Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantors and Issuers Income Statement (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 25, 2016
Sep. 27, 2015
Sep. 25, 2016
Sep. 27, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]        
Net revenues $ 650,283 $ 644,637 $ 1,096,755 $ 1,068,862
Costs and expenses:        
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues 52,057 52,174 92,860 90,868
Operating expenses 199,292 188,565 441,421 424,020
Selling, general and administrative 65,099 61,394 142,082 133,277
Depreciation and amortization 64,685 59,059 118,175 110,175
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net 1,355 5,753 5,382 9,436
Total costs and expenses 382,488 366,945 799,920 767,776
Operating income 267,795 277,692 296,835 301,086
Interest expense (income), net 20,899 22,155 61,785 64,115
Net effect of swaps 1,650 (1,439) 8,902 (2,962)
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss 7,341 33,891 (23,675) 64,198
Other (income) expense 0 0 0 0
Income from investment in affiliates 0 0 0 0
Income before taxes 237,905 223,085 249,823 175,735
Provision for taxes 62,918 58,934 65,339 37,834
Net income 174,987 164,151 184,484 137,901
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):        
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment 1,397 7,688 (5,447) 13,144
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives 1,994 (2,978) 1,356 (3,576)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax) 3,391 4,710 (4,091) 9,568
Total comprehensive income 178,378 168,861 180,393 147,469
Cedar Fair L.P. (Parent) [Member]        
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]        
Net revenues 92,371 96,104 131,215 132,792
Costs and expenses:        
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues 0 0 0 0
Operating expenses (10) 1,167 2 1,423
Selling, general and administrative 610 483 2,264 1,856
Depreciation and amortization 0 0 0 0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net 0 0 0 0
Total costs and expenses 600 1,650 2,266 3,279
Operating income 91,771 94,454 128,949 129,513
Interest expense (income), net 7,984 8,640 23,776 24,634
Net effect of swaps 959 (775) 5,617 (1,518)
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss 0 0 0 0
Other (income) expense 62 189 187 564
Income from investment in affiliates (98,451) (84,099) (94,910) (42,244)
Income before taxes 181,217 170,499 194,279 148,077
Provision for taxes 6,230 6,348 9,795 10,176
Net income 174,987 164,151 184,484 137,901
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):        
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment 1,397 7,688 (5,447) 13,144
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives 1,994 (2,978) 1,356 (3,576)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax) 3,391 4,710 (4,091) 9,568
Total comprehensive income 178,378 168,861 180,393 147,469
Guarantor Subsidiaries Co Issuer Subsidiary Magnum [Member]        
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]        
Net revenues 172,703 140,898 271,069 205,178
Costs and expenses:        
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues 0 301 0 372
Operating expenses 119,140 67,890 246,624 142,366
Selling, general and administrative 21,412 16,979 49,307 39,250
Depreciation and amortization 9 10 27 28
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net 0 0 0 0
Total costs and expenses 140,561 85,180 295,958 182,016
Operating income 32,142 55,718 (24,889) 23,162
Interest expense (income), net 5,759 6,994 17,830 21,048
Net effect of swaps 691 (664) 3,285 (1,444)
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss 0 0 0 0
Other (income) expense (29,663) (7,803) (69,801) (15,634)
Income from investment in affiliates (62,240) (48,408) (78,515) (30,060)
Income before taxes 117,595 105,599 102,312 49,252
Provision for taxes 19,142 21,979 7,403 7,485
Net income 98,453 83,620 94,909 41,767
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):        
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment 0 0 0 0
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives 606 (934) 455 (1,236)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax) 606 (934) 455 (1,236)
Total comprehensive income 99,059 82,686 95,364 40,531
Co-Issuer Subsidiary (Cedar Canada) [Member]        
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]        
Net revenues 77,164 74,383 107,637 102,464
Costs and expenses:        
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues 6,417 5,911 9,389 8,503
Operating expenses 17,885 16,884 36,249 36,245
Selling, general and administrative 4,413 4,417 8,757 8,624
Depreciation and amortization 7,624 7,399 13,022 12,895
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net 57 240 83 344
Total costs and expenses 36,396 34,851 67,500 66,611
Operating income 40,768 39,532 40,137 35,853
Interest expense (income), net 6,323 6,356 18,672 18,781
Net effect of swaps 0 0 0 0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss 7,337 33,891 (23,679) 64,198
Other (income) expense 1,302 1,518 3,051 3,223
Income from investment in affiliates (12,574) (13,536) (18,008) (18,624)
Income before taxes 38,380 11,303 60,101 (31,725)
Provision for taxes 9,643 (1,207) 15,701 (19,636)
Net income 28,737 12,510 44,400 (12,089)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):        
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment 1,397 7,688 (5,447) 13,144
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives 0 0 0 0
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax) 1,397 7,688 (5,447) 13,144
Total comprehensive income 30,134 20,198 38,953 1,055
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]        
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]        
Net revenues 606,823 565,908 1,036,162 961,258
Costs and expenses:        
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues 45,640 45,962 83,471 81,993
Operating expenses 361,055 102,624 607,874 243,986
Selling, general and administrative 38,664 39,515 81,754 83,547
Depreciation and amortization 57,052 51,650 105,126 97,252
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net 1,298 5,513 5,299 9,092
Total costs and expenses 503,709 245,264 883,524 515,870
Operating income 103,114 320,644 152,638 445,388
Interest expense (income), net 833 165 1,507 (348)
Net effect of swaps 0 0 0 0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss 4 0 4 0
Other (income) expense 28,299 6,096 66,563 11,847
Income from investment in affiliates (28,737) (12,510) (44,399) 12,089
Income before taxes 102,715 326,893 128,963 421,800
Provision for taxes 27,903 31,814 32,440 39,809
Net income 74,812 295,079 96,523 381,991
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):        
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment 0 0 0 0
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives 0 0 0 0
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax) 0 0 0 0
Total comprehensive income 74,812 295,079 96,523 381,991
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]        
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]        
Net revenues (298,778) (232,656) (449,328) (332,830)
Costs and expenses:        
Cost of food, merchandise, and games revenues 0 0 0 0
Operating expenses (298,778) 0 (449,328) 0
Selling, general and administrative 0 0 0 0
Depreciation and amortization 0 0 0 0
Loss on impairment / retirement of fixed assets, net 0 0 0 0
Total costs and expenses (298,778) 0 (449,328) 0
Operating income 0 (232,656) 0 (332,830)
Interest expense (income), net 0 0 0 0
Net effect of swaps 0 0 0 0
Unrealized / realized foreign currency (gain) loss 0 0 0 0
Other (income) expense 0 0 0 0
Income from investment in affiliates 202,002 158,553 235,832 78,839
Income before taxes (202,002) (391,209) (235,832) (411,669)
Provision for taxes 0 0 0 0
Net income (202,002) (391,209) (235,832) (411,669)
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax):        
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment (1,397) (7,688) 5,447 (13,144)
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedging derivatives (606) 934 (455) 1,236
Other comprehensive income (loss), (net of tax) (2,003) (6,754) 4,992 (11,908)
Total comprehensive income $ (204,005) $ (397,963) $ (230,840) $ (423,577)