%
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Description												We incur a commitment fee on the unused portion of the Bank Credit Facility of either 0.375% or 0.5%, based on the ratio of outstanding borrowings under the Bank Credit Facility to the borrowing base.
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage															0.375%	0.50%
Maturity date of Denbury Credit Facility												May 31, 2016